We first published this piece back in 2017 and it has since been one of the most popular in the site’s history. With summer backpacking season around the corner, and with backpacking being an excellent way to practice social distancing, or, as we prefer to call it, physical distancing, we’re putting it back on the homepage for new readers to enjoy. – Ed.
I see them every single time I’m on a long-distance backcountry trip. The guys—and they always seem to be guys—using full-sized external frame backpacks that they probably bought way back in 1975. You’ve seen them too, right? With calves like bowling balls atop massive leather boots, they haul great loads with backpacks the size of queen-sized bed frames. Sleeping bags, water bottles, coffee kettles, and tents dangling from the frame. I swear, I’ve even seen these dudes tote entire cords of wood tied to their packs. It’s like they’ve hiked themselves straight out of the 1970s.
Why do they do it? It’s always been a mystery to me. Why don’t they upgrade to newer, more sensible equipment like internal frame packs?
I asked one of them once. Guy named Jim Murray. Ran into him on a trail a few days into a trip deep into the Emigrant Wilderness. I’d watched him while I squatted next to a stream filtering water. When I first spotted him, I assumed he was a bear as he picked his way off-trail down a talus-covered slope of a mountain. This bear/man elegantly navigated a dicey route, and once he got to the bottom, he disappeared into a boulder field. A few miles later, I had stopped for a snack, and here he came, steaming up behind me on the trail.
He paused next to me to catch his breath and say hello. I looked at his pack, which appeared to be about 30 years old. I couldn’t see a logo on it anywhere. Then I looked at mine, filthy but less than two seasons old, an ultralight model that weighed less than one of Murray’s boots. I asked Murray what the deal was with his pack. “This is what we used when I was a Boy Scout,” he told me. “I grew up with these, they work, and I’ve had this one for, well, I’m not sure how long, but there’s nothing wrong with it.”
“Sure,” I said, “but it’s gotta weigh about 7 or 8 pounds.”
“When I was a young man,” Murray laughed, “we bragged about how heavy our packs were—not how light.”
How weird is that?
Murray was leading a group of guys in their 20s, he said, and he’d left a couple hours before them to give himself a head start. Murray had chosen a route he figured would be a shortcut over a cleft between two peaks; he spent most weekends in the Emigrant Wilderness and could draw a topo of the place from memory. He had decades of backcountry experience, the confidence to pick his own random off-trail routes, and the hiking fitness to leave kids half his age in his dust.
But he also sported a backpack and camping equipment so old that you’d be hard-pressed to find any of it, even in Army/Navy surplus stores.
There are compelling arguments for using external packs even today, by the way. They concentrate pack weights vertically, and much higher above your back than internal frame packs do, which seems to stack the weight on your hips. Properly fitted, they can carry huge weights comfortably. They also keep the pack off your back, increasing ventilation. Hunters love them because you can strap meat to the outside of the pack easily. All this comes with tradeoffs in stability, weight, and sheer size, but still, I used one for a couple years when I first started out.
As I watched Murray and his massive pack swing away down the trail I felt the weirdest combination of shame, pity, and envy. While I sure as hell didn’t want to switch packs with him, I respected the kind of trust and companionship he’d built with his gear. I couldn’t imagine my pack lasting for a couple decades, and, even if it would, I’d have already replaced it many times over as new technologies emerged to make packs lighter and more technical. The robust toughness and aged patina of the metal, canvas, and leather of Murray’s pack, ever so briefly held an enormous appeal that my impersonal and flashy nylons, polyester, and lightweight aluminum and carbon fiber couldn’t quite match. But then I hoisted my pack, which weighed easily less than half of Murray’s kit, and I shed any nostalgia for yesteryear’s gear.
People like Murray who use and use and use their gear until it’s in tatters, even though better, lighter, more efficient versions have been made and improved upon for many seasons, show that there’s not really a right way to camp. Are you comfortable with that external pack? Great. Are you (like me) obsessed with gear and eagerly anticipate making things lighter and more efficient (within reason)? Perfect. As long as you’re outside safely you’re really doing it right.
