AARN packs

[jose]

Taurë-rana, when you say

My only problem was one of the struts at the back digging into my back, and that needs adjusting.

Is that in the lower part of your back?
I recently bought a Load Limo and I have spent a lot of time trying to adjust the spines so that (where they come together in a V) it doesn't painfully dig into my lower back .
I think my shoulder to waist length must be too short for the pack as there is nothing I can do to make it fit comfortably in the small of my back. The only solution I have found is to have some padding between the bottom of the pack and my back but that becomes rather sweaty.
Apart from that I think the 20kg weight felt very comfortable for on-track walking. I am a bit dubious about taking it through serious scrub with so many straps and elastic loops which could get caught up on twigs and I'm hoping I will never have to test it with a pack-haul! Has anyone found the front pockets to be a problem in thick scrub?

[Franco]

There are several tutorials at the Aarn site on how to custom fit the packs.
See here
http://aarnpacks.com/use/index.html
Under "using"
Franco

[photohiker]

I recently bought a Load Limo and I have spent a lot of time trying to adjust the spines so that (where they come together in a V) it doesn't painfully dig into my lower back .

I'm not familiar with that actual pack, but as Franco says, there are quite good videos on the Aarn site. Once I set up the curvature of my back on my Aarn NB pack, I have not had any of the struts dig into my back. Have you followed the instructions to shape the struts to your body shape? This is paramount to a good fit.

[Taurë-rana]

jose, it was at the top into my shoulder blade on one side. I took the struts out and adjusted the side that was a problem so it was the same as the other one, but found it ridiculously hard to get the struts back in - I will be very reluctant to take them out again.
Franco, I have watched all the Aarn tutorials, but watching someone doing it on rather dark videos that make it hard to see exactly what is being fiddled with, and doing it is two different things.

[photohiker]

jose, it was at the top into my shoulder blade on one side. I took the struts out and adjusted the side that was a problem so it was the same as the other one, but found it ridiculously hard to get the struts back in - I will be very reluctant to take them out again.

Don't be. If it's hard to get back in, it's probably that it's being blocked by a fold or something inside the pack. Just follow the tip down and flex the material where it stops, drawing the stay back a little while you re-align the pack material so that the stay can pass. Mine needs a little help along the way too, but it's easy once you get used to it. Travelling to Tas, I take them out and throw the whole pack in a large light suitcase with the struts packed inside alongside my tripod, so I'm quite familiar with the system.

[photohiker]

Here's a video showing the backstay adjustment process on the Featherlight Freedom Pack. This pack has only one stay, but the process is the same. I think the quality of the video is a bit better than the ones on the Aarn site:

How to Custom Fit an Aarn Featherlite Freedom Backpack

[jose]

Taurë-rana wrote
jose, it was at the top into my shoulder blade on one side. I took the struts out and adjusted the side that was a problem so it was the same as the other one, but found it ridiculously hard to get the struts back in - I will be very reluctant to take them out again.
Franco, I have watched all the Aarn tutorials, but watching someone doing it on rather dark videos that make it hard to see exactly what is being fiddled with, and doing it is two different things.

Yes, Taurë-rana, I can understand your reluctance to remove the struts again. Mine were so difficult to reinsert that I was worried the flaps holding the tops of the struts would tear. My husband cut 10mm off and filed them really smooth again which helped a lot. But even after re-shaping the struts according to the video instructions, there just doesn't seem to be anything more I can do to stop the lower end digging into my back. I can only conclude that, although I have the size Small, the pack is too long for my body size.

[Taurë-rana]

I'm glad it's not just me that had trouble with the struts. Maybe once it's a bit more worn they will be easier. I don't have any trouble with them digging into my back and I'm 5' with a short torso, so maybe it's worth you persevering with altering the shape. I do have trouble with the front pocket struts digging into my groin when I step up or down a big step, but I haven't fiddled with those yet.

[jose]

I have fixed the problem with a triangle of firm padding fitted into that lower bit between the webbing and the solid PVC, or whatever that sheet is made from. I've just returned from an overnight walk with only 16 kg and it was very comfortable. I have had a couple of comments that the pack looked unbalanced but I think it slides on that metal support and seems to find its own centre of gravity, so, even if it looks slightly askew, I don't feel at all unbalanced. Next step is to see how I can fit 10 days of food into it.

[geoffmallo]

Last year I got the Aarn featherlite freedom and did the Western Arthurs full traverse with it. It was pretty full with 12 days food at the start of the walk but I now swear by the packs. I never had any problems with scrambling with the front pockets on and I also had an ortlieb camera case on the front. You can move very well over rough terrain. I couldn't recommend a pack more highly than the Aarn packs. Though I would say keep it as small and as light as you can.

