Dana Design External Frame

[SHTF]

So Im picking up this pack for dirt cheap its a Dana Design Terraplane External Frame. Anyone have and use this pack? Ive heard nothing but good things about it. I sold off the MMR+ Duplex and went to my Xing for EDC Overnight. Was thinking going this route for a larger pack and hunting. Maybe getting rid of the fire engine red bag and throwing a Kifaru Bag on the Frame. I know the guys over at HPG Swear by this frame for their bags and are even patterning their external frame after it.

Wanted to get some thoughts from folks who use it or have used it and the comfort level, weight carrying ability?

Thanks in advance

 

[Colby Jack]

Great Minds!!! I just picked up this exact same pack, and want to trick it out. I have a Barneys Pinnacle, and it can definitely carry the weight, but I want something a bit more trim. I plan to pick up the HPG belt, and possibly their harness as well. I've read about Evan's personal pack, and have even asked for a pic of the custom panel he made to utilize their harness. I think he used hypalon for the panel. Understandably, he is extremely busy, and hasn't gotten a pic uploaded. I want to sew up my own Nomad/crewcab bag for it to facilitate the go in light, come out heavy mindframe. Congrats on your purchase.

 

[SHTF]

Colby,

I actually have the HPG Belt and Harness already I use on my Kifaru Xing so I will definitely be looking at integrating them on this. Love the HPG Suspension. Good stuff and best that has worked for me that Ive found. We should throw together some Photos as we mod these out =-)

 

[DaveS]

I had a Dana Design external and thought it was very comfortable carrying heavy weight. It was as comfortable as my Kifaru duplex but not more so. My biggest issue was that it was too big. Mine was 14" or so wide and over 30" tall (I had the tall version). While it would have worked great for hauling an animal I couldn't see myself having it on my back while hunting. I sold mine because I knew I would never actually use it given that I had other packs that were more streamlined and carried heavy weight just as well.

 

[Yellowknife]

I used one for a number of years.



Mine originally had the goofy shelf type bottom frame. Hated that, and when it broke off (underneath an ATV), I had it re-welded in the hoop frame style like you have there. Much better.

Finally started tearing stitching in the harness on this trip in 2010. Dunno what the load was, but full camp + full sheep = heavy and I was having belt slipping issues also.



The are ok packs. Certainly better than most frame packs out there. I actually still use the frame with a Barneys harness and bag attached.

See that old gray frame?



The Barneys harness was a big improvement in comfort level for me under load, and would be my preferred modification to the shoulder straps. They are heavily padded though, and thus more awkward for normal use and/or shooting with pack on.

I would call the Dana's a good mid-range general use type frame pack. Not in the same heavy hauler league as a Barneys (it never made any inroads into the guide/packer market up here), but plenty for most people and uses. I believe the various hybrid internal/external frames out there now are better for the typical mix of day hunting followed by packing, but I wouldn't hesitate to use a Dana again if I had one.

Yk

 

[SHTF]

YK thanks for the write up and photos. Good overview of the pack. At the price Im getting it at I cant pass it up. Looking forward to trying it out.

 

[justinspicher]

I had one and promptly threw out the bag and traded the frame off at the first chance I had. Mine was black and I thought I had stumbled onto a great hunting pack. However, halfway up Mt. Rainier the seam that holds the drawstring to the main bag exploded on me and I had no more bag left. Luckily everything inside the main bag was in an USGI wet weather bag so my tape job held long enough for me to get off the mountain. The frame never fit me right, it was too long and the belt wouldn't cinch down enough. That was a sweet $200 lesson on an inferior pack.

 

[stephen b]

They can be very good packs and I had a couple of them. I have tried using various suspensions on them and most worked well.

I bought a Barney's frame to possibly use the suspension from it on the Dana external. It does work- but I ended up this winter selling the DD frame and kept the Barney's for a weight hauler. I finally figured I did not really need 2 haulers for heavy duty.

The Kifaru belt will work on the DD- got the same idea from the Hill brothers. And the HPG sh harness will work on a DD external- but I made it work with a regular mesh back part ( like a Barney's) rather than trying to use the DD harness sh part. I really did not care for the DD mesh and sh harness, compared to regular straps and mesh back part. BTW- the HPG sh straps will work on the Barney's with some simple modification if you want a smaller profile sh straps.

SHTF- wanted to let you know that there are certain DD externals that cannot have the bag removed from the frame to be able to use it as a stand alone hauler. Some of even the Terraframes had the bag integrated with the belt itself- so you could not take the bag off with out taking the belt also. I found that out the hard way and ended up reselling one I had that could not remove the bag. There is a clue to look for in pics that I discovered to be able to tell. And hate to possibly burst your bubble- but, if what I am seeing in the pics above is accurate; there is a possibility that the one pictured above( if that is what you are buying)- you may not be able to remove the bag. Send me a PM if you have a ? About that.

Of course, you can always take everything off and start from scratch with Barney harness material etc. and keep the frame.

 

[SHTF]

Stephen I definitely want to know more about what your seeing. Will shoot you a PM.

 

[Salmo-Priest]

So what is it that makes the Barneys such a great hauler? The Dana and the Barney have a great reputation.

Here's my Custom Super Tioga. No mess back panel here. Padded frame sheet. Custom. Kind of a internal/ext frame. If this thing had a hip belt I'd never want anything ever again. I did modify the load lifters and am looking into hip belt modifications..

 

[Salmo-Priest]

Yellow Knife,

Beautiful pictures..

 

[Salmo-Priest]

I know. The view sucks.

 

[Yellowknife]

So what is it that makes the Barneys such a great hauler? ]

Very heavy duty construction, a wide/tall frame that stabilizes oversize loads, huge bags, well padded straps that don't chafe after lots of miles, and a hip belt that doesn't tend to slip.

Other than that....

Yk

 

[mtnclimber]

As always i really enjoy your photos YK. Especially the older sheep hunting ones.

Question: Why do you use the old dana frame instead of the barneys frame?

And do you know the weight difference between the two frames with the same suspension on both?

 

[Yellowknife]

The Dana is 10 oz lighter.

Yk