OK up to this point I've been a day hiker. In the spring I want to do my first section hike on the AT. I have a late 1980's era US Military Meduim ALICE pack that was issued to me in the Civil Air Patrol when I was 13 (I'm now 39). I've taken it camping and hiking it the US, Canada, and Central America. I carried it when I was in the Guard and when I was a ranger with TN State Parks. I intend to use it for this
Up to now I've used it frameless with shoulder straps, which is an option on the Medium. Now that these packs are obsolete surplus, frames for them are cheap. What are the advantages of a frame vs frameless?