Backpack Obsession

O.K. I will admit I have an obsession with backpacks. Guilty as charged. I love them. At the risk of sounding incredibly sexist I love backpacks like women love handbags or shoes. I can't get enough of them. In this regard I have more money than good sense. I have lost count of how many I have, but it is safe to say dozens in all shapes and sizes: regular backpacks; slingpacks; fannypacks; man purses; chest rigs; etc. I need new ones like a turtle needs a brassiere, but every time I see a new one I want to buy it.

I have had the best luck with North Face; Adidas; and Hill People Gear. They have been great products, and I would highly recommend them. What types of backpacks do you use? If anybody else shares this obsession you are a kindred spirit.

 

LOL Morgan. I am just the exact opposite. I have the same ALICE pack, with some modifications, that I started using after stealing it from my dad as a teenager. It is the large ALICE with external frame, a shelf I added. A shotgun sheathe. A small garbage can inside to stop the load from shifting, plus the can is great for water storage if you get to a location where you will stay awhile and other external mods to carry a machete and a hatchet.

 

I guess I am the Lone Wolf on this one.

Keith: I am just embarrassed when I see your stuff. You do such a great job, and it is all so versatile. Beautifully made. Mine always pales in comparison.

Sonof liberty: Great ideas to do some mods to the existing pack. I use molle attachments, but never considered doing anything to the interior. I will have to get to work.

 

no.....i'm in the same boat regarding backpacks. I experimented with the alice pack and even tried the external frame with it, but now it sits in the basement. I have both internal and external frame packs, and given the choice, prefer the external. For me it's easier to adjust the load and distribution, and how it rides on your body. That said, the packs in my vehicles are all internal for ease of transport and ability to move inside the vehicle. I love the old Jansport packs, along with the North Face, Bolang, and Gregory.

One of my favorite small bags is the Maxpedition Fatboy. Small enough to carry anywhere, with plenty of pockets and space, along with a concealed compartment for.....stuff.

 

I have only one serious back pack , heavy duty freighter frame pack for packing out wild game from remote places . It has served me well for many years . I have made many bad investments over the years but buying that freighter frame pack was a very good investment .

 

I miss the good old days when you could go to a GI surplus store and pick up almost unused WW2 and Korean era canvass backpacks in all sizes. they were tough and while not as fancy as the new packs they lasted for years and years. There is something to be said for simplicity sometimes.

 

Backpacks here are as common as pants among kids. They are how they carry their school books. The boys use them as man bags and it isn't uncommon for a lot of men to carry stuff in backpacks. As far as military stuff we all, male and female alike wear camo and nobody ever thinks twice about it. I have a bunch of camo T-shirts and camo jackets. We like our military here and honor them. Camo doesn't mean anything here really other than outdooryan military leanings that we all have I guess to some extent.

PS: Where I live NOBODY wears white pants or white shirts!! That is what prisoners wear.

 

Camo is acceptable year around here but during hunting season it is everywhere that you look, Males and Females, both are about equally attracted to it. The ladies here hunt too. I have even seen a lassy in a camo bikini.

 

I now have 40 some packs. Was up to 47 but I have been selling some of the "Trapper Nelson" packs, and giving a few away. I mostly haul freight, so the packs are large and heavy even when empty.
Size wise my largest loads are "EMPTY" 55 Gallon steel drums, for caching supplies. Weight wise, the huge Alaska Coastal Brown Bear hides can often weigh 200 pounds. A load of Moose meat will run 115 to 145 pounds.
My heaviest freighter pack is made by Alaska Range Outdoor Equipment. It has been modified for transporting the 55 gal. drums, 120mm Ammo cans, and lumber.

This shows how big the AK. Range Freighter pack is.

 

I have lots of packs and bags has I intend to bug in the packs range from Alice to Ilble and lots of sling , shoulder bags , long term would likely be the Ilbe has my favorite and Most comfortable over long distances 10-20 miles. JMHO and S/FI!

 

The really high quality backpacks that are designed for long term and carrying heavy loads long distances are a lot different from a regular smaller bags. When adjusted right the load is mostly on your hips. The shoulder straps are mostly to hold the pack against your back. With my good backpack 50 lbs is more comfortable that 15 lbs in a knap pack with no frame or waist band.

 

I agree 100%. Wasn't it nice when " Army Surplus " was really army surplus. The extra that wasn't needed was sold in retail stores at very reasonable prices. Clothing; boots; packs. I had a pair of boots that I wore for 10 years tromping through broken glass, and every other manner of scrap. I had a Navy peacoat that I wore in college that got passed down to my kids who wore it in college. They used to fight over who would get to wear it. It probably weighed 10 pounds, but it was made to wear on the deck of a ship in the North Atlantic in the dead of Winter. There was nothing warmer on the planet.

Now, if you can find one, the military surplus stuff is minimal. They sell high end camping and backpacking gear.