[myrtlegirl]

I have had an Aarn pack for 3 years, and I love it. It is more fiddly to take on and off, but it takes, say, 30sec longer to do so. It requires a bit of specialised knowledge to set it up, but it's not difficult. These minor drawbacks are absolutely trivial compared to the superior comfort of having the weight distributed evenly, the way the shoulders move freely, the excellent fit of the waist strap, the accessibility of gear/food/water in the front pockets, etc. I carried it on the Larapinta near Alice Springs in Sept in 24-36C, and I didn't feel heat retention was a problem. I carried it over Moss Ridge out to Federation Peak, and the front pockets intruded in my clambering to a minor degree, but again the balance and comfort outweighed this. I no longer get rubs, chafes, or tender collarbones or hips. The pack is also light in itself compared to other packs. The waterproof liner is great. Only velcro and clips means no drama with a busted zip. All packs have great features and drawbacks, so don't expect perfection. As my pack is an older model it probably has some drawbacks that have been fixed in later models, so I won't list the problems, I'll just say the pack overall is superior to any other I've carried. From my experience if I ever need another pack I would only ever get another Aarn.

[jose]

Myrtlegirl, it is really good to read that you did Moss Ridge with your Aarn pack. I wondered how I would have gone crawling under the horizontal with my nose in the mud if I had had my Aarn pack on. Did you have any sort of cover for the front packs for crawling through those muddy patches or for pack hauling up that high dirt bank?

[Taurë-rana]

Just returned from a 4 day trip with my Aarn pack with bout 16kg with full water bottles. I'm very happy with the balance concept, but I'm having a bit of trouble with the struts digging into my shoulder blades so they are still not adjusted right. I learnt to put something soft at the bottom of the balance pockets after getting badly bruised from my gas canister. I also found it OK going up a steep hill, over and under logs because it isn't very high or wide. We climbed up and over Mt Anne, and the only places I couldn't get up with my pack on, the other two couldn't get up either so I don't think it was any worse for scrambling up rocks. I do like the easy access to drink and camera etc.

jose, it's good to hear that you fixed you problem. I found that if I pack the sleeping bag section at the bottom too tightly, then it digs into my lower back so I resist the temptation to stuff it full.

Did you know that there is an easy track around that high dirt bank? We found it on the way back down. (Or there was, 20 years ago)

[earthglider]

I've owned both the 2008 Aarn Natural Balance and 2008 Load Limo. First, i must say that Aarn's after sales service is fantastic. He upgraded my Natural Balance free of charge, and replaced the struts on my Load Limo free of charge after they were installed incorrectly (i needed to return the original ones first). The Load Limo is great for large loads, although the rear hip-belt straps and load stabiliser never seemed to 'feel' right, and the straps and balance pockets appeared to need continual adjustment. Admittably, i carried huge loads, about 4kg in each of the front balance pockets including 6 litres of water combined. South Australian weather is very dry, so this much water is generally necessary on multi-day hikes. 6 litres between stops is required much of the time.

With this much weight, the balance pockets tended to sway a fair bit, and the stretch pockets struggled to support my two 3L MSR Hydromedry water bladders. I ended up using carabiniers to strap the top of the bladderst to the top buckles on the pockets for extra support. I have since decided to ditch the water bladders in favour of 4 x 1.5L Nalgene bottles, one in each of the balance pockets, and one in each front stretch pockets.

I have tried several other packs, and Aarn packs are by far the best, but i sometimes sense the design is still evolving to become more user friendly and perhaps 'foolproof'! I have found with heavy weight in the balance pockets, the hip belt buckle on the Load Limo really dug into my abdomen. I resorted to padding the buckle with a folded hand towel or tee-shirt to cushion the pain. The balance pocket struts on the Expedition Pockets sometimes fell out of their holders, and at some times tended to dig into my abdomen as well. Overall, i REALLY wanted the Load Limo to be my one and only pack, and was a bit sad when it dawned on me that had a little way to go.

I did, however, keep the 2008 Natural Balance for comparison...

