I need something for a project I have on the go - a large-ish capacity rucsac (70l) that can pack down small. The concept is effectively a big bag, no fancy extras, on a harness that either a) folds up, or b) can be removed for more efficient packing. I envisage something like a large, lightweight caving tackle sack, but with a comfy harness system rather than a couple of skinny straps.
Does anyone make something like this?
Alternatively, does anyone make separate harnesses that I could mate to a bag knocked up by the likes of Slioch or other custom gear companies?
Or am I going to end up chopping a bag to pieces to get what I need? The Ortlieb rucsac-pannier adaptor is interesting, but not suitable for the bigger loads I envisage having to carry.
Interesting, although I'd envisaged something even more basic. Bulk when packed down, rather than weight, is the main factor. Re: robustness, I accept I'll have to make compromises here and in the comfort stakes.
My big pack is a Macpac Glissade, which does its job very well. It's probably not suitable for my project, although I do intend seeing whether I can take off the straps & belt, and if so - how small will it go? With my old Lowe Cerro Torre II you could whip out the struts and roll the whole thing up, but it was nowhere near as effective as the Macpac in terms of comfort & stability.
Would one of the large holdalls by TNF or Rab not fit the bill? Not exactly a full harness but the detachable shoulder straps aren't bad and other than that it's a very basic big bag. The TNF ones are PVC and the Rab ones are the same heavy-duty fabric as Macpac use.
Otherwise, maybe see if you can get one of the original AK70s by Crux. Light but strong dyneema 'bag' (i.e. climbing sac) with a frame that removes and padded hip-fins that slot on/off a basic webbing belt. Simple compression straps remove too. You'd want one of the original lemon-coloured models (discontinued '06). There seems to be one going here on ebay just now
I haven't seen anything quite like what you're describing - as Matt says, the closest things out there are TNF Duffles and similar, which use a very simply harness with the straps threaded through ladder-type buckles. Something like that in a light, strong fabric would come close, but wouldn't give you very much support or comfort. It'd be a bit like one of the early GoLite packs where you had to rely on packing the contents very carefully and not carrying too much to give a semblance of support. But, if you combined something like that with an internal stiffener / framesheet like later GoLite packs, it might work - I guess corrugated in some way so it gives vertical support but can be rolled in the lateral plane for storage, maybe...
Generally the tendency is to cover pack straps with a lightweight holdall for air travel, I think, which is probably why it's not been done afaik, though some bright spark loony lightweighter in the States has probably made one on the quiet...
Maybe this and this in conjunction with some removable support struts would do the trick,then just make it somehow removable from a home/custom made dyneema sack.
Alpkit, get in there! Sounds like a good thing they could get together for us all there then Montgomery!Calling Alpkit....calling Alpkit!!! I can recall something similarly simple in design like that I saw way back in the late eighties, or early nineties in fact! I don't think it was a British thing at all though! Likely a European outdoors company did it I think! Or it might even have been an American design that I am thinking of now come to think of it! A bag that was for hunters to carry back parts of big deer kills in or something, that was small packing and field expedient, and thus a cheap no frills option! It was in a magazine article that I saw it in back then, long before there was ever any internet at all though.
OK, some good ideas. Basically, what I need is a pack that will allow me to walk away from the bike for a week or two when I'm on trips. I have considered things like the Brule combo, but TBH it looks like a right dog's breakfast. The Gust sounds like it could be what I need, something I can pack down small, maybe with a Karrimat as dual-use sleeping mat/pack padding.
Calling Alpkit....calling Alpkit!!! I can recall something similarly simple in design like that I saw way back in the late eighties, or early nineties in fact! I don't think it was a British thing at all though! Likely a European outdoors company did it I think! Or it might even have been an American design that I am thinking of now come to think of it! A bag that was for hunters to carry back parts of big deer kills in or something, that was small packing and field expedient, and thus a cheap no frills option! It was in a magazine article that I saw it in back then, long before there was ever any internet at all though..jpg)
