Frost River backpacks

[bowji john]

Not my cup of tea

Wouldn't like to carry weight over any distance

Not experienced these pack - they might be brilliant - but in general

'Image over content' is always something to consider with any product

 

[Lizz]

I have a frost river pack basket which is just great for travelling somewhere to put up a camp that stays in one place. I wouldn't use either it or my lovely canvas back pack for anything long distance - for that I have a HMG Cuben fibre pack, and for international travel it's a good old Berghaus pack.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I think I will stick with the green denier type for now.

Denier on wikipedia.

??

Yep... and we love them... full of soul, and craftsmanship... ...

I have a friend called Alice we've been on many a trip together. Cuddled up on night trains across Europe, sat together in corridors of packed trains. Almost shot running through Warsaw Central station. Both covered in sand on a beach in Lithuania. Drinking in a shared view of the mountains of Liechtenstein.

Alice is my Berghaus Vulcan backpack. We've been many places together, done many things. Just because she came out of a mass production factory doesn't mean she doesn't have soul.

I hope Alice the Exped Lightning will find her soul as we adventure together...

J

 

[sunndog]

Yep... and we love them... full of soul, and craftsmanship... ...

No need for popcorn dude, they are nice items if thats what you like. But to simply judge them as a functional rucksack then its deffo a case of style over substance
costing a lot and lugging stuff from car to camp and looking all traditional bushcrafty is where they sit in the rucksack market, so fashion it is.......no shame in it

 

[Hoodoo]

These style packs are especially useful for canoe trips. You can pack a lot of gear in one and they stow well and ride low in a canoe. If you are experienced with a tumpline, then they can be carried with heavy weights for long distances but for normal carry with a heavy load, a mile portage is about all I want to do.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Equally at home snuggled-down in the passenger well of a LR Defender 110 Double Cab.

 

[Hibrion]

They are lovely looking packs and the appeal of leather and canvas goes beyond practicality alone. I have no personal experience of Frost River, but regularly use canvas and leather packs I've made myself for day hikes. For the price point, when shipping and duty is factored in you should be able to get something that is actually hand-made for not much more. The build quality from FR gets excellent reviews, but if you are paying for leather and canvas you clearly have an appreciation for nostalgia and asthetics too, so you might as well go the rest of the way and get the best finish you can.

Further more, based in my own rxperience, for a rucksack unwaxed canvas is superior. Waxed canvas doesn't breath well in the heat and in the type of extreme wet where the waxed variant offers a small benefit, you're better off with a light weight cover, using waterproof bags to divide your gear inside the pack, or popping a poncho over you and the bag.

 

[Hoodoo]

Equally at home snuggled-down in the passenger well of a LR Defender 110 Double Cab.

Absolutely. I use mine for travel all the time. I also use them to store winter gear in the back of my truck.

 

[Leone_blanco]

My use of canvas packs has been predominantly with the canoe, the Duluth No4 for sleeping bag and clothes, a custom built Rugged River for day kit and front portage pack for bits and pieces. I took to walking quite a bit with the rugged river and have enjoyed almost all of it although on longer distances the lay out of the shoulder straps weren't ideal but worked just fine when using the sternum strap. I have had some good walks with this pack and as below, pack it with thought and use a sit mat for padding and the pack gentle conforms to you as you walk. My back does sweat with it but the same is the case with a very high end marmot synthetic pack. The proof of the pudding for me is that I haven't used the marmot in years and always grab the rugged river. Sadly I am no to sell the rugged river after the purchase of a Frost River Isle Royal and the intent to buy something like the Duth Rambler of Frost River Summit expedition but for me it's canvas all the way.