Best External Frame Backpacks

The last thing a professional outdoorsman wants is to carry some gear or other essentials in their hands that is not only inconvenient but also a bit dangerous, since it will restrict your freedom of movements. Hence, choosing a backpack for the great outdoors with climbs and descents, you want it to meet all your specific needs and have some extra features to offer. And this is exactly what you will get with the Commander pack from ALPS OutdoorZ.

This model belongs to a hunter series and has a lot to offer both in terms of design and in terms of performance. First off, the model can be used as a functional full-scale backpack and as a freighter frame for hauling bulky and heavy loads. With a total weight of over 7 lbs, it’s a pretty heavy tool. So, it is not the best option for a day-long hike or no-load light tracks. However, if you are out for backcountry camping, hunting or fishing, the Commander is by far the best external frame backpack to opt for. Featuring an impressive capacity of 5250 cu. in., it will let you carry all the stuff you could possibly need and even more. Besides, a hold-open system provides ample space inside the bag while an extendable collar spindrift collar will give you about 600 sq.in. of added volume. The bottom compartment has a zipper and another collar with a drawcord to ensure more smart packing options.

Another advantage that sets this model apart from the rivals is a hydration compatible design. The main compartment features a special sleeve and a hanger to accommodate a 3-5 L water bladder that might be crucial for trails with limited access to water sources.

As for the design, it is highly flexible and customizable to your personal needs. Thus, the frame height can be adjusted to fit torso lengths from 17” to 23”. When using the frame with the bag, a lashing system and a shelf can be removed to lessen the item weight. The frame being made of first-class aluminum and the backpack made of highly durable nylon, this multi-functional external frame pack will withstand heavy loads and inclement weather with ease and will faithfully serve you for years to come.

If you like long-lasting climbs, hiking on irregular terrain or bushwhacking, you definitely need a light and sturdy backpack that offers comfort and convenience for your long trails and provides enough capacity to accommodate all the stuff you need. Portability, compactness, and the ultimate user comfort are the features where the Vargo Exoti 50 external frame pack really shines.

What Vargo did is try to combine the best of internal and external frame models to meet the needs of the most exacting users. Thus, with a total weight of 2 lbs 11 oz, this is one of the lightest externals available on the modern market. And even at a glance, this model resembles an internal frame pack since it is much more compact than other bulkier externals.

Well, how did the manufacturer manage to cut down the gear weight that much? It should be mentioned straight off that it is not at the expense of internal volume. Despite its size, the Exoti features the capacity of 3051 cu.in. which is a decent size. Besides, the pack features a number of external pockets and attachment points to cleverly organize your belongings. To reduce the item weight, they worked on the design and replaced zippered pockets with open mesh pockets, skipped a zippered bottom compartment, excluded a rain cover often coming in a separate zippered compartment and minimized the padding on the back. It might seem that all those changes were done for worse. Yet, it’s a model for lightweight travels, hence, the changes are fully worth the final goal. Moreover, mesh pockets are fully functional, a rain cover is not much needed since a nylon bag with a DWR finish is water resistant, and heavy padding on the back is not essential for open-frame models.

When it comes to choosing a backpack, the very first thing to check is whether it will suit you right since all people are different as well as backpack models. With open-frame models, a properly chosen backpack size is especially important as you will definitely feel discomfort if a rigid frame is too small or large for you. As we’ve already mentioned, externals are classified by the torso range which is normally adjustable. By this criterion, they are basically divided into models for adults, females, and juniors. Yet, there is a category of users that are somewhere in between adults and juniors. These are growing youngsters and people up to 5 feet high. The Yukon external frame pack from Kelty is designed for this type of user.

Made of wear-proof 6000D polyester and featuring a solid aluminum frame, the pack can endure all sorts of outdoor impacts and heavy loads. With a weight of 5 lbs, it is not the lightest model out there but the item extreme durability and damage-proof construction compensate somewhat for the heavy weight. Besides, a thought-out frame and suspension design distributes the load in the right way, so, you won’t even feel it. A well-ventilated mesh back panel, padded shoulder harness, and dual density hip belt work to ensure a maximum comfortable fit. Meanwhile, the belt straps along with an adjustable sternum strap in front will help stabilize the pack and fix it in the right position to transfer the cargo weight to your hips and lessen the load on the back and shoulders.

