Sunday 19 December 2010

Framed: Old School Pack Design

While we're on the subject of packs, I saw this recreation of the pack frames worn by climbers on the early alpine expeditions in a shop window display. It can't have been too comfortable but it did allow one clever innovation (not included here) where the addition of a drain valve and a fill point (available from any plumbing store) meant that the tubes served double duty as a tank for the liquid fuel of a cooking stove.

More soon
SBW

7 comments:

Perkunas said...

Old frame packs are way cool. I just got,some two weeks ago, a hold of a pair of two pretty rare packs,theyre issued to our armys special units like borderpatrols and rangers. The frames are made of 9 mm steel rods by bending and welding.

During x-mas times ill be writing about 'em.

Al Cambronne said...

Sorry, but that picture really reminds me of those creepy TV ads for Vesicare, the remedy for overactive bladders. (Their tag line is "afraid your pipes might leak?")

And if you were hiking over uneven terrain, would you have to listen to your stove fuel trickling, tinkling, and sloshing back and forth through all those pipes??? If one drank too much coffee before beginning a long hike, I can imagine this being a potential disadvantage....

The Suburban Bushwacker said...

Al
What can i say? They were just made of sterner stuff back then.

'Stiff upper lip and all that. Not about to let a little things like a bladder stimulator stop us. Tally-ho'

I have no idea how faithful a recreation that frame is, the couplings are right, but I don't know about the design. I'll send it to BoB (brother of bushwacker) who told me about the frame/fuel cans and see what he says.

SBW

Albert A Rasch said...

Fuel???

How about schnapps?

Happy Holidays!
Best Regards,
Albert A Rasch
In Afghanistan™

The Suburban Bushwacker said...

Albert
Schnapps = Fuel, Now THAT"S weight saving!

Appy crimbo big man see ya soon
SBW

Sharon said...

Now that's a bright idea. Double as a fluid tank, we don't have those Old Frames today.

The Suburban Bushwacker said...

Sharon

thanks for taking the time to comment, I was hoping to have some pix by now but alas both myself and my Bro have been very busy. Soon come.

SBW