Questions About Molly Mac Pack Experiences

[Humneso]

Ok, now I have a couple questions!

I'm seriously considering the MMP, to use for everything from day hikes to multiple days on the trail. My primary pack has been my MOLLE II, which works fine, but the pack is about 12 lbs. I'm looking forward to throwing off that excess weight!

So my questions:
At one point, you had changed the vertical supports from carbon fiber to aluminum, and set them on a "v". Is that still the case? I take it they are now sewed into the pack itself instead of being visible?

Then on your statement of no sternum strap - maybe it's just they way I've carried and the packs I've used, but it seems like it would get rather uncomfortable without it. I know it is for me if I don't buckle the sternum strap! How does that work? How is the comfort after a day or two of carrying a 35-40 pound pack?

Thanks!

[Singingcrowsings]

Is your pack still going to be that heavy after losing 12lbs?

I agree, if you're going to be lifting heavy items the sternum strap does help, not my putting the weight on the shoulders, but by putting some of it on the chest. I don't know what all your uses are - perhaps you need heavy items as well? - but if so, then I'd discuss that with MacIntyre. I think the question more is what is the weight at which your hips are not enough and you need to bring it onto your chest a bit? Or is it a time thing too. A lighter weight feels heavier after half a days hike. But he told me most of the people buying it are not through hikers, which is a slightly different need.

I'm going to reach out to MacIntyre today and have him send me that testing rig and then try a variety of weights and configurations. Since it doesn't have a sternum strap, I guess I'll find out.


Oh, and no 'v' anymore, just straight down the sides, and not visible. He said, once your load is on, technically, you don't even need the stays.

[MacEntyre]

Ok, now I have a couple questions!

At one point, you had changed the vertical supports from carbon fiber to aluminum, and set them on a "v". Is that still the case? I take it they are now sewed into the pack itself instead of being visible?

Sewn in aluminum, vertical, parallel, inside the bladder pouch.

Then on your statement of no sternum strap - maybe it's just they way I've carried and the packs I've used, but it seems like it would get rather uncomfortable without it. I know it is for me if I don't buckle the sternum strap! How does that work? How is the comfort after a day or two of carrying a 35-40 pound pack?

I added it back... for a different reason. I'm working with singingcrosings on a configuration of the shoulder straps that is most interesting... more later.

[HiTech Hillbilly]

Thanks singingcrowsings! I have really been enjoying this thread and am anxiously waiting to see pics and hear feedback. I have been intrigued since I saw the original video hit youtube and I have been wanting to get away from a traditional pack for a while. I have been looking at a lot of the ultralight packs on the market (ULA, Zpacks, etc.) in an effort to do that. I currently use the REI Flashback 62 which was the lightest I could find at a big box a few years back at about 2.5-3 lbs. but I keep being drawn back to the modular design and multiple configuration options of the new MMP. I'll stay tuned.

[Singingcrowsings]

Oh good! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

I hope other people who this inspired to buy one will pipe in and tell us what they think so far.

[Rat]

I'm a little late to the party here but this thread keeps coming back so I'm going to post my answers for the sake of posterity.

1) On a long hike how comfortable would you say the MMP is? I'm a through hiker, and can hike up to 11 or 12 hours a day, so this is important, but then, having a hammock is causing me to sleep in more, so those hours seemed to have shrunk a little. Ha ha!

I don't do long hikes, the longest I've ever hiked in a day is 17 miles on a 30 mile loop. I'm not a thru hiker. The only pack I've ever used that was more comfortable than my MMP is my Mountain Hardwear Maestro which is a very technical pack; not technical as in rock climbing but as in very technically built. However, I carry a lot of weight. when I'm out I'm usually out doing something like hunting, working or the like. This means I hafta carry gear hikers don't, like optics, weapons, tools etc. A one week elk hunt load out can be close to 60 pounds on day one.

Having said that the MMP is the most versatile platform for this and the most comfortable under these conditions; I would never load my Maestro to this weight. One of the things that makes the MMP so comfortable is being able to arrange the load correctly. By using the hip belt, front panel and back panel I can load the system to balance and fit perfectly, which no other system can do and which makes it comfortable.

