DIY external frame pack upgrade

[jamoni]

So, for Wintergeddon this year, I had to carry more stuff than usual because my kid was going, and his stubby little legs couldn't move all his own gear. I've sent him to a Siberian work camp to toughen up for next year. In the meantime, however, I had to find a way to carry all that crap.
Enter Craigslist!
I bought a $25 game hauler pack from some old dude who smelled like rancid nicotine and cat pee. Seriously.
Anyway, here is what I got for my money:

Here it is in action:

Obviously, improvements are needed. I'd like to specifically point out the razor thin shoulder straps with their dry-rotted "padding". I'd also like to point out the color, which would be more at home on a flotation device than a bugout bag. Please ignore my father-in-law's Vietnam-era duffle bag. Also, it lacked the steel stiffeners in the middle, but I put them in before I started on the pics.
So today I broke out the tools and went crazy.
WE NEED A MONTAGE!




Add in one old "tactical vest" that my local mall ninja wasn't using:


an old Fox Outdoors backpack and some compression straps:

and one sexy motherfucker:



and I call that a recipe for awesome!
The vest hitched up to the frame like it was made for it. The belt straps went around the waist belt in front and the bottom crossbar in back. They really help hold the weight to your torso. The wide shoulder straps distribute the weight evenly.
Everything is adjustable, so it's very easy to get the whole setup tight to your body.
The Fox backpack still has all its straps, so if you wanted to do a dayhike it would be easy to take it off. Just pop the 3 quick release buckles. This would also let you outfit two people. Just put the backpack on one, and lash some random bags to the frame.
I'm really pleased with how this turned out, and the price is definitely right. $25 for the frame, and everything else I already had. It fits REALLY good now, and I have pockets up front for water, food, and other items I'd need while hiking.
So, yay.

[CB4]

Looks awesome! Nice work!

[jamoni]

Looks awesome! Nice work!

Thanks!

[ForgeCorvus]

Nice to see a carry system that expands up rather then out.
Its a much better way to do it, as your back is designed to bear weight pushing straight down not pulling you backwards

Inspired

[Flying Lead]

Great improvements. Nice looking rig!

[jamoni]

Thanks, guys. I intend to do a hike with it this weekend, and if I have the time (and the pack holds up) I may do an overnighter. Will post AAR.
Only change I may make is load lifters.

[flsgear]

How's the comfort and weight on that? It's a slick setup btw, I really love the modularity of it.

[Quietus]

Looks nice. Good job.

Have you comsidered trying to bend it a bit, to make the "S-shape" more pronounced?
I find that the most comfortable frames I have, are the "curvy" ones.

[jamoni]

Comfort is phenomenal, weight as pictured is about 60 lbs.
Because the vest is designed to be cinched down tight, it has a ton of adjustment straps. The back panel and side panels adjust relative to each other. The shoulder straps adjust in front and back, so you can dial in exactly where the pads sit. There are two adjustment straps on the front of the vest.
The straps that would normally secure a pistol belt go around the waist belt in front and the bottom crosspiece in the back. This Allows the waist belt to transfer some weight to the front of the vest, and really locks it into place tight.
It's easy to adjust for different thicknesses of clothing.
As a plus, it also acts as a back support.
I'm going to leave the frame shape as is. I have another pack with more of an S, and it is a very comfy pack, but this works just fine. "Better is the enemy of good enough."

[flsgear]

Oof. 60lbs is pretty rough. Granted, you have the full shebang there but that is not a weight I'd want to be lugging around for an extended period. Is that including the tactical vest and ammo then? Does it also include the long arm? Sorry for the 20 questions. It's a great setup you have there and I love what you did with hitching up the vest to the pack frame. It's a pretty sweet setup done on minimal dime (which I'm always a fan of).

Regardless, nice deal, definitely a great project for anyone wanting an external frame pack for cheap

[jamoni]

60lbs is the full wintergeddon loadout. It's also just a guesstimate, since I can't find the bathroom scale. It may be as low as 50lb.
There's no ammo or firearms included. The vest pockets hold stuff I would want to access without dropping the pack, like food bars, lights, land nav stuff, and a small medkit.
Loadout includes 4 season 2-man tent, 0* bag, wool sleeping bag liner, sleeping pad, water filter, canteens, mess kit, 3 days of food, axe, tarp, rain gear, fire kit, 100, of 550 cord, overboots, gloves, coveralls, coat, etc etc.
This is not a fighting kit, or even a bugout kit. It's for extreme cold weather camping, and maybe INCH if necessary. It's heavy, but way lighter than a milspec loadout with the same capabilities would be.

[flsgear]

Agreed. I'm just a whore about pack weight.

[jamoni]

Agreed. I'm just a whore about pack weight.

Yeah, I could shave a lot of weight off, at the cost of comfort and convenience.
For instance, I could toss out the sleeping bag liner and just plan on sleeping in all my clothes. I could chuck the mess kit and just pack jerky, granola, and dried fruit. I could swap the axe for a hatchet or camp saw, I could drop the tent and use a tarp, etc etc.
For me, it's worth it, though, because this rig is about setting up in one spot for an extended time, and being comfortable while doing it.

[Kutter_0311]

That's a damn nice load carrier, my friend!

Any idea what the bare frame weighs?

I'm tempted to try this with a 1603 frame.

[NOVA_ops]

Wow. As someone with a limited budget, Im impressed and inspired. So much so that I picked up an REI Sierra Crest external frame at a yard sale this past weekend for $1.00. Score

[Nutpantz]

Wow I did not know anyone still kept those old frames but me.
And I am just about to donate 3 to the street and the bums that pick them off my curb first..
Hope they get used and not sold for scrap aluminium.

[Andrew Sterner]

That's sweet. If you didn't just tell everyone it was a DIY project, I would have thought you bought it somewhere.

[CitizenZ]

I'm still a fan of external frames. They are still best for big/heavy loads.