LAST EDITED ON Aug-14-05 AT 02:58PM (MST)[p]I will agree that the Just One is an awesome pack. But in the way that I hunt it does not fit my needs.
Here is a picture of me on the left with an external frame pack in 2000. I appologize for the picture quality.
In my pack is a weeks worth of gear. The food has been eaten because we are on our way out. Also inside is 70lbs. of deer meat. The rack is straped on to the outside of the pack along with my gun, my daypack, my sleeping bag on top, a 3 inch thick foam pad stuffed into a stuff sack on bottom, and my tripod. I could have attached more if wanted. Thats the beauty of an external frame pack. The only limitation is that I don't believe I could have carried much more down those long steep 5 miles.
The guy in the middle took a huge bodied buck and he put his deer in his internal frame pack similar to what I did. The next year he bought the largest external frame pack Jansport offers.
I should mention I have had the pack since 1993. I recently sent it back to Jansport to have the hip belt fixed and they completely refurbished the pack. They must have done over $200 worth of labor and materials. They did it all for free.
Here is some info I found on this web site.
http://www.bigskyfishing.com/Gear-Technique/camping/backpack_overview.htm
"Benefits and Drawbacks of Internal & External Frame Backpacks
Internal Frame Backpacks - The benefits of an internal frame backpack is that they tend to ride closer to the body and not move around nearly as much as an external frame backpack. Internal frame backpacks are ideal for off-trail use or for where maintaining balance, even under a heavy load, is crucial. Internal frame backpacks also tend to carry heavy loads better and disperse the weight more evenly than external frame backpacks. Internal frame backpacks also generally have much more padding as the pack rides closer to the hiker.
The downside to internal frame backpacks is that, especially in the summer, they can make the hiker quite warm. Internal frame backpacks ride along the hikers back, allowing very little ventilation to cool things off and evaporate the hikers sweat. Organization can also be a problem. Internal frame backpacks usually only have a handful of outside pockets and one main compartment that runs the entire length of the pack. While proper packing can minimize this problem, external frame backpacks, due to usually their larger number of pockets, makes organizing things and locating things easier.
External Frame Backpacks - On external frame backpacks, the pack is attached to an aluminum frame. Advantages of external frame backpacks include better organization abilities due to more pockets. It is easier to attach external gear to an external backpack (the frame of the pack makes for a handy attachment point for all sort of things). Additionally, because the frame rides much further off the hikers body, the back of a hiker will stay much cooler.
One big disadvantage, though, of external frame backpacks is because they do not fit the hiker snugly, they tend to move around and sway a lot. This can cause some balance problems, especially when traversing rocky terrain or crossing streams."
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The 'big disadvantage" they speak of above is not a problem for me for some reason. I don't recall having a pack sway or losing my balance. Good luck picking a pack!