Plus, there is something pretty cool about flying the face of trends and just using what you like. Even if it’s heavy and as uncomfortable as hell. I’m certainly not going to to do it, but I’m glad Murray is.
Murray smoked me all the way back to the trailhead, by the way. The 20-somethings he was hiking with too. He laughed about how my light pack didn’t make me faster. Then his new truck wouldn’t start and he asked me for help. There’s a metaphor there staring me right in the face. I just haven’t figured it out yet.
Inspired to try an external frame? Jim Murray approved packs below
Kelty has been making external frame packs longer than just about anyone. Their updated(ish) Trekker 65 is an affordable way to indulge your nostalgia. $180 • BUY
The Seek Outside Divide 4500 is a new-fangled external pack geared toward the ultralight hiker who still needs to carry a ton of weight. The pack weighs about two-and-a-half pounds, but will handle loads up to 100 pounds. $349 • BUY
ALPS has long made external frames designed for, and that appeal to, hunters. But they also make the legendary Zion 64 pack, 64 liters of pockets, durable fabric, and plenty of lash points for, well, whatever. Massively on sale right now, too. $127 • BUY
Remember Dana Designs? They used to make the best high-capacity external frame packs on the market. They sold the biz in the ’90s but now they’re back as Mystery Ranch. They don’t really make traditional external frame packs anymore, but they still make some of the finest expedition packs in the world, like the 5,000 cubic inch Terraplane. Built to haul ridiculous loads in ridiculous comfort. $400 • BUY
Honestly, if I were to go on a multi-day trek, I would consider using an external frame pack rather than my internal frame one. They have more space to carry things on the outside of the pack, especially cylindrical objects like your sleeping pad and bag. Something like a Jansport can’t be beat for sheer carrying capacity, especially with the addition of a few compression straps or bungee cords. If you’re the one guy that ends up with the stove or carrying all the water, you’ll want something built to handle the load. Plus, since everyone thinks they’re old news, they can be found for cheap.
Ha I have an external frame pack, a Hallmark magnum 90 litres , and I would not swap it for the world. It is, yes, decades old and still in great condition, despite having been well used overseas and on tramps here in NZ. It carries huge loads which are distributed really well ; i am short, female, and although I look like a fat bear, it is so easy to carry even when full because it is very wide with big side pockets that keep it stable and does not push against my head which the narrower, internal frame packs do. And the ventilation is a huge bonus.
Its a treasure.
I too still have my external frame pack. I have had to give up backpacking….maybe from carrying 50 lb packs (but more likely from running). I love how you can shift the pack weight from your shoulders to your hips and back again. The comment about back ventilation is also one I relate to.
My fiance Geoff and I purchased Hallmark backpacks in 1975 for the Overland Track in Tasmania – our first multi day walk – we carried everything but the kitchen sink! I certainly couldn’t carry that weight now. They were great for cross country skiing too. I still have it and it is in good condition. Now with a dodgy shoulder I am looking for a new lighter option to do the 3 Capes walk in Tasmania in March to celebrate my 70th birthday. Sadly my dear Geoff has passed away but my son is coming with me – his first multi day hike – I hope his memories will be as rich as ours were. I loved this article – happy hiking everyone.
Having thru-hiked the AT with an external frame backpack I am very happy to now use a lightweight internal frame lol. Your hips dont move much with external frames if you use the waist belt tight, as I liked to do. Had some hip tendon inflamation issues due to that a few months after I finished that lasted a year or two. It also didn’t help that I carried 50-70lbs much of the way. This also let to several breakdowns in the pack requiring trail repair and replacement pieces sent from the manufacturer, which they were good about. I don’t see internal frames break down like that. This was back in ’93 before anyone ever talked about ultralight. I got a Dana Design pack after the hike and it was more comfortable but hot and heavy. Good for a winter hike but now if the backpack is much more than 2lbs I don’t want to use it. Now I look at my Dana and laugh at its 8lbs. I measure every ounce that goes in the pack now, why the heck would I just accept 6lbs more than neccessary in the pack. I do miss the external pockets and ability to get stuff without taking everything out of the pack. That was a bonus on the external frame.
what a great article! i started out with an old campmor external frame pack. true they shift around a bit but if you are on trail most of the time it shouldn’t matter. also very true about the ventilation! that’s my biggest gripe with new packs.
