Yeah, I was hesitant to go frameless, but it handled 22lbs (11.7 base & 10.4 consumables) wonderfully. I did some of the old-school stuff to pack it. I had one of those egg-crate looking, high-density foam sit pads that I cut to fit vertically against the back of the pack. I put a Nylofume 20 x 37" Pack Liner bag in, stuffed in my quilts, clothes and electronics. Rolled it down tight, then put my food bag in vertically right against my back. Put everything else in around the food bag. During breaks I'd open my pack and dive right into my food bag.
So, I suspect the way I pack it helped the transfer of weight from my shoulders to my hipbelt. I was out 6 days between one resupply, and it was the most comfortable bag I've carried. I'm sure the fact that it's a custom pack, and the hip belt went on right where it needed to be, instead of a S/M/L choice, had a lot to do with the comfort level. My lighter pack link below has that load.
Good Luck!
Bookmarks