Packs

For loads totaling 30-35 pounds or less (including all gear and all consumables) I prefer frameless packs, i.e. they have no framesheet, like a school bag. Compared packs with framesheets, frameless packs are:

• Lighter
• Just as durable
• More comfortable (they conform to your back; your back need not conform to a pack)
• Sufficient for loads up to 30 or 35 pounds, depending on the pack and the individual's strength and discomfort tolerance.

To give a frameless pack some shape and structure, I insert my closed-cell foam pad as a cylinder into the pack, then fill up the cylinder with my belongings like I'm playing a game of Tetris, trying to fill all empty spaces and to achieve tight fits.

When your load is 30 pounds or more, a framed pack may be more comfortable and more efficient. Framed packs are generally better at transferring weight from your shoulders to your lumbar region, where the load can be better supported. Framed packs also better position your center of gravity, allowing you to be less top-heavy and to walk in a more up-right position.