Years ago, my cheap (very well-travelled) external frame pack was busted by an airport baggage handler. I repaired the frame with a metal tent peg and duck tape.
Subsequently, I needed a large pack. A group of us planned a week-long trek into the Gr Canyon. A friend loaned me his (very) large external frame pack, so I could try it out (perhaps I’d purchase a similar pack later). At the trailhead, last minute, we were jamming things in packs. Mine was the pack with extra capacity for lumpy items that wouldn’t fit in others’ packs — I ended up with a very heavy load (and a lesson). Someone in the group tagged my pack a Swiss Army Folding House.
Buying stuff to keep up with the Joneses (or the trendies) will strengthen the economy and make America Great Again. Hmmm, maybe it will strengthen China again.
In my 70s now, so my 1976 Lowe Alpine pack (internal frame) serves as a bombproof duffle-bag that can be thrown into a snow cat or heli.
I loved my Kelty SuperTioga, and this article made me yearn to take it out for another spin this year!
Thanks!
I love my Kelty Serac and have pack with it for 39 years. The external pockets keep quick needed items like first aid kit and pack cover accessible and one is extra long for collapsible fishing rod. This pack is huge at 5000 cu in but I have toned down the loads from 85 lbs to 45 lbs over the years and must say it affords a few luxuries that make my trail mates envious! They affectionately call it “the cabin Cruiser” but had depended on using some of my inventory of gear that I no longer carry. I had always love the pack carrying the weight closer to my spine and still find it more comfortable than any internal.
I still use my Antelope pack, small company from Cupertino CA before it was silicon….. Btw not a dude.
totally remember antelope packs!
I still have my last piece of Antelope equipment, a day pack I have use and abused for 30-plus years. It is finally close to retirement, though.
OP I bought a newfangled Vargo titanium external frame a year ago. I immediately removed the inferior nylon bag from the frame and made a new one using modern materials. Xpac and dyneema used right down to the webbing and cordage. That bag was approximately 60 liters. That was made specifically for the PCT and CDT. This winter I wanted a bag for alpine climbing with attachments for crampons, snowshoes etc. Its a wonderful versatile frame that has shown me that I no longer need 5 packs I just need sacks to attach to a frame.
Kelty external for me – I think it’s 23 years old at this point. So comfy. Why would I want use anything else on a longer trip? On my second set of straps and belt. I get crap for it every group trip.
Make your wallet heavier…bought one of these at a thrift store, $10.
Word.
I’ve been backpacking with my backpack since 1992. her name is Hualapai, and frankly she has an internal frame. that is, a skeleton. she’s a wild burro I adopted from the burro (pun intended!) of land management here in Arizona. I tamed and trained her in to a pack burro, or backpacker xtraordinaire! not only does she carry the bulk of any load, she’s quite a good companion on the trail. I get by carrying a mountainsmith lumbar pack and maybe a hydration pack and really appreciate only having to haul a (very) few pounds of gear!
The maintenance costs are a lot higher though. 😉
Have you read Christopher McDougall’s stories about adopting a badly neglected burro, and then training it to run with him? The series was called “Running with Sherman” and it was published in the New York Times a few years ago. I laughed and cried while reading it as if Sherman was my own burro. Good read.
Still using my Kelty, purchased at the Kelty store in San Fernando Valley in the ’60s, to replace a Bear Paw that had seen better days, from the Bavarian Alps to the PCT. Don’t recall the Kelty model designation. My daughter refused to use it 15 years ago at Philmont Scout Ranch in NM because it was “old and dirty”…they loaned her one that was much newer, but a lot dirtier.
I just left my 20s behind a few days ago I love my kelty super tioga. I got it off Craigslist about a year ago and my internal frame just sits around now. I love being able to carry whatever I want and being comfortable with the weight. I am thinking about having a go at building a zpacks style pack but a little tougher. I live in Florida and the back ventilation is really nice.
