Advice needed on External vs. Internal frames

[CrumbSnatcher]

i think everyone here has some good advice and are trying to be helpful. matters not to me, which way you go. i was just saying what works for me :-)
i think everyone should go internal, so i can find good deals on e-bay :-) happy hiking and happy new years everyone

[Papa D]

Garlic's suggestion of a frameless pack makes good sense - I just got a Gossamer Gear Pack - might be taking the ultra-light plunge

- hope I can get my big ol' axe, camp shovel, steel canteens, and guns in that thing - oh, yeah, and my 8-track tape player, and firewood, and miller high life, and ........

[Lone Wolf]

Im buying my first pack. Im totally overwhelmed by all the choices out there. But the biggest choice I need to make to continue my research on this is External or Internal. Both have lots of pros and cons. I am leaning towards external but just not sure.

What are your experiences with both or either? I like that the external has more airflow between body and frame as I sweat more than the normal person no matter what I am doing. I like that you can attach to the frame. There seem to be very limited options for external packs, thus my hesitation. The majority seem to go to the internal.

Is this truly just a personal choice? I've tried on both and find them both comfortable. So that did not help me too much. Any help at all would be great!

Thanks so much!!

i've hiked 10,000 miles on the AT with externals. great packs. go external

[brian039]

Externals are better for heavier loads. Internals work fine for light loads but are uncomfortable with heavy loads. Internals weigh less but I don't really think having a lighter backpack is the same as having a lighter load inside the pack. Externals are more bulky and require you to attach gear to them. Pros and cons with both. Personally I used an internal frame because I was carrying a really light load and it felt more comfortable to me and I liked the smaller size of the pack.

[leaftye]

Are you interested in an ultralight external frame pack? The first option is Luxurylite. The next much lighter option is a Zpack Exo. The first pack has been carried by many on long hikes and works just fine. The Exo is a new pack, so it's possible that Joe is still working out some of the kinks, but I'm sure it'll be sorted out soon.