The Next Level
Introducing the new sexiness - my third Dandee custom pack. My first was the Purple Tartan. It weighs 317 grams, is 35 liters in size, and rides like a dream. My second Dandee, the Leaf Pack, was an attempt to refine some of the things I wish were different with the Tartan pack, as well as a bit of vanity. I was hoping the things I changed would lighten it from 317 to somewhere around 250, but I some of the things I added ended up cancelling out the gains I made. The leaf pack weighs 331 grams. This new pack was constructed with one goal in mind - the absolute lightest it could be while still having the features I valued so much.
Dandee has an Instagram page where he posts pictures of every custom pack he constructs along with its specifications. I studied those posts carefully and found a pack that I wanted to emulate. This one. But I wanted to make a few changes to try to cut the weight even further, as well as adapting it to my backpacking style. I had to wait for this pack for quite a while. Dan moved his shop and was out of action for about 6 months. When he got back into making packs, I was one of his first customers in the new shop. Dan has always been excellent at taking the time to discuss pack ideas, provide suggestions, and collaborate to come up with the final product. We spent nearly an hour on a Zoom call going over every detail. He suggested additional ways to cut weight that I hadn't thought of, and confirmed some of the things I had been suspecting. I was hoping the final product would come in at about 220 grams, plus the shock cords. It actually came in at 214 grams. And after I got the pack, I made a couple minor tweaks (removing a pair of unnecessary buckles and sewing the sternum straps directly to the shoulder straps, and swapping out 1/8" shock cord for 1/16") to cut that a few more grams. After all of that discussion with Dan, there was one thing I overlooked. The pack has a standard roll-top buckle - probably 5-10 grams worth. I had intended to eliminate that. Oh well. Final weight, with the shock cords, is 209.8 grams! That's 7.41 ounces!
What do I need with three Dandee packs? Well, Tina has claimed the purple Tartan one, and I've done some chest strap mods to make it more comfortable for someone with bumps in front. The Leaf pack is my standard UL frameless pack that I intend to take on most trips. This new one is strictly for those extreme ventures where I am chasing the absolute lowest possible base weight. With it I now have a base weight as low as 3.7 pounds. It's quite a bit smaller than the leaf pack (30 vs 38 liters), so I won't be able to carry as many days of food. I'm looking forward to future solo trips where this might get exercised. Finishing the Ouachita Trail this November will be interesting. Not sure which pack I'll take - the leaf or this new one.
The specifications (from Dandee's Instagram)
30L 1.43 DCF, 0.67 DCF, & 0.7 Monolite - 7.48 oz
- 21” torso
- 18.5” vest straps
- 1/8” padding
- Remove one top pocket
- Remove elastic water bottle bands
- 1st and 5th attachment points only (counting from bottom)
- Pack body, 1.43oz DCF, black
- Sit pad loops (3/8” grosgrain)
- Include 3/32” elastic (buyer to cut and attach themselves)
- 3/4 length front pocket
- 0.7 Monolite
- Fixed 3/32” elastic top
- Single bungee top strap
- Bottom lashing points
- No cordage attached
- 3/8” grosgrain
- 1/2” grosgrain vest straps (x2)
- 1/2” webbing straps will be included as well to test out
- Side pockets
- 0.7 Monolite
- 0.67oz DCF extension collar
- Right side compression strap ONLY
- REMOVE hip belt loops
- REMOVE ice ax loops
- REMOVE KAM snaps
- REMOVE bottom pocket
Keep Hiking my friends
