Lightweight bag for external frame

Buddro

FNG
Joined
Sep 4, 2019
Messages
35
I've ended up with a wilderness tag in New Mexico now I am looking for any advantage I can get. I already have a barneys freighter frame that I have been using for backpacking trips with an old army duffel bag lashed to the frame with P-cord, its a great set up for me for recreational backpacking but the bag has to be every bit of 3 pounds and I am looking to go lightweight as I can for this hunt. I don't need much in the way of features, water resistant is nice but for an october hunt in southern NM I don't expect to get slammed with any real rain. Pockets are nice and all but I can due without for this hunt. My real requirements are tough enough to make it through a few hunts at least(no chance of failing on the first hunt), I want lightweight and am ok sacrificing some durability to get it, light, and cheap around 100 bucks. I would like to be over 3500 cubic inches, I would really like to be around 4500 but i can go much smaller if the trade offs are there. I make regular trips with a 2200 for 3 ish days packing meat out so I can get small with my gear but I am looking to a week or so in the back country with gallons of water. I plan to use a separate bag or bags to get the meat and trophy out probably kuiu bags.

The three Bags I am looking at are the stone glacier load cell 2500 cu at 4.5 ounces, the kifaru camp bag 3700 cu at 15 ounces and the sea to summit big river bag at 4000 cu 10 ounces. All of these bags come in at under a hundred dollars I have also looked at just using a kuiu elk quarter bag But I dont necessarily like the combination of being a more or less cylindrical design rather than flatter like the load cell and the top sealing with a simple draw string.

Now for questions

What bags am I overlooking, there are hundreds out there I know I am missing some. I would like to find something akin to the load cell with a payload of 3500 plus. Maybe the ultra thin materials just wont go that big well.

I would like to hear any comments on any of these bags from owners, experiences and such, durability water resistance ect ect.
 

DaveS

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
250
Location
Kalispell, MT
The Zpacks Airplane case at 3.2 ounces is an option. I'm not sure of the exact payload but I thinks it's in the 3500 plus range.

 

TheRambler

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
290
Location
NW Connecticut
The Zpacks Airplane case at 3.2 ounces is an option. I'm not sure of the exact payload but I thinks it's in the 3500 plus range.

It is more like 7000 fully extended, so probably 6000ish sealed. I line a highcamp 7000 and a muskeg 7000 with one and its pretty much the exact same size
 
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B

Buddro

FNG
Joined
Sep 4, 2019
Messages
35
Any experience using the Zpacks as a stand alone pack? Do I need to worry about stress points where my P-cord cinches tight just below a hard corner of a cook stove or some other piece of gear?
 

TheRambler

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
290
Location
NW Connecticut
Any experience using the Zpacks as a stand alone pack? Do I need to worry about stress points where my P-cord cinches tight just below a hard corner of a cook stove or some other piece of gear?

I had mine strapped to a kifaru bikini frame with a grabit supporting it on the bottom. Worked like a charm. Had it out last summer for 8 days backpacking with my young son. Was an experiment and it went quite well imo.

I didn’t take any special precautions but my hard pointy stuff i tend to always make sure its not putting pressure on the fabric if i can help it.
 
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