Aarn Packs

Not really. It's an integral part of the design to keep the CG of the load as close as possible to your back. The divider doesn't go all the way to the bottom; below it there is a nice big space for a sleeping bag tucked in horizontally. Or the bigger packs like the Natural Balance have a separate compartment at the bottom. But you are right - the first few times I had to re-think the way I usually packed things in. Bear in mind that getting all the smaller denser items into the front pockets is pretty important, so what's left in the back is going to be different anyhow. One thing I did find helpful is to buy a few smaller, very light silnylon stuff bags.

Don't they stop you from being able to see your feet sometimes?

With you @craigo - suspiscious. Can I swim in one? Can I see my feet in one? Can I traverse / climb rockfaces with all that junk sticking out the front? Can I squirm through scrub wearing one? Do they get caught up on supplejack twice as much as just a backpack? When you do have to take them off to crawl / squirm, how haulable are they? So - I'd love to borrow one and put it through its paces, but no way would I fork out for one without knowing the answers to the above. Maybe have to move somewhere remote and then ask for a trial! Wonder if Alexandra qualifies ...

@madpom You dont have to move anywhere remote. Im not, and emailed aarn to ask whether I would still be able to get a trial, and the answer was a yes. Im lucky in that Im not too worried about whether I can use the pack in situations requiring rockface traversal unlike you.

@madpom you can borrow them for a trial. That's what I did! I had the same concerns as you for a start but found only your third point to be of concern and and quickly learnt that you don't stuff the pockets to bulging in such terrain and that you need some awareness if you are sidling ledges on rock faces with the pockets attached. Going up steep faces is fine if they are adjusted right. My biggest doubt was how the packs would cope c/w pockets on thru un-tracked bush and scrub country. They are fine especially if you have the pockets sitting high. (I've added an extra tie which I do up tight to keep them central in front of my chest. Set up like this if my head and shoulders get thru a gap the rest follows no problems) The pockets are extremely convenient to hold stuff such as camera, compass, gps, snacks, sun hat & beanie, silky saw, nails, tools etc. Some days I don't even bother to take the pack off between morning and night camp sites because they are so comfortable and I can access everything needed during the day from the pockets. You can use these packs without the balance pockets on if you wish or make a small day pack out of the pockets and leave the main pack back at camp. I used to do both a bit but now because I tend to find the pockets so convenient in front of me I'll take the whole bundle even if the body of the pack is nearly empty.

@madpom, there's no retailer in Wellington so according to http://www.aarnpacks.com/#!new-zealand/c17c4 you should be remote enough to request a trial (if you still live near here). I'd just ask for a trial anyway if that's what you need to make a decision. They offered one to me a while back when I queried, but it was awkward timing and then I went overseas for a couple of years.

Confirm exactly what glennj has said No they do not interfere with the view of your feet No they do not get in the way bushcrashing. Because a fair portion of your pack volume is on your front, the rear pack is much smaller, and usually sits lower than the height of your shoulder. I find they work better for this reason. Yes (as I said earlier) they can get in the way grovelling around steep rock faces. Fix is easy - just unclip the straps which normally stabilise them across the chest before you start - and let them swing outwards a bit. How 'haulable' are they? Never needed to. But if this is important to you then a single bag, trad pack obviously has fewer bits dangling about and would work better. Again as I said above, if you need a pack for biffing over bluffs and hauling up technical climbs - then they aren't what you want. Yes you can swim in them. In fact the front pockets mean that you float more easily with your face out of the water. Also the waterproof liner works exceedingly well and the lid (which works just like the wrap over method used on water proof seal bags) keeps the water out really well. Used my Featherlite to pack float down all three major gorges in the Cascade on my own, sight unseen. A bit mad in hindsight, but the rear pack was absolutely dry even though I was almost hypothermic after nearly 30 mins of swimming. (The front packs are not waterproof on their own.) Pertinent FAQ's here: http://www.aarnpacks.com/#!balance-pockets-racks-bags/cy1y A River Swim here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASTLSMOTCek And what got wet? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h9MLTsr5gs

What would you say that the comfortable carrying capacity (in terms of mass) of the featherlite freedom was? Im looking at it as an option, but it seems like it mightnt have the suspension and padding for heavier loads, given how much lighter it is than some of the others? I could be totally wrong here!

I tried my (loaded) NB out in my dam before a walk that required crossing an estuary – it worked well on my back and front (the estuary was low tide and we walked across so didn’t test it in the wild) Never any problem seeing my feet (although my pockets are smaller than the current version). Rock-climb up no issue. Climbing down, my vision is a little restricted, requiring a neck-stretch occasionally. Traversing a narrow ledge (facing in) – yep, definitely uncomfortable – but you can unclip and swing to the side or allow to hang down. I can only remember once when I took the pockets off and clipped them to the pack (easily done). Before dragging the pack through scrub/crevice etc, you would need to clip the pocket clips together to stop them flopping. I’ve pushed through 4 days of Richea scoparia and Melaluca on the Southern Range in Tassie without too much drama – I did puncture the pack and liner with a twig once (oddly, in fairly open terrain) but tape and some stitching nicely fixed it. The (very slight) disadvantages of the NB are far outweighed by the comfort and the convenience of all that stuff so easily accessible (GPS, map, compass, scroggin, water, hat, knife, …) BTW, the divided legs of the liner were a bit strange at first – but I wouldn’t have it any other way, now. And, Size12, the thin waist belt actually wraps over the hip iliac crest and is considerably more comfortable (inc heavy loads) than a padded belt. I’ve carried 24kg in my NB (once – I prefer <20kg :)

In terms of mass I carried a max of about 15- 20kg in my FF. That's fine for 4-5 day trips.... solo. The limit is not how comfortable it is, but how much space you have. My one had just the standard 12L pockets. You can other Pivoting Balance Pockets if you like: http://www.aarnpacks.com/#!pivoting-balance-pockets/csr5 I have frequently considered getting some bigger 18L Expedition pockets to match the ones on my Natural Balance. That would extend the FF's weight range by another 3-5 kg at least. Unfortunately my very old FF isn't quite compatible with the newer model Pockets so I might just give the old one away to a good home and buy a new one sometime. If I needed to carry, say 20kg, plus on longer trips I'd probably use my Natural Balance for convenience mainly. I once did a 12 day trip in it starting with close to 28 kg - and the limit was not comfort, but the unfit old donkey underneath. :-) If I had to choose between them, unless I knew I was going to be doing some long winter alpine trips, I'd definitely pick the Featherlite. Given that most tramps are weekenders with a day or two tacked on, it's definitely the more versatile of the two.