Making external frame pack seeking advice

[ke6cvh]

Hello group, I'm preparing to make an external frame pack. We have dozens of industrial sewing machines here of different types/functions including anything possibly needed for making the bag of a pack and then some. I have fiberglassing skills having previously owned a couple boat molds many years back and having made a strip built kayak. I want to make the ultimate frame using rattan and 1 inch e-glass biaxial fiberglass sleeve (this can go down to 0.36 inches and above it in diameter like a chinese finger lock toy). I want to use traditional layup epoxy widely available. My decision for the rattan is because it is a great uni-directional fiber. The old problems with it were moisture changes causing splitting, fungus rot, and exposure to UV. All of this can be eliminated with the fiberglass sleeving. I don't want to use carbon fiber as it is not as flexible and virtually free from expansion with temperature changes while wood and fiberglass both are not. I've looked up tables of expansion with temperature both in direction of fiber and perpindicular with fiberglass/epoxy being a close match. With fiberglass tube doubling the diameter will multiply the stiffness in a power of 3 (twice the wall thickness gets me 8 times the stiffness). So, I'd like to use either 2 or 3 layers of this 11.7oz (approximate weight) sleeve. The rattan will compliment it but will basically be the equivalent of a uni directional foam composite filler in some respects but oh so much stronger to add to the fiberglass. I'm wide open to suggestions but I like the idea of having an ALICE compatible frame that has stays coming off the top for load lifter that would go through the open space on an Alice pack (or in house made) that I've thought about making a Trapper Nelson or Alaskan packboard version just for practice but decided if possible I'd like to avoid that. One advantage of rattan is that it may be soaked for 4 days and then be formed into desired shape and glassed over. I'm considering binding the rattan with braided polyester (un bonded) soaked in epoxy. If needed I can add some aluminum in vital places but would prefer to avoid it altogether. My thoughts are to use the xpac x31 and x51 in the build but have previously made waxed heavy canvas soft packs with great success here. Best regards, Mike Kendall (retired active US Navy 28 years 3 months).