I’m about to retire my Jansport external frame backpack. I purchased her new in 1983 and have used it one weekend a month and two weeks a year ever since. She has seen BoyScout camps, cross country trails, car camping, boat camping, trips to Canada and the like. Been faithful and never left me stranded. She is worn, missing lash points, threadbare in a few spots, lost most of her water resistance, and this year the sleeping back compartment zipper blew out. I for one never use the hip bet and carry all the weight on my shoulders. It’s a habit I picked up in the Marine Corp Infantry. The hip belt is too restrictive and slows me down. I don’t have a balance problem, grew up in the Colorado Rockies at 9,100′ elevation. We bolder hopped as kids, rode Gold mine tailings on our feet, etc. I can’t believe how hard it is to find a replacement external frame backpack.
Hi Tim.
Have you looked into Mystery Ranch packs? From the people who used to be Dana Designs, they make some modern, very impressive external frame-type packs.
Jansport will repair that pack for free under their lifetime warranty. Take it off the frame and mail it (at your cost) to the address on their website, and they’ll mail it back to you, good to go. I’ve done it twice.
I love my external frame. Now it’s just a frame. The pack got destroyed when my daughter and I did a section on the AT in 2010. Shelter mice. Damn them. I’ve been using a nice Gregory and did my best to shave off weight from it. But now I’m back to the external. Just weighed it at 20 lbs minus water and misc. It entails a laundry bag with pad, tent, food and stove. Plus a dry bag with sleeping bag and clothes. The rope to hang my food is what ties it all to the frame. Super stoked to finish the AT next year.
Peace be with you.
They aren’t just for “old” guys. I added an external frame to my gear collection in 2007, when I was 25. The gray-haired owner of a local outdoors store talked me into trying it. It’s now my go-to pack for multi-day trips, and my friends always give me crap about looking like a retro Boy Scout. It’s my most comfortable pack, though. And the ability to handle heavy loads has been helpful when hiking partners have gotten injured and I needed to carry some of their gear on top of my own.
My first hiking and backpacking gear was all WW2 military surplus and made of heavy canvas. My first pack frame was just that a frame with a harness on it. There was no bag at all. You would take the ground cloth you slept on and wrap all your gear in that then lash that bundle to the frame. My pack bag would have been lighter than yours, because I did not even have one. As a 12 year old in 1949, I would commonly leave the trailhead for a week long trip with a pack weighing about 60 pounds. I still like external frame packs for a variety of reasons. The ability to load vertically and maintain good balance is one and the ability to have air space between my back and the pack itself is another plus. The comfort or lack of it is a function of the harness and really has nothing to do with whether the frame is inside or outside of the pack. I obviously still like the external frame pack and would love to see one with a modern carbon fiber frame. And yes, at the age of 80 I am still hiking and backpacking. Wherever I go, I am the oldest person there..For the summer of 2018 I have not yet made up my mind. There are two old favorites that I would like to visit again. One is the loop from Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon that includes Paradise Valley. The other is in Sequoia and is usually called the Deadman Canyon Loop.
The reason an external frame Kelty trekker is so comfortable even with say, 50-60 lbs, can be demonstrated thusly:
Take the profile of anyone wearing any pack (side view) . Now imagine a 45 degree angle line drawn back and up from the hip belt of that pack. The weight below the line is hanging off the shoulders, the weight above the line is sitting on the hips. External frames such as Kelty, Jansport, etc, easily have 2/3s of the pack above that line and thus on the hips.
The downside? Only about 6-8oz. Look at the weight of a new Gregory Baltor, Osprey Aether or similar. About 5lbs. Weight of a new Kelty Trekker, about 5lb 5oz. Yes, a Granite Gear Crown VC weighs about half that, but good luck trying to carry 30lbs or more.
