I belive some of the ultralight nutters are using them in the US and just strapping gear to them. I seem to remember seeing something where you bought a frame and a variety of containers to put your gear in then fix however many you needed to the frame.
I have to say that the recent Challenge there was a fair amount of chat between some co walkers when we saw an old Karrimor L-frame in a tea shop, and we were commenting on how that same design today, but in carbon fibre and with easier to move attachments would have suited most of us better.
That is those who were carrying tents as one lump, or mats etc.
Once they sorted out that old frustrating webbing arrangement across the frame from something a bit sleeker I reckon they would make quite a good comeback.
I was fortunate enough to get hold, on loan, of an "on trial" bergen with an Alu L-frame when I was in the RN. I loved it. It had shaped, padded shoulder straps attached to the frame, not the sack, with rings and pins which you could use to adjust back length. The wide webbing support straps across the frame were tensioned by a kind of bottle bolt and it had the first really sustantial, padded waistbelt I had ever seen. The bag could be detached from the frame in seconds and the frame used for other things. It was fine for hiking along the relatively flat but was a bit unstable on steep climbs. This was in the late 60s and I suppose it speaks volumes that it was never adopted for use by HM Forces.
My first sack had an external aluminium frame - I always thought it was a great idea as the "bag" could either be repositioned higher up if a tent or sleeping bag etc was being carried. funnily enough, I was thinking about it this morning an it came to me that it would be great if the frame could be disassembled to turn it into tent poles. Taking it further, how about using some extreme origami to turn the tent into the rucksack bag. . . .
My memories of external frame sacks are that they were fine on relatively flat paths when carrying a heavy load but not much cop in the mountains. I rememebr a friend getting jammed in a gully (possibly Bryant's Gully) doing a scramble in Snowdonia once with an external frame sack.
I think I've seen a rucksack which turns into a tent somewhere, perhaps the last NEC show. A bit of a lumpy thing if I remember correctly, so don't run to the patent office too soon!
Found this though! http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4077418.html
September issue - yet another posed cover photo, but at least it looks like somewhere in North Wales in the background. Look forward to hearing why the TGO covers are looking more and more like Trail - let's have some good striking UK landscapes with walkers and hikers! Sept cover says "walks in the Lakes", or something like that - but there's nothing inside ooops?
Hey, I and I should imagine, most of us if we are honest, have very little problem with 'posing' in our sparkly eVent kit or whatever, so lets not knock it!
It must be a UK photo, she's all red faced and everything around the picture looks recently wet.
Not a muscular forearm in sight, none of this sexual innuendo in shorts, and wearing kit you can buy in the UK.
