of leather dry at different rates, which leads to cracking and curling. I’ve seen boots peel apart from drying too fast near a fire. While walking on the trail, the heat from your foot will help dry the boot. At the end of the day, when you take off your boots, open them up as much as possible to help them dry out. (This will also make them easier to put on in the morning.) You may want to leave your boots upside down at night to prevent dew from forming inside.
When you return from a trip, always clean your boots before you store them, or the dirt will corrode the stitching at the seams. Use a stiff, nonwire brush to remove caked-on dirt. For leather boots, rub them with moistened saddle soap. Wipe off the residue, air-dry them thoroughly, then apply a generous coating of wax or sealer. Store your boots in a cool, dry place to prevent mildew. Boot trees can help maintain the shape of your boot and cedar boot trees can absorb moisture from the inside of the boot, helping it dry slowly.
There are two basic types of packs: external and internal frame. The purpose of the frame is to transfer most of the weight of your gear onto your hips, so the strong muscles in your legs carry the load, rather than your shoulders. If you remember trying to carry loads of books home from school in a day pack, you know what I mean. The ideal distribution is about 70 to 80 percent of the weight on your hips and 20 to 30 percent on your shoulders. This split in weight also lowers your center of gravity, making you more stable. Recent advances in pack design offer an incredible range of sizes and options.
External-Frame Pack
Internal-Frame Pace
External Frame The external-frame pack helped revolutionize back-packing. Suddenly, much larger amounts of weight could be easily and safely carried, allowing for longer trips. External-frame packs typically use a ladderlike frame of aluminum or plastic. The hip belt and shoulder straps are attached to the frame (see diagram below). A separate pack bag attaches to the frame, usually with clevis pins and split rings. Pack bag volumes range from 3,000 to 4,500 cubic inches (49 to 73 liters). There is also space for attaching large items like a sleeping bag to the outside of the frame so the actual carrying capacity of the pack is more than the pack bag volume. Some external-frame packs come in specific sizes based on the length of your spine; others are adjustable to fit a range of sizes. Look for good lumbar padding, a conical hip belt, recurved shoulder straps with good padding, and a chest compression strap. Pro: Good for carrying weight. The external frame allows for some air space between your back and the pack bag so your back doesn’t sweat as much. The weight is carried higher in the pack, allowing for a more upright posture. Frame extension bars and space for a sleeping bag outside of the pack allow you to strap on lots of gear when you need to, making the carrying capacity of the pack more versatile. Less expensive than many internal-frame packs. Con: Since external-frame packs carry the load higher, they raise your center of gravity, making you more “top heavy” and less stable. Most external-frame packs don’t hug your body as well, so the pack tends to wobble from side to side as you walk. This is usually not a problem on a regular backpacking trip, but can throw you off balance if skiing or snowshoeing. Airline baggage-handling machines are notorious for bending frames. Don’t take it on an airplane unless you have boxed it up.
Internal Frame Internal-frame packs use a wide variety of materials—aluminum stays, carbon fiber, plastic sheets, and foam—to create a rigid spine to which the hip belt and shoulder straps are attached (see diagram). The pack bag runs the full height of the pack, although it may be divided into several compartments. Pack volumes range from 3,000 to 7,500 cubic inches (49 to 122 liters). Some internal-frame packs come in specific sizes based on the length of your spine; others are adjustable to fit a range of sizes. As with an external-frame pack, you should look for good lumbar padding, a conical hip belt, recurved shoulder straps with good padding, and a chest compression strap. A removable top pocket and a bivy extension (a fabric layer sewn around the top opening of the pack bag that, when pulled up, adds to the overall pack volume) on the pack bag will let you lift the top pocket and store more gear. Also, make sure that the pack has side compression straps to squeeze the pack down if you are carrying a smaller load. Pro: Good for carrying lots of weight. Conforms to the body for better balance. Generally more comfortable to wear for long periods. Con: Since the pack bag and frame are directly against your entire back, back perspiration can be a problem. Since the weight is carried lower in the pack, you may have to bend over more. You can’t put as much on the outside, so the overall carrying capacity of the pack is somewhat fixed by its internal volume. Tends to be more expensive than external frame packs.
Day packs Day packs typically forgo a frame and use a foam or plastic sheet for the back panel. This provides some rigidity and helps distribute weight to the hips (up to a point). How much of a frame you need depends on how much weight you plan to carry. For heavier weights, look for well-padded shoulder straps, a foam hip belt rather than just a webbing strap, and a chest compression strap. Day pack volumes range up to 3,000 cubic inches (49 liters).
If you are going ultralight, then the size and weight of your pack can decrease substantially. The ultralight approach means three things—bringing less stuff, bringing lighter stuff, which means less volume of stuff. That means that ultralight packs don’t need to be so large; most are under 3,000 cubic inches (49 liters). Since you are carrying less weight, the pack doesn’t need to have a huge and heavy frame system to transfer the weight, so it can be made of lighter weight material. Since you aren’t carrying 50+ pounds (110 kilograms), you don’t need all that padding on the hip belt and the shoulder straps—you might not even need a hip belt. You can just feel the pounds melting off.
Ultralight Internal-Frame Packs have a lightweight internal frame with simple shoulder straps and a foam or webbing hip belt. Most of these packs weigh between 1 and 3 pounds (0.4 to 1.3 kilograms).
Ultralight Rucksacks forgo a frame altogether. They are typically just a bag with shoulder straps and weigh a pound (2.2 kilograms) or less. By stuffing the inside full of your gear or by adding a rolled foam pad, you “build” enough of a “frame” to transfer the weight. Some have a very light hip belt or no hip belt at all. If you keep the weight low enough you can comfortably carry all the weight on your shoulders. Some are made of lightweight mesh to reduce weight.
Size is an important factor when selecting a pack. You need to make sure that you can adequately carry all the equipment and food you will need for the length of your trip. Keep in mind that the pack bags of external-frame packs are smaller than those of internal-frame packs. This is because there are spaces on the external-frame pack to strap large items directly to the frame. For example, a sleeping bag in a stuff sack may be anywhere from 700 to 1,500 cubic inches (11 to 25 liters). Here are some rough guidelines on pack size related to trip length:
| Length of Trip | External-Frame Pack Volume | Internal-Frame Pack Volume |
