I would get an old-school, second-hand internal frame pack for a pittance on eBay.
Old Dana Design / Lowe packs will outperform any rigid tubular frame pack like the Eberlestock Mainframe due to the fact that their stays can be fitted to match the curvature of your spine. This will result in proper load transfer to your pelvic region and avoid common issues with packs like the Mainframe, such as slippage, lack of load lift, and the overall discomfort and pain that result from this.
I say this as someone who has owned a Mainframe for years and spent a considerable amount of time, money, and energy / frustration customizing it in an attempt to offset what is at its core a very poor design.
Will it last forever? Yes. Will it cost you a lot of money? Yes. Will it allow you to carry heavy loads comfortably and without pain? Highly unlikely - unless the stock bend of the frame matches your spine perfectly out of the box. Chances of this being the case are very, very small.
Aluminum stays beat every other option on the market (composite stays, tubular aluminum frame, full carbon frame) when it comes to efficient load transfer, for no other reason than the simple fact that they can be shaped to match YOUR body.
I harp on about this at every possible opportunity because it hurts to read about people spending hundreds / thousands of dollars switching from one pack to the next because of slippage / discomfort issues, looking for something that will magically fit them out of the box, when the solution is so simple.
Pack manufacturers are largely to blame for this as well - it seems only HPG is still actively telling its clientele how important it is that you fit your stays before you use your pack.
Old Dana Design / Lowe packs will outperform any rigid tubular frame pack like the Eberlestock Mainframe due to the fact that their stays can be fitted to match the curvature of your spine. This will result in proper load transfer to your pelvic region and avoid common issues with packs like the Mainframe, such as slippage, lack of load lift, and the overall discomfort and pain that result from this.
I say this as someone who has owned a Mainframe for years and spent a considerable amount of time, money, and energy / frustration customizing it in an attempt to offset what is at its core a very poor design.
Will it last forever? Yes. Will it cost you a lot of money? Yes. Will it allow you to carry heavy loads comfortably and without pain? Highly unlikely - unless the stock bend of the frame matches your spine perfectly out of the box. Chances of this being the case are very, very small.
Aluminum stays beat every other option on the market (composite stays, tubular aluminum frame, full carbon frame) when it comes to efficient load transfer, for no other reason than the simple fact that they can be shaped to match YOUR body.
I harp on about this at every possible opportunity because it hurts to read about people spending hundreds / thousands of dollars switching from one pack to the next because of slippage / discomfort issues, looking for something that will magically fit them out of the box, when the solution is so simple.
Pack manufacturers are largely to blame for this as well - it seems only HPG is still actively telling its clientele how important it is that you fit your stays before you use your pack.
