Dana Design Frame Help, Ideas?

[cowboyarcher]

Hi All,

I recently acquired an older Dana Design K2 T1. I am looking for some input on pack adjustment and for a potential load sling.

In the following two pictures I am looking at pack adjustment. In the first, I assume this is as long as the pack can be adjusted for torso length?

And in the second, where are the lower end of these stays (the yellow wrapped portion) supposed to be adjusted? I presume they are designed to move some of the weight forward onto the more frontal portion of the hips?

In this photo, how would you think it might be possible to attach a load sling? The tapered portion at the bottom seems to complicate the issue. . . I am thinking a rectangular piece of cordura attached at the lower full width cross bar, slung low and attached at the lowest crossbar, then folded back up to attach to one of the upper bars? If that makes sense?

Thanks for any input guys and God bless you!

Adam

 

[RockChucker30]

I had a T1 a while back. Your first photo is of the load lifter attachment, and yeah, you've pretty well got it as high as it'll go. The velcro strap connecting to the leno mesh shoulder pad is what adjusts that.

Don't touch the spring rods. They are supposed to transfer some weight forward on the belt by tightening the straps connected to them.

You may need to drill and custom make a strap with grommets to build a good load sling. That frame is plenty beefy for whatever you want to do. If you hit it with your truck the frame would likely be fine but you'd have to fix the alignment on the truck.

My only problem with mine was the belt slipping. Otherwise it was really nice. My advice is to load it up with more than 80 lbs and go walk a mile before you start cutting and modding it. Make sure it's what you want before you destroy the resale value.

 

[chopchop]

You could check out the handi-pack sling from Wilderness Pack Specialties. It has straps that you could loop around the frame at the bottom and sides and weighs only a few ounces.

Here's a pic of it on their Big Horn frame: http://www.wildernesspacks.com/big-horn-frame. They'll sell it separately from the pack frame if you call them.

I'm sure you could rig a Kifaru cargo panel or a Mystery Ranch load sling as well if you had some ladderlock or g-hooks and some webbing.

 

[wyodan]

You might try talking to the Hill People Gear guys. They think that the Dana external is the best pack ever made, and can probably help you out with any of your questions.

 

[cowboyarcher]

You might try talking to the Hill People Gear guys. They think that the Dana external is the best pack ever made, and can probably help you out with any of your questions.

I looked into their Highlander compression pack, it looks like just the thing I may need! The HPG products look like they are well thought out and designed to work well with any of these upper end frame.

 

[muleman]

I've been planning on using a Kifaru cargo panel on my Dana/K2 external. I finnally got around to rigging it up. I only used components provided with the panel. Two straps on each side, two straps on top, and two common loop three bar sliders on the bottom. There is a lot of flexibility with the components provided. G-Hooks would provide another world of options.

For the pictures the top frame bar was extended as high as it would go.

Back

Side

Top

Bottom

 

[Colby Jack]

How dis this pack end up working for you Muleman? I realize this is an older thread, but this is exactly what I just picked up. Super interested in feedback.

 

[muleman]

How dis this pack end up working for you Muleman? I realize this is an older thread, but this is exactly what I just picked up. Super interested in feedback.

I never put it through serious field trials. I ended up using a couple differnt Kifaru frames and bags before settling down with a Stone Glacier frame and bags.

 

[Colby Jack]

Aw. Too bad. Thanks for the feedback.