I’m kind of a troglodyte, and I love my old Peak1 external frame pack. It’s just under four pounds. I bought it a thrift store at least a decade ago, and it’s become my primary pack. The frame is plastic, which gives it some flex. My complaint is that I cannot find replacement parts for it: I’d like a beefier hip belt & shoulder straps. I improvised by adding some closed-cell foam under the shoulder straps, and I may sew the extra padding into place. That’ll certainly add to my ‘crusty old fart’ cred. 😉
I have a long rise and a super-short torso, so it can be difficult for me to get a pack to fit just right. This one’s pretty close to perfect. And not having it rest against my back is divine in the summer’s heat. I’ve even worn it while Nordic skiing without any appreciable loss of stability (although my stability on skinny skis is frequently fleeting).
I’m not an impoverished college student anymore. I could afford an upgrade. But I’d feel guilty about ditching my old friend. I’m not convinced I’d get a better, more comfortable, and noticeably lighter pack, regardless of how much money I’d spend.
Love the article! I’m a dude, just turned 60, and hiked 100+ miles this month to finally complete the John Muir Trail – all of them with my early 90s Kelty Super Tioga. I upgraded back then from an internal frame and never looked back. For multi-day trail hiking, I believe an external frame is the only way to go. I really like the gap between my back and pack – it keeps me much cooler than an internal frame. The external pockets on my Kelty make it easy to access my water bottles, snacks, etc without having to dig for them if I used an internal frame. Plus, it’s easy to strap my sleeping bag, tent and thermarest to the frame/pack without taking space away in the main chamber. A few years ago when I weighed my pack empty to one of my friends high cost internal frame packs, I was surprised they weighed the same. So I question any weight savings others make. One final reason to use an external frame is Kelty’s lifetime guarantee. A few years ago there were a few items that needed repair. When I sent it back to Kelty (through REI where I originally purchased it), they not only addressed my items, but they also took the time to repair few others I didn’t notice. Shipping and repair cost me nothing! That’s truly a lifetime guarantee and a great American company and stands behind it!
I actually returned to my old Jansport external frame pack after a few years of internal frame.
Why? My jansport is actually lighter than my internal frame, better ventilated, keeps my gear better organized, can always fit extra stuff on the pack with a little bit of paracord. With exception of running with my gear where the external frame bounces around a bit, it just plain outperforms.
I have had the same Remington External pack that my mom carried for ever it seems, Ive used it on multiple trips hiking around with the boy scouts on long treks and still to this day use it. I finally believe Ive broken it down where its needing massive repair but this thing is strong and keeps going and has hauled way more than it should. I do plan on upgrading to a diff pack possibly the Alps Commander or something but still gonna go with an external frame just cause its tried and true and honestly just feels right to me.
Only time I dont use it is my 3V gear pack I use for short weekend or overnighters and sometimes I still grab the old tried and true external frame.
Been hiking all over our Sierra’s (some PCT too), up into Oregon, Washington, and along our smaller coastal ranger for 40+ years and still use my Jansport external frame pack. Has a few burn holes in it, a few dents on the aluminum frame, belt getting a bit frayed, but I have never found a better pack. I tried a internal frame (named it the sag bag oven) and after a few outings, grew to hate the gunny sack bag. I like hanging stuff from my frame: knife, flashlight, often bear spray or pepper spray, small camera, nuts, etc. Try one as they are the most comfortable.
Would love to see a photo of that pack!
I still use my green Hillary 1 external frame backpack that I got at Sears in the mid-70’s for Scouts. I sweat a lot and prefer lots of ventilation between my back and my pack. Most internal frame packs I’ve looked at have little, if any space between the pack and my back. I also have a large ALICE pack (mountain rucksack) I had in the Marines for over 20 years that can carry more than my back can handle.
great article! It’s hilarious how a topic such as ‘external vs. internal frame backpacks’ can trigger ferocious debates among hikers.
I think it all comes down to personal preference.
I’ve never used an external frame pack but I believe there’s a reason why internal frame backpacks are industry standard these days.
The metaphor would have probably implied that he should have chosen his car the same way as he chose his pack. 🙂
I use an external frame packback just for it being more comfortable and more reliable than any other pack I’ve ever used.
I have unfortunately received comments from people that drill holes to their toothbrushes, about how it makes no sense to use one.
Which model pack are you using?
