New, updated Eberlestock Mainframe

[mad_angler]

I preordered the new frame. It arrived today...

At first glance, I REALLY like it.

The belt is wide, comfy, and seems much more secure than the old one. I think I even like the belt more than the Exo k4,

The shoulder straps are easy to adjust and fit well.

The load lifters are quite high for me since I'm 5'7". But I'll take that over the nonexistent load lifters on the old mainframe.,

All-in-all, I highly recommend it as an update. If you already have a bunch of Eberlestock accessories, the new frame is a no-brainer. You will be much happier.

I just got a new K4 and the new Eberlestock this year. I'll need to train in both to see which I like better. I'm sorta surprised that the Exo wasn't a clear winner but I really like the new modframe...

 

[100%DIYazCOUES]

Man they must be walking a thin line in regards to just how blatantly they can copy exo

 

[mad_angler]

Man they must be walking a thin line in regards to just how blatantly they can copy exo

I have both packs sitting side-by-side. I see quite a few significant differences...

 

[100%DIYazCOUES]

Yeah, and quite a few blatantly obvious similarities. If there’s no copyright or patent issues , definitely a smart move by eberlestock…. Exo packs are probably the best pack out there, and eberlestock ….well….aren’t in the top few tiers at least.

 

[backcountryguide]

Yeah, and quite a few blatantly obvious similarities. If there’s no copyright or patent issues , definitely a smart move by eberlestock…. Exo packs are probably the best pack out there, and eberlestock ….well….aren’t in the top few tiers at least.

There are quite a few blatantly obvious similarities between all major pack brands at this stage in the game. Im not an Eberlestock user myself but it is nice to see them out of the dark ages with some functioning load lifters and padding in there offerings.

 

[dgfavor]

I was pretty certain I was going to buy one of these but I've got my F1 so dialed and comfortable I think I'll just stick with it. Only thing I don't like on the F1 is the "load shelf" thingy that I have never rested any weight on.

Without any hands-on and just my eyeball judgement, i do wonder if they went a smidge overboard on the padding on this new frame...certainly a YMMV feature of any pack.

 

[wh0cansay]

Ridiculous amount of padding. The only part of a pack that should have plenty of padding is the hip belt.

 

[100%DIYazCOUES]

There are quite a few blatantly obvious similarities between all major pack brands at this stage in the game. Im not an Eberlestock user myself but it is nice to see them out of the dark ages with some functioning load lifters and padding in there offerings.

True. It’s just blatantly obvious which company that eberlestock is getting its blatantly obvious similarities from.. other then how the shoulder straps attach. That’s more stone glacier style.

 

[100%DIYazCOUES]

It does appear to be much improved, which isn’t a high bar….no way to really know without trying it. Maybe it’s the best frame out there.

 

[bruceleroy]

I'll have one in a few days. I got an early shipment for some video work I am doing for Eberlestock. Hopefully it works out better than the Mainframe

 

[dgfavor]

 

[yeky83]

Felt cute, might delete later:

I'm a newer hunter with no experience in western hunting (yet), but I've been doing a lot of weighted rucking on the treadmill & trails as exercise/practice. I recently switched over to the Exo K4 but still have some EMOD bags lying around, so I got curious about the Modframe and decided to check it out.

It's a good update! Compared to the Mainframe, it holds the weight nicely higher on your back and comes with a bigger waist belt (Mainframe's was dinky) which should fit better for more people. I'm fat and still need an even bigger waist belt though. I didn't have an issue with the Tall version Mainframe's load lifters, but this design's nicer for head clearance. If you're looking for LOTS of attachment points, this has it.

The Modframe, Brooks 3500 pack, and Lid come in at $560, but you can find 20-30% discount codes for Eberlestock pretty easily which makes this an amazing price point for a full featured pack. There's some things I don't care for like the mesh material and some fit & finish issues, but it's still a great bang for buck, hard to beat in that regard. While this pack would be more than fine for me, I've been wow'ed by Exo's materials, refined design, fit & finish, etc., and do think it's also worth the extra cost if you're willing to spend it.

 

[JCMCUBIC]

I spent some time with the Modframe last week. For my use, it's an improvement over the Mainframe.

The Mainframe worked ok for me, but the top of the Mainframe limited my head movement, especially when hiking steep areas. This was exaggerated since I went with the tall version to get more effect from the load lifters and also have a shorter torso. I likely should have gone with the regular Mainframe. At any rate, the Modframe fixed this.

I'm 6' but have a shorter torso/long arms/long legs. I needed to adjust the Modframe to the lowest shoulder strap height setting. Load lifters still work well at the lowest height. I only had about 40 lbs on it. I used a Vapor 2500 with it, both zipped with no load, and buckled over a light load. I'm planning to use it this year and see how it works in practice.

 

[mad_angler]

I used a mainframe last year. There were about 4-5 things that didn't like and tried to do homemade tricks to fix.

This new Modframe fixes all the things I didn't like (no load lifters, thin waist belt, waist belt not tight enough, meat shelf too low, minimal padding, no straps inside the zippers, etc).

I've been training with a 50lb bag of sand in my new modframe. So far, I like it a lot. It rides prettty comfortably and handles the weight well.

 

[yeky83]

mainframe... no load lifters...

I see this comment time to time, and I'm not sure what people mean. I had the tall Mainframe and the load lifters worked fine...? Did you have the regular sized one and it was too short for you? That doesn't mean it has no load lifters, just means you had the wrong size, no?