What are the distinguishing features of traditional, ultralight and frameless backpacks?

Question

I would appreciate any thoughts, insights, or experiences which can help me out with this: what would be the distinctions between a traditional, ultralight, and frameless backpack?

Answer 1

According to textbooks, modern day backpacks will have thick padding and a heavy spine to unmistakably show that they are made for carrying heavy loads, whilst the ultralight backpacks are made to hold under ten pounds, meaning it does not require padding and such. The lightest in the category of load bearing backpacks with a frame, removable hip belts and other features suitable for weighing down their load, these extremely light frame less backpacks are only used for situations when strong shoulders alone suffice for the load. Each one of the above features different weight requirements if one would look up in a dictionary the terms packing styles in relation with the type of load the Packing.

Comments

Stephen I see your point - carrying more weight means more strain on the body - but weight:strain isn't 1:1. 10kg in a well fitting backpack with good suspension will cause less fatigue than 5kg in a sack that cuts into the shoulders and directs weight to the wrong place.

 That's why full-framed packs still have a place in the world.

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Hmm no mention of exterior framed packs which can also come in ultralight versions (such as seek outside)? Generally used for expeditions, going deep in the backcountry, and/or hunting.  If you have a lot of heavy gear/food to carry, a good comfortable external frame pack is a must if you have to carry 50-100+ pound loads.
Sometimes I get the impression that thru-hikers think they are the only ones who use backpacks in the outdoors.

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Traditional has been the way for me, as a relative casual to hiking/backpacking. I don't do glamping, but it's nice to be able to use whatever you have, and sometimes, that's durable, but heavy gear. As long as the overall weight is less than like 60 lbs, I'm good.

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Please be aware that when you say "traditional packs are for people carrying heavy loads", it depends on the size of the person too. I am small (around 50 kilos, narrow shoulders), so the situation is not the same for me as for a big man. Even a light pack is a substantial proportion of my bodyweight and I cannot comfortably carry much weight at all on my shoulders. I tried ultralight packs and it was miserable. A few years ago I switched to a Fjällräven Abisko 65, which is a heavy tank of a rucksack, and never looked back. Having the weight effectively transferred to my hips makes SUCH a difference. With this one, I can comfortably carry 17 kilos all day, whereas before, I struggled with 7 kilos.

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.. Nobody speaks of the true original backpack style of external frame ... for all weights but usually heavy loads on open trails .. not comfortable for bending and mountaineering but very comfortable on long flat treks .. strap harness is installed on frame and NOT on pack bag ,,making frame usable for other chores like gathering firewood or carrying game meat out off the mountain ... bags can be made of anything but usually canvas or goretex type materials ..

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So I'm an infantryman I've been making a lot of my own gear because NIR compliant fabrics are a need, right now I'm building a UL style pack out of a much heavier duty fabric than most of the UL bags and its current form packed I'm at 34lbs with food but not water closer to 40 with it but I only carry 2 liters which is a lot less than most dudes I work with

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Traditional packs are always better than anything else. They have far superior suspension systems, much better padding, can transport weight efficiently causing less fatigue on the wearer and last longer. A heavier pack with a better build will always be better than a lighter pack with an inferior build and will allow the user to put in more miles with more comfort. It's like driving a Honda Civic across the country vs a Cadillac. Sure, the Civic will save you gas money, but it'll tire you more because you're not as isolated from the road as you'd be in the Cadillac. That's why the best packs are never referred to as the "Civic" of packs! LOL It's almost always the "Cadillac" of packs. Plus, a traditional pack with 15lbs in it will feel lighter than an ultralight pack with 15lbs in it. The ultralight pack will feel heavier even "if" the traditional pack weighs on average 3 more pounds, but that's 3 more pounds of padding & suspension that no ultralight pack can match.

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ultralight ultralight ultralight
Hello
do you know some of us don’t have the mega bucks to spend on ultralight
Please focus on regular gear for the buck concerned hiker
And there are many many regular packs at the sub 3 lbs at 50 liter volume
So your information is badly skewed
Also women’s packs for the males with small torso
Mens packs start at 17” torsos
Also explain trad packs give the internal volume without pockets and ultralight packs give volume including the pockets, so in a 50 liter pack the internal volume could be only 35 lt plus 15 in external pockets