2) Do you feel like packing the MMP takes a lot longer than a regular backpack?

It takes longer if you do everything all at once; like loading it the first time. But subsequent gear diving is much easier. I can access any of my gear without unloading the entyre pack. Unloading is much quicker and less chance to get gear wet/muddy because you hafta pull everything out of the pack at once. Each piece of gear comes off as it is set up, or used, without needing to dig around.

3) Have you had any trouble strapping on stuff sacs i.e. it would work better if the stuff sac was more full, you have to pack the stuff sacs a certain way for the straps to really hold on etc.?

No, full or slack, the webbing cinches down equally well. If you use a hard container like a bear vault it is a little more challenging but there is an easy solution; get the big pouch from MacEntyre and put it in that. The big pouch stays on the panel and you just stick the vault in there. If you have a lot of hard gear like woodstoves, water pumps etc you can use a smaller 4 liter pouch to hold these in the same manner. You can mount them to the panel horizontal so the top is always accessible.

4) For those of you who have the front panel, do you find the front panel is ever pressing on your chest? Have you ever thought it was too big? I'm a woman, so this is kind of important.

The front panel is perfect for me, but I don't have your anatomy either! It never presses on my chest, in fact it actually just hangs and kinda swings a little bit.

5) For women using the pack, have you had any issues with the straps pressing on your breasts? I know MacEntyre has made the straps smaller, but is there anything about the straps you would think would work better?

Sorry, nothing on that one.

6) Is there anything you miss from having a regular backpack that you wish you could do with the MMP, but can't?

Yes! Keep walking! Everyone wants to stop me and ask me about the MMP.

7) Do you use a pack cover for either rain or to keep the pack from snagging?

I use a pack cover for rain; no need on the snagging though, it's no worse than any other pack.

8) Have any of you stopped using yours in preference for another backpack? If so, why?

No, In fact, I have three of them and all my other bags are now relegated to bug-out duty.

[Singingcrowsings]

Hey Rat! Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to answer everything with such consideration. Much appreciated!

Could you elaborate about the bear vault? I've seen pictures of someone else using one (Tim, I think?). What did you experience without the pouch?

Oh! And thanks for the vids!

[Rat]

Without a bag you just need to get creative. There is no compression on the hard-sided items so you must think outside the box. Here are some things I have tried and how well they worked.

1) Use multiple straps. It is easy enough to add a strap around the horizontal of the axis of the bear vault or even add a third vertical strap. This worked well but required the extra strap.

2) Make the strap grippy. There are any number off aftermarket dips and coatings to put on the straps to make them more grippy. I cut a small diameter bike inner tube and slid it over the straps to give them a little extra gripyness. This worked perfectly, use small zip0tiees to keep the tube on the strap so you don't lose it mid trip.

3) Make a specialty bag. I made a bag with belt loops on it to attach, via the regular straps, to the back panel. Not like the 15L bag from Mac that uses its own straps and stays on the panel. This method worked great but you must make the bag, no one makes one with the belt loops.

4) Put a stuff sack that is compressible in with the bear can. Using the same strap put both the bear can and another compressible stuff sack (Like sleeping clothes, dirty clothes or something of the like) and compress them down together. The compressible bag will act like a chock for the bear vault and both will be held very securely. This is by far the easiest solution and works very well.

One thing I envisioned but never built was a small compression roll made of stretchy fabric. I envisioned something like a new moon back pack (but obviously sized smaller to fit the bear can) that attached to the panel via its own straps and then had buckles to secure the bear can. Think of folding the bear can up in a great big stretchy fabric taco and then buckling it all closed.

Of all these methods I like 4 the most, simple easy and it works great. Depending on the size of your bear can you may need longer straps to wrap around the bear can and a stuff sack.

[SimonMc]

There is something about the MMP's, I don't have as many as Rat but I just purchased another one of the older versions that was for sale. I do need to get one of the new versions though.

[MacEntyre]

Rat, those are great suggestions!

Thanks!