There's plethora of new packs on the market without removable stays. Pack makers are increasingly taking away options rather than offering substantive ones. With few exceptions, packs are increasingly getting lighter, but not better IMO.

Internal frame designs that rely on aluminum stays NEED to have them removable for precise individual fit. Some frames, like the Granite gear which are flexible and bend to the back, aren't in this category, but are more of a hybrid, but they're also limited in weight carrying ability IME.

As a visual example, below are the stays from an Arcteryx Bora 80... on the left is how they come from the manufacturer... on the right is how they look shaped to my back... explain to me how not being able to shape stays is a good thing?

I've heard the explanation (excuse) you can bend them without removing them... and get the fit precise? No way.

Thankfully, while the Bora 80 is not a "perfect" pack (no pack is), at least some Arcteryx, some Mystery Ranch, and Kifaru packs (and a few others) haven't lost sight of the need for removable stays...

[Linked Image]

“Perfection is Achieved Not When There Is Nothing More to Add, But When There Is Nothing Left to Take Away” Antoine de Saint-Exupery