Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Jansport external frame strength

Does anyone have any experience carrying heavy loads with a Jansport external frame? They're made out of considerably smaller tubing than other externals, but have more horizontal bars as well. Also, the horizontals aren't welded into the verticals, just coupled with connecters. How quickly do these frames break under heavy use? Quicker than larger tubing frames? Where do they break? The bars or the joints?

I'm not asking if the suspension is comfortable, or for a recommendation on a better choice. Just concerned with longevity of the frame. Thanks.

I haven't used mine in awhile but in the 90's I used a Jansport D3. (about 4500 cubic inches) I went to New Mexico twice to go backpacking at Philmont. Each trip was about 60 miles or so over 12 days. One or two of those days would be a layover at a camp where you had a day off. The pack worked good. I haven't had anything break on it and for each trip your load would range anywhere from 50 to 65 pounds. It would be heavier as we had to carry 3-4 days worth of food at a time before the next resupply and your weight would also depend on what crew gear you had to carry that day.

The pack after all of these years still has no noticeable signs of wear and the frame has never shown any signs of breaking or weakness.

I have a small frame Jansport that I love. I have not tested it with extremely heavy loads, but I did have my kid ride on the frame and it seemed ok

thanks for the responses guys. I'm thinking in terms of heavier loads than that. I'll just have to see what can be done to break this frame myself.

That is what I'm doing. I'm going to use it to pack out some Elk tonight for someone.

jansport has equaled junk in all my books.. in early days I had two of them with external frames.. the welds on those eventually cracked after 2 hunting trips with only gear...

Lets just say a cheaper bass pro non external frame pack served a much better life with up to 120ish pound loads a few times before I moved further up the ladder...

IMHO before I'd try them.. I'd buy an external frame from an alice pack personally..

Good info rost.

I have one of the Dana externals, which is the best ever made (in my opinion). I've also got a Kifaru MMR and a Lowe external. I picked up this Jansport for $15 to do some prototyping and experimentation with. The frame seems flimsy compared to the Dana. However, the Dana with shoulder straps and hipbelt weighs 3.5#, and the Jansport weighs 1.75#. My goal is a pack capable of carrying any human carryable load that weighs right around 5# all up. If I can save 1.75# before I even start on the compression / packbag without giving up too much strength, it will be very handy. Hence my curiousity about whether the lighter Jansport just seems flimsy in comparison or actually is flimsy.

eta: actually have two of the Danas now that I think about it. yes, they're that good.