Camp Trails Backpacks

[ronvo 10]

 

 

Does anyone know what happen to Camp Trails?

 

Seems maybe Eureka bought them but isn't marketing the packs.

 

I have an 30 year old CT that is dry rotted but the frame is good and was wanting to replace the bag. Does anyone know what other bags might fit the frame?

 

thanks

ronvo

[orennoah 11]

I, too, used a Camp Trails all through my Scouting career in the late 60's through early 70's. I LOVED that pack and took it many, many places.

 

That said, however, do yourself a favor and buy a modern pack. The advances in backpack design, including both external and internal frame, are so impressive that you'd be doing yourself a major disservice in merely replacing the bag.

 

- Oren

[ronvo 10]

Thanks Oren - any recommendations?

 

But before your CT pack what did you have?

 

I had a hand-me down OFFICIAL BSA Canvas Yucca Pack. Not sure which number. Used it for a year till the troop went backpacking.

 

My son who just crossed over is enamored with a Made In China cheapo Yucca pack we got at a garage sale for $2. I want to get him a good pack too for his birthday so any suggestions for a Youth size pack (he his a small fellow) are appreciated too.

 

YIS

ronvo

[GernBlansten 10]

I'm a fan of internal frame packs. I've been using a Gregory for over 20 years. We got two packs for a wedding gift and my son has now commandeered my wife's pack. I like the comfort of the internal frame and keeping the weight a little closer to me than an external frame provides. This is important if you plan on doing any mountaineering with it. Negative thing is they get hot and don't provide as much room for stuff. One thing to look for is a very adjustable pack with a good waist belt. My pack can adjust so that when climbing, you can pull a few straps and put all the weight on your shoulders, and when descending, you can shift the weight to the belt. Also makes for pleasant hikes as you can shift the weight every 30 minutes to spread the load to different muscle groups.

[orennoah 11]

The MOST important thing, is to make sure that the pack properly fits. This is especially true with young Scouts, as they tend to carry the heaviest packs - in proportion to body weight and strength. However, as they are also growing the fastest, they're the hardest ones to fit a pack to.

 

My recommendation is to take him to a quality backpacking-oriented store, such as REI or EMS, and have him try on packs and get help from a knowledgeable sales person.

 

My personal favorite pack for young Scouts is, alas, no longer imported into North America. It's the Jack Wolfskin Tracker, an internal frame pack loaded with features, including adjustable frame length, for a reasonable price.

 

You can check out my Scoutmasterly views of gear at http://www.scouttroop14.org/T14geartips.html

 

Good luck.

 

- Oren

[packsaddle 753]

I have great sympathy for the original post. I too backpacked many 100s of miles with my Horizon pack on my Astral Cruiser frame. My solution to my decomposing bag: Buy good packcloth. Meticulously disassemble the old bag and use it as the pattern. Digital photos help a lot. Then get really warm and fuzzy with a good sewing machine. I'll let you know how it turns out.

As for the other stuff, the external frame is much cooler in the summer and you can still buy a good padded belt to help with the comfort factor. I'm old anyway, so who cares about comfort anymore? Like I said, I'll let you know how it turns out...I made several sleeping bags and a set of bicycle bags from Frostline kits. This can't be much different.

[ronvo 10]

PS,

Thanks for the reply!

 

What material are you using for the pack? Is it coated? Where do you get the materials.

 

I like the idea of making my own - but I would sure change some things on the pack. I think I will give it a try.

 

Frostline- haven't heard that name in years and in fact was trying to think of it just a couple of days ago. Are they still around? I use to get their catlog years ago but never made anything.

 

ronvo

[ronvo 10]

Alas Frostline is no more.

 

Here is interesting link to history of Frostline and other outdoor gear.

 

http://www.oregonphotos.com/Frostline1.html

 

ronvo

[packsaddle 753]

Wow, great site! My body was racked by waves of nostalgia.

These guys are good: http://www.seattlefabrics.com/nylons.html

But if you google 'coated pack cloth' you'll get a gazillion sources.

When I built my sleeping bags (I still use one of them) I used an old treadle sewing machine because I could really control things well. Also it seemed to be able to penetrate the thick layers better. I'll have to see how the modern machines do. I sure wish I still had that old treadle contraption though.

[ronvo 10]

Interesting - I have never used a sewing machine, but there is an old treadle machine my wife has sitting in our bedroom!

I wonder if it works?

Hmmm!?

 

ronvo

[kenk 11]

When I was a youth in Scouting I LIVED Frostline. My mother was a home economic teacher and taught me how to sew. I assembled and sewed:

 

-2 daypacks (one as a gift for my buddy)

-down vest

-60/40 cloth shell parka (mountain parka)

-very thick down coat (tundra parka)

-foam pad (sewed the shell)

-gaters

-down sleeping bag (big horn)

-two-man tent (kodiak)

-backpack (fit on my Scout frame)

-a bunch of nylon ditty bags

 

Most of the stuff is too small to wear and hanging in a closet or long disappeared into the shadows of time. The poly coating on the tent started to degrade and get sticky after many many years. It is still in the basement though. The backpack is still intact, but the frame cracked. The sleeping bag is still going strong, though I prefer the synthetic fills these days.

[SSScout 1615]

The evolution of a back pack user.

When I became a Scout, my folks outfitted me with the best stuff the local Scout store had, all OI-BSA. I used the Yucca pack exactly twice by itself, packing it like the HfB instructed. The Older Scouts (Philmont vets) all had army surplus M4 PLYWOOD pack boards, or the new aluminum frame Keltys (ooooo..). I convinced my folks I had to have the M4, so we went down to Sunny's Surplus and picked out the best one in a PILE of them. I used it all thru my career. Highly adaptable. However, constant use of the 'diamond hitch' can be tiring, so...I ultimately 1)replaced the canvas back panel with a nylon mesh one. 2) Cleaned up and poly eurathaned it. 3) Replaced all the cotton cordage with nylon parachute cord 4) Installed reflective tape for night hikes 4) got tired of constantly tieing the Yucca pack on the back board, so I drilled holes and BOLTED the canvas bag to the board. 5) Had a fellow Scout dad machine out of T2048 aluminum plate hinges strong enough to serve as attachment points for a hip belt, and attached same to the bottom of the M4. It rode many miles on the AT. It is still reasonably comfortable.

It is now up in my attic and occasionally comes out for bragging rights on overnights and antique show and tell ("back when I earned my dinosaur herding merit badge,...").

The last camping trip I went on with my sons troop, I used a REI frame and pack we inherited and I was dissappointed at how unadaptable it was. Many seperate pockets, but few tie on points for the odd tent pole or canteen.It did ride nicely, tho, and served well.

My sons Kelty is very nice, aluminum frame and bag,(Tioga?) many pockets and many tie on points. His only complaint is the lower built in stuff sack area is really too small for his all season bag. It is a small frame, and he will no doubt outgrow it in a year or two. Unlike my M4, which I 'grew into', was an adult size board to begin with. Some would even view it as being too small by todays standards.

Hey, ever try to find a plain, unadorned packframe that one can "customize"? Do you want an SUV or a Jeep, or a 5 year old pickup truck?

 

YiS...