After using the Load Limo for about 6 months, i returned to the Natural Balance, and found it's simpler hip-belt configuration to feel a little more 'solid' and somewhat more user-friendly and surprisingly comfortable for it's lower weight and lighter material. Intuitively, i tended to think 'ergonomic' and 'user-friendly' were related concepts, and in someways i suppose they are, but either my setup and adjustment skills in using Load Limo, or the huge weight i attempted to carry, may have been the weakest link in this scenario! Aarn has since updated the pocket attachments for both packs, so i am keen to try again. This time i am leaning towards the newest Natural Balance or perhaps the Earth-Glider. Overall, i found that even the older 2008 Natural Balance design seemed somewhat more refined than the Load Limo of the same vintage. That being said, if i was given the choice between the Load Limo, and any other brand hiking pack, i would take the Load Limo every-time.

The Natural Balance- it is lightweight, well designed, tough, waterproof and most importantly, comfortable. The balance pockets really do improve walking posture, and the harness allows free and easy movement. I have tried other packs, they tended to pull me side to side and backwards in tricky situations, sometimes leading to a loss of balance. This has never occurred with an Aarn pack. The pack appears to maintain it's position without feeling like there is a large animal on your back pulling from side to side and backwards. In almost all situations, even climbing steeps descents on my hands, i've never felt like an Aarn pack was going to pull me off balance. Highly recommended.

[Ent]

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[Wolfix]

I bought an older Effortless Rhythm back in 2006 when the store were changing over to new Aarn models. I got it half price - I initially set out to buy a GoLite pack but was warned against the lack of durability for harder bushbashing. The salesperson told me about the half price Aarn packs and I flipped out - my upper budget limit was $275 (price of the GoLite) but I got a $350 pack that I'd read much praise for at only $175!

I've been on a few weekend hikes and a 6-week winter cityhopping trip to Canada and New York with my Aarn Effortless Rhythm. I also use my pack for shopping, laundromat trips and for any overnighters or visits to the folks'. Being the shorter model (as I am a shorty), it's only 50L but it was sufficient for my backpacking trip even without balance pockets. I have the old pockets that don't convert to a daypack so I used another daypack for carry-on etc. Effortless Rhythm was comfortable, light and kept my load to a minimum. I protected it on aeroplanes with a Fjallraven duffel bag (very lightweight) and in hostels with Pacsafe Exomesh (heavy but awesome!).

Hiking, I've found the pack to be extremely comfortable. With a heavier load, it takes some initial investigation and familiarity to adjust it right. It's so highly optimised that there are a lot of things to adjust, however, this is a benefit once you know what pulls what and what changes what. I typically adjust my pack a lot in the first couple of days of hiking - not adjustments that take time or effort, just a few tugs here and there. I'm a softbody, not a hardbody, so I always fiddle with clothes, bras etc to get them comfy. The benefits are load transfer all onto the hipbelt, which is well designed to cup your hipbones and direct the load into your legs (make sure your shoes are good as they're doing all the work now, not your shoulders or lower back!) and the 3D mesh on the back and shoulder straps which cools and moulds to your body. The pack really is as comfy as an elasticised pair of tracksuit pants. The balance pockets are phenomenal. Photos taken of me alongside my hiking friends show that I am standing and walking upright while they are noticeably leaning forward. I prefer this, though they say they don't mind the lean. I think it's a case of "once you try Aarn you'll never go back".

I generally walk hot and sweaty in the mildest weather but I am cool and comfy with my Effortless Rhythm. I have bent the balance pocket stays quite a lot to get them over my large bust and away from my body so there is less room in them than if the stays were straight. I would like to see an optional pair of stretch balance pockets or some that are sewn to reflect the curve of a larger woman's chest so as not to lose their capacity. Aarn has in mind hikers of all shapes and sizes so I think he'd be amenable to this kind of design feature.

The driliner inside the pack is an excellent feature - I think of it as a $60 saving as this is what I'd be paying for a pack liner. Even in torrential rain my gear stayed totally dry.

This is not a very well structured review, I know - I just wanted to give those considering buying an Aarn pack a little shovealong into making that decision. I am extremely happy with my pack to the point where I feel uncomfortable at work having to sell other brands to customers (we don't stock Aarn) and not being able to tell them to go buy an Aarn. Backpacks are great these days, don't get me wrong, but Bodypacks are revolutionary. Aarn is an unsung engineering genius.

[Franco]

Aarn is an unsung engineering genius
Yes, yes and yes.
Franco

[Taurë-rana]

I forgot to report back after my 7 day trip with the Aarn Natural Balance pack. Firstly, I had a lot more energy for the whole trip due to the balance of the pack and I'm not keen to go back to the normal style. It isn't big enough though, I got everything in, just, but there wasn't any time where my Gore-tex jacket was in the pack due to the rain and wind, and I often had waterproof trousers, and a jumper on. It's nice to have a little bit of spare room to make it easier to pack in the mornings. I really could have done with some more clothes, and I don't see how they would have fitted in.

