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I finally picked the ultralight frameless pack over the framed one for the JMT
Last summer I was deciding between a Zpacks Arc Haul and a Gossamer Gear G4-20 for the John Muir Trail. Everyone said framed is better for long carries, but I went with the G4-20 because it was cheaper and I wanted to see if the hype was real. Turns out, with my base weight around 9 pounds, the frameless pack was fine even with 5 days of food. No sore shoulders, just had to pack it right. Has anyone else switched to frameless for a long trail and regretted it?
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norag664d ago
Oh totally, that's exactly what I found too! Once you get your base weight down low enough, the whole "need a frame" thing becomes way overblown. I did the Colorado Trail last year with a frameless pack and 8.5 pound base weight. Had to do one stretch with 6 days of food and water carries in the desert section. Honestly the key is just learning how to pack strategically, like putting your sleeping bag at the bottom to create that nice soft column. Some people get scared off by the idea of no frame but once you dial in your gear list it just works. I think a lot of the frameless hate comes from people who never tried it with a proper lightweight setup.
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the_margaret4d ago
2019 JMT hiker here, and @norag66 I used to be team frame all the way but your post totally changed my mind.
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