We survey lightweight internal frame packs with a maximum weight of 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) and a volume generally in the range 50 L to 75 L.

A Super-Ultra-Light (SUL) frameless pack is fine for a couple of days in the summer when you can be sure it will stay fine and warm, but for many walkers SUL remains a distant goal. For walkers going on longer trips, or going up in the mountains where the weather is more variable and requires more gear for safety, a slightly larger pack is needed. As the load increases, the limitations of a frameless pack become apparent, and greater comfort can be had with a framed pack.

In this series of articles we survey internal frame packs suitable for those longer trips into more difficult climate and terrain. Not covered here are external frame packs or frameless packs. Our criteria for inclusion were a weight of under 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) and a volume generally in the 50 L to 75 L range. Both criteria were a little soft, allowing us to include packs which looked suitable despite being on the margins. The volume requirement became softer as we discovered that one firm's idea of a litre was not necessarily the same as another's!

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Introduction
• The Frame or Harness and Torso Length
• The Frame
• Back Padding
• Lumbar Pad
• Hip Belt
• Hip Belt Curvature
• Shoulder Straps
• Load Lifter Straps
• Correct Adjustment of Straps
• Sternum Strap
• Haulage Loop

# WORDS: 5860
# PHOTOS: 11

Mildred Norman Ryder intentionally transformed herself from a middle class homemaker to a virtually penniless promoter of peace. She called herself "Peace Pilgrim," and for almost thirty years she wandered North America on foot on a pilgrimage, carrying her only possessions in her pockets.

In 1952, Mildred Norman Ryder became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail in one season. The trek completed a fifteen-year process during which Ryder had intentionally transformed herself from a middle class homemaker to a virtually penniless promoter of peace. Completing her transformation also marked a beginning. Thereafter, she called herself "Peace Pilgrim," and for the next twenty-eight years, until her death, she wandered North America on foot on a pilgrimage for world peace, carrying her only possessions in her pockets.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Summary and Introduction
• Inspired While Walking
• The Appalachian Trail
• The Pilgrimage
• Why Walk?
• Food and Shelter
• A Simple Pilgrim's Gear
• Facing the Elements
  • Bibliography

# WORDS: 2290
# PHOTOS: 7

Techniques and gear for the lightweight backcountry coffee connoisseur, because under no circumstances should you let a non-coffee drinker brew your bliss.

Under no circumstances should you let a non-coffee drinker brew your coffee.

Non-coffee drinkers CANNOT be trusted to make acceptable coffee. If some well-meaning tent-mate gets up early and offers to bring you coffee in bed, do NOT let them. You will be sadly disappointed, and the entire day may founder in a miasma of negative drama. Let's face it, the coffee ritual is something those not addicted to coffee will never understand. Politely get up and give them a genuine and heartfelt thank-you. Then make your own beautiful cup.

(Note: it's possible that your hiking companion will be annoyed at this type of behavior and come to view you as the control freak that you are. But remember, joy is joy, and any impediment to your coffee bliss MUST be avoided.)

As you may have gathered, I've got some opinions about this whole coffee thing. So, before we go any further, and in the interest of full disclosure, here are a few of my personal prejudices:

1. Strong coffee is good coffee.
2. Except for a very few companions, I don’t trust anyone to make coffee for me.
3. Adding sugar to coffee is criminal.
4. Sometimes I add a little milk in my coffee, but black is just fine.
5. Adding flavors (like hazelnut and almandine) to an already perfect drink is sinful.
6. Picking grounds out of my teeth is a serious buzz kill.
7. Coffee equals joy.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• IMPORTANT TRUISM #1
• The Methods
  • FRENCH PRESS
  • SMALL FILTERS
  • SMALL FILTER 2.0
  • JAVA JUICE
  • COLD PREPACKAGED COFFEE IN CANS
  • COWBOY COFFEE
  • TURKISH GROUNDS
  • TURKISH COWBOY
• Condiments
  • POWDERED MILK
  • SUGAR
• IMPORTANT TRUISM #2
• Alternative Caffeine Delivery System
  • Jolt Gum
• A Backcountry Coffee Code of Conduct

# WORDS: 3130
# PHOTOS: 11

We survey light-weight internal frame packs with a maximum weight of 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) and a volume generally in the range 50 L to 75 L.

We survey light-weight internal frame packs with a maximum weight of 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) and a volume generally in the range 50 L to 75 L. Part 1A covers the very basics and lists all the packs in the survey; Part 1B covers the frame and harness which carry the pack itself; Part 1C covers the main bag and all the other pockets, plus the all-important question of comfort. Part 2 in this series covers the individual packs tested.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Survey Principles
• Test Load Gear
• The Reviewers
• The Packs
• Pack Volume Measurements - An (Almost) Impossible Quest
• Reality Check on Pack Volume
• The Secret Behind Pack Volume

# WORDS: 5430
# PHOTOS: 7

A lightweight three-plus season down insulated jacket that excels in blustery conditions.

This separate review provides additional descriptive and performance information on the Montane Anti-Freeze Jacket. Read our article Ultralight Three-Season Down Jackets State of the Market Report 2010 for a state of the market analysis and comparative specifications and performance for a range of ultralight down jackets.

Although the Montane Anti-Freeze Jacket's weight is slightly over our 14 ounce (397 g) weight limit for our state-of-the-market article, we decided to include it because we know garments from Montane are designed to be as light weight and functional as possible. The Anti-Freeze falls into our Multi-Purpose Three-Season Down Jacket category, covered in Part 3 of the article cited above, because of its many features. How does it compare with other lightweight three-season jackets in our roundup, and how useful is it for backpacking?

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Introduction
• Description
• Performance
• Comparisons
• Assessment
• Specifications and Features

# WORDS: 1400
# PHOTOS: 7