[pct-l] Front Packs

[Steel-Eye]

Good morning, Kelbud,

Most hikers carry gear in front, with the variables being the amount of gear
carried and how.  For an ultralite hiker the most weight-efficient carry
means is a simple sack on one's back.  Any addition of pockets, pouches,
patches, zippers, straps, and handy doodads increases the convenience
somewhat, but it increases the pack's weight and cost disproportionately.
Adding a front pack does seem to improve balance and weight distribution,
but at a weight penalty:  Seldon does the back-pack compensate by becoming
lighter when capacity is moved to the front.  The Syncpack Frontpack has
significant capacity - more than I would ever need - and there is an
unfortunate tendency we all have to obey the backpacker's corollary to
Parkinson's Law, i.e. "The amount of junk expands to fill the available
space."

I do use a "front pack".  It is a lite, contoured, 150 cu. in. modified butt
pack with a thin belt.  I wear it around my waist in front.  It weighs 3.7
oz and I resent even that much.  I use it because I hike in thin nylon
athletic shorts that have no pockets, and my back-pack has no belt upon
which, or in which, I can carry small items such as my little camera with an
extra chip and battery, ChapStick, a knife, a pinch-light, a small notebook
and pencil stub, my wallet, and - situationally - a small container of
Clorox, DEET, sun-screen, snacks, bandanna, etc.  It is independent of my
pack and about the only time I remove it is to sleep.

In times past I've worn cargo-pocket hiking shorts, but they weigh more than
the athletic shorts/butt pack combination, and I find the stuffed pockets to
be less comfortable.

About the only thing ridiculous out there on the trail are items that you
seldom need, and/or items which are not the lightest that are reasonably
available.

Steel-Eye
http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kelly Cohoe" <kellycohoe at comcast.net>
To: "PCT e-mail forum" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2008 9:23 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Front Packs


> Hello,
>
> I was wondering what people think of carrying a smaller front pack like
> the Syncpack Frontpack.  I like the idea of easy access to water, snacks
> and a few other items, but wonder if carrying something like that in front
> of me is either uncomfortable or ridiculous.  Any input would be
> appreciated.
>
> Kelbud
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