That would make sense. Paulownia is commonly used in the core of skis.If you want to try lightweight wood, look into Paulownia. It's the strongest hardwood for its weight. It can be steam bent or laminated into curves. I'd personally try it before bamboo... if I wanted pure strength Ash or Whiteoak are two to look at as well.
From using my Seek packs, I've never had the impression that the cross stays are heavily loaded, otherwise the velcro attachment system utilized wouldn't work.
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