Packs

Thanks for that testimonial. My pack is due for replacing soon and the Aarn is one that I have been eyeing up.

Hillbilly, Great to see another happy Aarn camper! I'm afraid I'm quite a bore on the subject... but due to chronic neck pain (and a dodgy knee) I gave up tramping about 20yrs ago. Then one day (about 2002) I met Aarn in a shop in Petone...and within minutes I was convinced to buy one of his very early Featherlite Freedoms. The comparison with the Macpac Ravine (a very good example of a conventional pack BTW) was obvious. For the first time in decades I could carry a 15kg load all day without exhausting pain. My partner and I are similar in size and can easily swap packs, which usually finished up in a bun-fight as to who got to keep wearing the Aarn. My genuine estimate was that the better balance, mobility and efficiency of the Aarn is worth something like a 10-15% less effort in a typical tramping day. In the end I also purchased a larger Natural Balance a few years ago... and although it's had less use, it's an equally attractive pack to wear. We are planning some longer SI trips this Feb/March so the combination of the NB for me and the FF for the girl will work well. But hillbilly also makes a cautionary point. You WILL need to spend some time and effort learning how to best use these packs. They are a little different, and there is a couple of extra buckles to get used to. They will likely not be everyone's cup of tea, especially if you are happy with conventional packs. They are probably best suited to mature folk, looking to reduce the stress on their body, and are comfortable with trying something a little unconventional. On the other hand, I so wish I had been able to buy one of these 40 year ago.