A classic military ALICE, with large ruck and some customizing from TacticalTailor out of Lakewood Washington is still a great and comfortable way to haul huge loads. Spent weeks walking and training in Alaska with 90-100lbs rucks full of glacier and climbing gear – barely challenged those packs. Knees will go before the frame. Much more economical alternative, and the life of the packs can be measured in decades. Stay with the old school metal ALICE, though, not the more modern plastic MOLLE (aka junk).
I don’t understand. You keep mentioning that the pack makes it comfortable to carry heavy loads, then that you don’t want to carry them because they are heavy. If they are comfortable to carry, is the weight an issue? If weight were an issue, wouldn’t you define that as uncomfortable to carry?
They can be more comfortable when carrying big, heavy loads. But they’re overkill and too heavy for loads in the 30-pound range.
Comfort is the driving factor, MYstery RAnch is my Go-to. 2 Frames 5 pack bags fit about anything I need to conquer.
I’m 78yrs old & have been packing with a 1975 Jansport D3 external frame since I bought it in celebration of my decision to bail out of the Connecticut-NYC commuter drag for permanent relocation to Denver. Retired now after 52yr career as a petroleum & engineering geologist. Still backpacking 3-5 night trips (mostly CO Rockies, northern NM & greater SW UT) regularly … never considered anything other than the D3 which has undergone a few rebuilds. Not often mentioned in external frame favorable points is their stability when setup on the ground in camp & used like an open shelf instead of everything slumping on the ground with the internal frames … the Jansports simply strand alone on their exaggerated hip frames not even having to be leaned on a tree. Thanx for the philosophical examination of external packers … you nailed it … even though my calves are no longer like bowling balls! Since at my wife’s urging I stopped solo hiking at about age 65 & now pack with 4-5 other geezers (as the Old men in the Old Men in the Woods) … ALL of whom pack with external Keltys or Jansports. Jim
I keep my 1970’s PEAK 1 pack frame around, but only to pack an outboard between lakes or in the bush occasionally. Other than that, I love my lighter internal packs.
“When I was a young man,” Murray laughed, “we bragged about how heavy our packs were—not how light.”
I absolutely love this quote. It’s so true! I started backpacking in middle school going on sierra club trips in the 70s. A heavy pack was a sort of badge of honor for us kids.
I’ve had the Kelty Trekker since early 1990’s. The straps and belt are replaceable, and have done that twice. It’s my only overnight pack.
It’s really not that heavy. What makes it heavy is all the stupid crap you bring on your trip.
Best external frame backpack was made by Camp Trails. I bought one in the early 1970’s and used it extensively on the AT for years. I did not appreciate the design until after switching to and using both Dana Design internal and external packs, both quite excellent, and then going with a Granite Gear Vapor Trail, a cult favorite with good reason. The real reason I stopped using the Camp Trails was the pack material had deteriorated into that sticky mess inside you cannot stand and I was tired of the compartment approach. After getting the Vapor Trail I threw out the Camp Trails pack but kept the frame. Why? The frame was aircraft aluminum with welded joints, the hip belt was attached with stretch line that allowed the frame to float so you could bend over easily, the shoulder pads were simple but functional like all the ultralight packs today, and it weighed next to nothing. I mean with the pack I’m guessing 2 pounds, no more than 3. On top of all that, the frame and the pack were not nearly as vertical as the much heavier Jan Sport and Kelty external frame packs. You could go light or very heavy with this Camp Trails pack, it was that versatile. I eventually gave away that Camp Trails frame and I still regret this. Today stability is more important to me, given my age, so I do not regret going to the Granite Gear, but that Camp Trails backpack was the absolute best design I have ever seen. It was the frame that made it so, it was extremely light, compact, and a lot more stable for me on tough terrain than all those other external frame packs, except Dana Design, which was really heavy but incredibly stable and comfortable.
Love the picture; Dolly Sods Wilderness in the fall, highest plateau east of the Mississippi!!
Really? No one’s mentioned using the Archwood FlexTrek 37,000,000,000,000?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nM6wfjuirE
xternal frame backpacks, coors beer, and manual transmissions are not for you gentry folk!!