The backpack you choose can make the difference between comfort and misery during the long hours on the trail. There is a seemingly endless variety of backpacks on the market, but it boils down to two primary types based on the frame structure. Whether the frame structure is internal or external makes the difference in comfort, capacity, and types of features offered by each pack type.
Pack Frame
Internal frame backpacks contain a hidden frame built into the pack to provide stiffness and structure. The frame typically consists of long, narrow bars that slip into special pockets in the pack behind the harness. The frame is of made from lightweight material, usually aluminum or a composite material. External frame backpacks are suspended from a tubular frame, typically made of aluminum.
Comfort
Internal frame backpacks are compact, fitting closely to your shoulders and back. This helps keep the weight close to your natural center of gravity, making it more comfortable to carry the pack and keep your balance. An external frame backpack has space between the pack and your body. This provides ventilation, keeping you and your gear--and most importantly, your chocolate bar--cooler.
Weight
An external frame backpack is composed of more material than an internal frame pack, both in the tubular framework and the pack itself, which typically features several pockets. This extra material makes the pack heavier. On the trail, every ounce counts when it's resting on your hips and shoulders over miles of hiking.
Size
The framework of an external frame pack makes it wider, extending out to your shoulders or beyond. The minimal internal framework of an internal frame pack gives the pack a snug, narrow profile, usually no wider than your torso. This narrower profile gives you more elbow room, which can be critical for activities like climbing and skiing. The smaller profile also makes it easier to move in tight spaces and through dense bush.
Capacity
External frame backpacks can handle a heavier load than internal frame backpacks. Internal frame backpacks are ideal for brief excursions requiring up to 40 pounds of gear. However, for longer expeditions, or activities requiring you to carry a lot of extra gear, an external frame backpack handles the extra weight and bulk more easily.
Features
External frame packs usually have multiple pockets and compartments, handy for organizing and accessing small items. Internal frame packs have a single large compartment, and possibly a small compartment in the top flap and one or two tiny side pockets. Internal frame packs feature compression straps to keep gear tightly in place within the pack. Gear in an external frame pack may shift around, throwing the balance off.
Considerations
When choosing between internal and external frame backpacks, consider the activity type, the weight and type gear you will carry, the length of your trip, and your comfort. Think about the various trade-offs in weight, gear access, ventilation, and other factors. Each difference between internal and external frame packs are a benefit or detriment depending on whether you are hiking, canyoneering, mountaineering, hunting, climbing or skiing.
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