4090Sharps
WKR
A long time coming...
I've been telling myself for years that I'm going to make my own Mystery Ranch Pop Up style pack, but life has been busy and I haven't prioritized the time to do so. Paradoxically, that's finally pushing me toward tackling the project--my hunts have increasingly become (half) day hunts and I don't need a substantial bag or frame. To the point that I've been alternating between an ultralight Durston Kakwa 55 and a Mountainsmith lumbar pack.
A couple recent threads and reflecting on how I am hunting nowadays lit the fire in me again. I need to make my own MR Pop Up 18...
But maybe... maybe I can come up with something that fits my day hunts even better. After all, the MR Pop Up 18 was kind of heavy for what it was--a low volume, low profile, framed pack. At ~4.5lb, it was about the same weight as an Exo K4 2200 setup is now, and I've grown accustomed to a sub-2lb pack and the mobility of a lumbar pack. Maybe I can find a way to get somewhat close to that.
I figure I spend FAR more time hiking around than I do killing and hauling with AZ's seasons, tags, and limits being what they are, so I should prioritize weight and mobility over heavy weight hauling capability and comfort. Enough to get a first or moderate sized-load back to the truck without being miserable to retrieve my K4 frame if needed.
I'll try not to bore you with all of the little details, reasoning, and compromises that I've considered, but here's the direction I'm heading...
The Design
The key design feature of this pack is a removable, stowable frame. Unlike the MR Pop Up (1st gen) the pack in "day pack/non-hauling" mode won't have a rigid, fixed frame. It will resemble a Mountainsmith Day or Kifaru Hellcat. The OG MR Pop Up has two-piece removable aluminum tent pole type stays, but they're not really meant to be removed, and the pack gets a lot of rigidity from a plastic yoke and frame sheet. I'd like to maximize mobility and sweat/heat dissipation for day pack use by doing away with all of that.
Without a rigid sheet, and using two, 3-piece vertical stays, I can remove the stays, roll up the frame, and stash the whole assembly in the pack. I'm not sure my drawings would help explain the idea, but imagine the upper part of the OG MR Pop Up with fabric panel reinforcement to cover the back, and an integrated cargo panel. This pack won't have a fully detachable bag, which can lead to a floppy bag in day pack mode in the MR packs. Instead, the integrated cargo panel will take advantage of vertical space afforded by the unrolled, open roll-up bag.
The frame won't deploy as fast as a MR Pop Up, but for my intended use that will be a "winner's problem," where a couple minutes rerouting some webbing won't be a big deal.
Materials are inbound or arriving, and I hope to start building within the next week. No telling how long and how many failed designs it will take until I (hopefully) reach a working version....
The first components to arrive--DAC poles from Dutchware Gear and carbon fiber strips from a random Amazon seller.
Build-Along (pending)
I'll try to provide updates as I make progress. Usually I will knock a project out in one intense weekend and take few (if any) pictures along the way. Since my time is limited with family activities and work these days, I hope to provide more progress pictures and updates along the way.
Feel free to post any ideas or suggestions, especially if you have ever tried a removable frame (I don't recall seeing anything similar before).
I've been telling myself for years that I'm going to make my own Mystery Ranch Pop Up style pack, but life has been busy and I haven't prioritized the time to do so. Paradoxically, that's finally pushing me toward tackling the project--my hunts have increasingly become (half) day hunts and I don't need a substantial bag or frame. To the point that I've been alternating between an ultralight Durston Kakwa 55 and a Mountainsmith lumbar pack.
A couple recent threads and reflecting on how I am hunting nowadays lit the fire in me again. I need to make my own MR Pop Up 18...
But maybe... maybe I can come up with something that fits my day hunts even better. After all, the MR Pop Up 18 was kind of heavy for what it was--a low volume, low profile, framed pack. At ~4.5lb, it was about the same weight as an Exo K4 2200 setup is now, and I've grown accustomed to a sub-2lb pack and the mobility of a lumbar pack. Maybe I can find a way to get somewhat close to that.
I figure I spend FAR more time hiking around than I do killing and hauling with AZ's seasons, tags, and limits being what they are, so I should prioritize weight and mobility over heavy weight hauling capability and comfort. Enough to get a first or moderate sized-load back to the truck without being miserable to retrieve my K4 frame if needed.
I'll try not to bore you with all of the little details, reasoning, and compromises that I've considered, but here's the direction I'm heading...
The Design
- 12-15L roll top lumbar pack
- Rear stuff pocket
- Left and right water bottle pockets
- Top lashing points
- Stowable frame for load hauling
- Two, 3-section aluminum tent pole vertical stays
- Sewn-in, carbon fiber horizontal cross members
- Integrated load panel
- Rolls up into ~9" long, ~2.5" diameter package
- Removable belt for future replacement or experimenting
- Velcroed belt and lumbar pad provides attachment point for stowable frame
- Main Materials:
- Challenge EPX200 as primary fabric
- Venom Stretch Mesh ECO MAX pockets
- Hypalon reinforcements
- 1/2" webbing
- DAC aluminum tent poles
- Carbon fiber strips (undecided on size)
The key design feature of this pack is a removable, stowable frame. Unlike the MR Pop Up (1st gen) the pack in "day pack/non-hauling" mode won't have a rigid, fixed frame. It will resemble a Mountainsmith Day or Kifaru Hellcat. The OG MR Pop Up has two-piece removable aluminum tent pole type stays, but they're not really meant to be removed, and the pack gets a lot of rigidity from a plastic yoke and frame sheet. I'd like to maximize mobility and sweat/heat dissipation for day pack use by doing away with all of that.
Without a rigid sheet, and using two, 3-piece vertical stays, I can remove the stays, roll up the frame, and stash the whole assembly in the pack. I'm not sure my drawings would help explain the idea, but imagine the upper part of the OG MR Pop Up with fabric panel reinforcement to cover the back, and an integrated cargo panel. This pack won't have a fully detachable bag, which can lead to a floppy bag in day pack mode in the MR packs. Instead, the integrated cargo panel will take advantage of vertical space afforded by the unrolled, open roll-up bag.
The frame won't deploy as fast as a MR Pop Up, but for my intended use that will be a "winner's problem," where a couple minutes rerouting some webbing won't be a big deal.
Materials are inbound or arriving, and I hope to start building within the next week. No telling how long and how many failed designs it will take until I (hopefully) reach a working version....
The first components to arrive--DAC poles from Dutchware Gear and carbon fiber strips from a random Amazon seller.
Build-Along (pending)
I'll try to provide updates as I make progress. Usually I will knock a project out in one intense weekend and take few (if any) pictures along the way. Since my time is limited with family activities and work these days, I hope to provide more progress pictures and updates along the way.
Feel free to post any ideas or suggestions, especially if you have ever tried a removable frame (I don't recall seeing anything similar before).
