Well, people no doubt snicker at us at every portage (behind our backs, of course--we haven't noticed any blatant disrespect) because my main pack is an external frame pack.  It was purchased many years ago with my bulging disk  and my recent rotator cuff surgery in mind, and I was fitted very carefully for comfort in carrying a heavy load.  It is our main food pack.  I carry the bulk of our food inventory in this pack (freeze-dried food, dried fruits, drink mixes, most of the snack items, the lunch stuff like cheese, summer sausage and crackers, etc.) and also three nalgenes of filtered water in the side pockets, and our rain gear is on the top of the big section for easy access.  The sleeping pads are tied to the bottom.  To make it even more unwieldy-looking we now tie a couple of small camp stools to the outside of it!  I suspect I look sort of like the junk man going down the portage!   

When we load our canoe we don't have our packs level with the gunnels and that has always bothered me.  Our profile is a bit too high.  The big Duluth (tent) pack is in the bottom, and a large Sealine bag (duffle) is behind my seat with this frame pack leaning against it at an angle.  We aren't HIGH above the water, but a bit higher than I am comfortable with.  So we try not to venture out on big water in high winds, and we are fairly cautious about dangerous waters.

But I do like the frame pack.  It is convenient for use, the small pockets are good for the snack items, and I have never found a problem with them catching on anything, although it has been a few years since we did any bushwhacking.   

Mainly I like it because it is comfortable for me on a long portage.  The hip strap makes the weight distribution easier on my back and I seem to have better balance with this type of pack.  I also portage the SeaLine bag, which is a large one, and do well with it, but I have often wished it were the kind with a hip strap.  (new purchase may be in the works on that.)

We are 64 and we probably aren't going to be purchasing a great deal of new gear for our trips at this point.  I read about what everyone SHOULD have and I think back to what we USED to have, look at what we have now (most of which is terribly out-dated and not state-of-the-art) and figure we have come a long way. 

I am just relieved that people don't snicker loudly enough that we hear them.   

 I like the internal frame packs, but I can see why other's like the external ones. The little pockets for storing items that get swallowed in a single Duluth style pack is a nice convenience.

 I have put add on side pockets to both my main pack and food pack.
I carry my stove fuel in them, ( no fuel leaks in main bag worries) and any other item that I might need in a hurry/emergency. They hold a surprising amount of stuff, and attach too any pack that has dual side compression straps.

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 They don't seem too snag up on portages/bushwhacks as the main pack is narrower than my profile anyway. Same in canoe, they don't hang-up with their rounded profile.

db, I thought I was a minimalist! That sitting on the pack is a great idea. After dumping the tent contents in. Gotta try that.

Tim af

once your out there you will see that this question is meaningless. The journey is the destination. The sooner you abandon a watch the better time you will have on the trip. If it is any comfort, in the summer you can paddle to 9:30 pm or so.

Kick back and enjoy!

Dead_Dog_Paddler wrote on Dec 11^th, 2009 at 2:53pm:

The only time I wear a watch is on vacation because it is THE most valuable time I have to spend. It's in short supply and it's value increases every year.