My very first real backtrip to the Smoky Mountains in college (early 90's) was with one of those Kelty frame packs. I bought two. Girlfriend that the time used the other one. Used that frame pack for numerous hiking trips and some hunting. I made a hook on one of the external vertical legs of the frame to carry my rifle via the sling. Worked surprisingly well, although the packs were loud overall. Lot of metal and clanking and pins rattling.
I put them on some online sales place about 8 years ago for maybe $20/each. The guy who bought them...wanted them for the sole purpose of using them to haul out elk quarters. Leave them in camp, then come get them to haul out the meat. Which ironically I used to think was a valid methodology. However every time I killed an elk, I put the meat in whatever pack I had with me and never made an empty trip. The frame packs sat in the truck bed year after year. I wonder if he ever used them as intended.
