[Philmont] Internal Frame Packs

Not to sound contrary... I love my internal frame pack. It fits well and I have no trouble getting stuff in or out of it. A little forthought in packing and there's no need to unpack anything to get something I need on the trail (the spare bootlace is in the repair kit in the side outside pocket, not in the bottom.) There ARE advantages to internal frame packs, even for general backpacking.... just like there advantages with synthetic sleeping bags, with down sleeping bags, with rainflies on tents, with single wall tents, with modern 'super' fabric raingear, with NO raingear, with modern boots, with trail runners..... You don't HAVE to have any of it, but if it works better for you, use it no matter what the 'experts' say. There is no one right answer for everyone, again, no matter what the experts say. Kevin Mineart ----- Original Message ---- From: John LeBlanc <philmontjohn@yahoo.com> To: Philmont List Member <Philmont@troop47.com> Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 1:57:29 PM Subject: [Philmont] Internal Frame Packs How do you deal with the problems of getting stuff squashed inside and stuff tied on the outside of an internal frame pack. You don't! First and forevermore, internal frame packs suck! I gave up my one and only internal frame pack at age 13 when I graduated from my official BSA Yucca pack. The "internal frame" was my backbone! I could not afford the packframe of choice in that day and time, the wooden Trapper Nelson, so that summer I made one. Read my lips. I-M-A-D-E-O-N-E. That is what we used to do when Boy Scouts were not only thrifty, brave and clean but also CREATIVE. In the coming years, I simply wore it out using it. Then in 1959 I went to Philmont where they rented me a former U S Army mortar shell carrier they called a moulded plywood packboard for the total sum of $ 0.50 for the treak. It was a killer. The Rangers at that time were smarter than that. They used Bear Paw packs. The Seton museum still has two in their collection. After a few years Mr. Kelty came out with the Kelty pack and the BSA started selling them. Kelty packs (external frame packs) were all the rage for several generations. Everybody used Kelty packs when the backpacking trend went wide open in the late 60's and early 70's. Then mountain climbers needed a pack that fit closer to their backs for better balance while climbing mountains and the internal frame pack was born. And backpackers wanted to appear as macho as the mountain climbers, so they adopted internal frame packs. They still sucked, but usefullness has nothing to do with being cool! Then backpackers could not get their stuff into that pack, so they built bigger and bigger internal frame packs to S-E-L-L for money and that generated great sums of revenue for the outdoor industry. Lemme tell you, Colin Fletcher used external frame packs. More specifically Trailwise brand from the Ski Hut in Berkeley, California. He carried it many thousands of miles through about a dozen books. Read 'em, they are good for both your brain and soul. I still have my Trailwise packframe and bag but I am a little bigger today than when I was 19 years old and it doesn't fit anymore least I'd still be using it. That is why I use a Kelty Trekker 4200 that allows A-I-R to circulate across my backside and cool my hot body, it allows access from the outside to the inside through many compartment zippers that allows me to not EMPTY the whole danged pack to get the spare shoelace stored in the bottom of the pack. It allows me to strap on my fly rod, Model 70 Winchester, Hudson Bay axe, inflatable raft AND inflatable raft paddle and all sorts of other stuff I can't get inside the pack to assist my enjoyment on the trail. Repeat after me. INternal frame packs are sold to make money for large corporations to pay dividends to their stockholders so keep on buying them for that purpose. I own a varied portfolio and neet more contributions for my retirement income. But for backpacking, throw the damned internal packs into the nearest trash bin and get back to the basice and a good external frame pack. WalMart sells them and you don't need a second mortgage to afford one. Plus you can get the spare boot lace out when you need it without unpacking the whole danged pack along the trail on top of burro dung in the rain at Philmont. You deserve better rememberances that that! But if you still maintain that being "cool looking" is better than being cool temperature and carrying a utilitarian backpack, buy all means stick with the internal frame packs. They still suck John LeBlanc Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Sick sense of humor? Visit Yahoo! TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on, when. http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/222

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
To Unsubscribe send text email to:

     To: listserv@troop47.com
     Subject: unsubscribe
     Body: unsubscribe philmont@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------

As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
-------------------------------------------------------

 
Received on Thu Aug 16 14:27:45 2007