Fitted with 4 zippered side pockets, a large lid pocket, separate sleeping bag compartment, an ice ax loop, lash points, and a mesh pocket for a water bottle will let you conveniently separate and duly organize all your gear and still have access to all your stuff while a really large top opening ensures quick and easy packing. Other than that, this pack is even hydration compatible and can accommodate a hydration bladder if needed.

If you are the kind of occasional backpacker who goes hiking on holidays or weekends and does a lot of traveling across the country, the Tofine external frame backpack will fit you just right.

At a glance, this model looks like a closed-frame pack but an open frame made of solid aluminum carbon alloy is still there to move the load down to your hips and let you cover long distances without the strain and fatigue in your back. However, the Tofine weighs several times less than traditional open-frame pack-bags and is much more compact, which makes it similar to internal frame packs. With the weight of only 2.71 lbs 71 and a size of 22.44”x 11.42”x 7.87”, it won’t add much load to your back and offers a comfortable fit and ride for all sorts of activities where you don’t have to carry extremely heavy loads and a lot of gear. Though a manufacturer doesn’t specify the torso range this mode will suit, taking into account the pack's overall size, we suppose it’s a great choice for people up to 6 feet tall.

As far as the item design is concerned, you’ll get all the benefits of externals including a padded shoulder harness with sternum straps to prevent chafing in the armpit area, width-adjustable dense hip belt, a mesh insert on the back for a better air circulation around your back, and stabilizer side straps to fix the pack in a comfy position. A number of pockets and a convenient top-loading construction with an internal divider provide ample storage space for all your travel stuff. Meanwhile, a large zippered compartment in the front will give easy access to some essential items you might urgently need. The backpack set also comes complete with a PU 2000mm rain cover providing additional moisture protection under bad weather conditions. There is even a separate compartment in the bottom to keep a wet cover and some other wet items away from other stuff.

To round things up, this relatively capacious and comfortable backpack from Tofine offers an optimally balanced construction for handling rather heavy weights without overloading your back, which makes it a great choice for short trekking, camping, and hiking tours on weekends and holidays. Besides, owing to its lightweight design, it can even be used as a mere piece of carry-on-flight luggage for those who prefer to travel with minimum stuff on their shoulders. And what’s more pleasant, you’ll get all of this at a truly affordable price.

Right off the bat, this model is not a full-scale backpack which usually resembles a bag or sack. What you’ll get here is actually a frame with a harness system to carry the whole thing on your back and numerous straps, buckles, and pockets. Looks strange and you doubt its functionality? There you are wrong. Despite its weird design, this piece of gear might beat top-rated external frame backpacks in terms of functionality and any experienced outdoorsman will see the great potential of this item at a glance. Let’s figure it out.

To put it simply, it’s an external frame backpack without the backpack itself. Yet, the biggest benefit such a design offers is the utmost flexibility. You won’t be limited by the capacity and the size of the sack and will be free to pack onto the frame pretty much anything you need. Though it might seem difficult at first sight, with a certain degree of skill and some practice, you’ll be amazed how much stuff this piece of rigging can handle.

Initially, the model is designed as a hauler frame for dedicated hunters and fishermen to carry the game to the camp after a big hunt is over. However, apart from that, this rather specific piece of gear is a multifunctional item that will cater to the needs of many serious outdoorsmen. With a smart strap system we will talk about below, you’ll be able to easily and compactly carry bulky cargo and equipment you would normally have to attach to your backpack or handle in some other way. The frame made of durable first-class aluminum can endure a load over 75 lbs while a supportive freight shelf will let you securely fix the cargo. Whether you need to transport meat after a hunt or carry campsite packs, foodstuff, and other supply for survival trips, the ALPS commander frame will handle it.