We only had one really bad scrub day, but I now have a large hole in the mesh pocket at the front of one of the balance pockets, and there is a weird tear in the very top of the pack, not something that will affect it's carrying ability or waterproofness though. I don't think it would stand up to continuous heavy scrub trips, but fine for trips on tracks.

The front pockets are so convenient! Food, water, camera, toilet stuff, all just there and easy to get at.

I think I've mentioned before that the pack is so comfortable that I use it in preference to my day pack for day walks, just without the balance pockets.

The other thing I wasn't keen on was that the whole pack tends to move around a fair bit independently of the shoulder straps which I think has something to do with the way it's supposed to move with you when you walk, but it's a bit off putting.

[corvus]

Reads like they are good packs for open track walking and sus for any serious scub contact !!
corvus

[bushrunner]

Reads like they are good packs for open track walking and sus for any serious scub contact !!
corvus

Not really. It might be true of the Natural Balance but is probably not true of many of their other models. The Natural Balance is part of the "ultralight" range and as such it sacrifices some durability. The packs in the "stronglite" range use significantly more durable fabrics. They do both use the same front pockets though so the tear in the mesh will happen to front pockets on packs in both ranges.

One another note, what I think would be REALLY cool is if some crowd like Aarn would make front pockets which could attach to other brand packs.

[corvus]

Fair comment but what real Tassie scrub have you done with one,not a jibe just an honest question??
corvus

[bushrunner]

Fair comment but what real Tassie scrub have you done with one,not a jibe just an honest question??
corvus

None at all. Just pointing out that the pack used by TaureRana is not representative of the whole brand in terms of durability. For example,the "duralight" packs use 1000D cordura while the one used by TareRana uses 500D cordura.

[corvus]

Thank you for you reply however with respect it did not answer my question .
Have you used one anywhere for instance ,again not other than an attempt to get a hands on report for "bush bashing " conditions rather than open track ??

corvus

[bushrunner]

Thank you for you reply however with respect it did not answer my question .

corvus

See above. I wrote "none at all".

[corvus]

Again with respect your comments are based on hearsay and supposition,what we need on this Forum is factual comments based on actual use and experience of gear please.
corvus

[Taurë-rana]

corvus, based on the pack that I have, I suspect that bushrunner is right as my pack is not severely damaged so one with stronger fabric would probably be OK. I would take my pack somewhere there was some scrub bashing, but I'm not sure about taking it somewhere where there was going to be several days of serious scrub bashing. Eg, I would take it through the southern ranges where there is only really one day (or was when I was last there) of not too bad scrub bashing, but probably not the Franklands, although a good pack cover may help. The other issue is rocks - it's definitely got some very minor wear spots from being scraped against sharp rocks, just may be an issue of longevity.

It would be good to hear some reports from people who have done more extended scrub bashing with their Aarn packs. I wonder if Aarn would sponsor me to go and test it in some remote places?

[johnw]

I wonder if Aarn would sponsor me to go and test it in some remote places?

You and me both . I still like my Natural Exhilaration day pack, though it's a bit bigger than I really need. The adjustments are a bit fiddly, but this is a double-edged sword as it allows you to get a much more comfortable fit. The unusual movement is normal as it's designed to move in synch with your body. I've gotten used to it, more or less. I don't have the balance pockets and probably won't bother with them as there seems to be mixed opinions about them. Unless they were on sale at some ridiculously low price, then I'd give them a try.

[Ent]

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[Son of a Beach]

Again with respect your comments are based on hearsay and supposition,what we need on this Forum is factual comments based on actual use and experience of gear please.
corvus

Reports based on real experience would be great, but of course sensible opinions are more than welcome too.

[Franco]

I thought that Bushrunner had a fair point.
Aarn makes a clear distinction on the web site betwwen the Ultralite and the Stronglites (the name should be a bit of a clue...).
The fabric used with the Natural Balance and say the Effortless Rhytm are completely different.
Just touching the two will confirm that.
I have used the old version of the Featherlite Freedom (similar fabric to the Stronglites) and it has done very well on some rough trails against brush and rocks, however I do not do much of that...
I discussed with Aarn a few years ago using lighter fabrics and at the time he was not that interested because his main market is New Zealand where bushbashing-able/waterproof and durable are more important than weight. So to people like me , most of the Aarns are in fact too strong/heavy. However I do like the comfort so I put up with the extra weight.
Franco