gabby
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Post by gabby on Sept 2, 2020 15:25:38 GMT -8
What I gather about the seek outside pack is the ability to carry weight, not just volume. I had trouble with 30 lbs. in my Ohm. Not meant for it. Heavy desert water loads and winter might change use perspective. I go back to using an Osprey, at least it's comfortable and doesn't sag. Exactly. The Circut and the Divide are not the same sort of pack. The Divide has a fairly substantial U-shaped frame (the manufacturer refers to it as "external", but it's really a hybrid). The waistbelt is heavier, and the material is anything but "lightweight". |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Sept 3, 2020 11:37:04 GMT -8
For what it’s worth, my Circuit carried up to about 35 lbs very well, and up to 40 is doable. Any more than that and my knees buckle anyway, so I don’t know or care :D
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Sept 3, 2020 14:10:50 GMT -8
For what it’s worth, my Circuit carried up to about 35 lbs very well, and up to 40 is doable. Any more than that and my knees buckle anyway, so I don’t know or care :D I'm absolutely with you on that - I was just adding that, after reviewing various reviews and such online (including the manufacturers' websites) for both packs, I thought it was important for the OP's choice to point out the major differences in construction and intent. Some of this accounts for the heavier weight of the Divide pack and its steeper price. (For instance: the main body of the Divide is 79L (4800 ci), while the Circuit's main body is 2400 ci.) You can clearly see the "external frame" in this picture from the cited review below.
 And there are other pictures here: www.hikinggeek.com/2016/05/23/gear-review-seek-outside-divide-4500-ultralight-external-frame-backpack/#! |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Sept 3, 2020 17:54:39 GMT -8
gabby , the two packs end up looking pretty much apples and oranges. Different packs for different needs, and then there’s the all-important personal fit. ETA: My comment wasn’t meant to suggest no one would need to carry more, only that I haven’t tested the pack beyond 40 lbs (at which point it’s clearly at the limit), because I haven’t carried more than that in years, not since the kids got bigger and I got older :D
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Sept 3, 2020 21:35:56 GMT -8
I fully understand your comment. I'm pretty much in the same place: even if the pack could carry a lot more, I couldn't. "Old legs" and all that.
The review cited by me above gives "comfortable from 5 to 100 pounds". I guess the big question there would be "Who?" I guess candidates would need to be regular weightlifters, at the very least. The BPL review says "Carries 50+ lb (23+ kg) loads". I bought frame packs (that I still own) long ago, but I was a bit younger, and also subject to severe illusions about my own capacities.
Sorry to beat this dead horse. But, yeah, these are not packs with comparable use.
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Post by Coolkat on Sept 30, 2020 19:41:32 GMT -8
Well I squeezed one last trip out of my old pack so now I have the winter & spring to make my decision. I do appreciate everyone's input here.  |
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Image Credit / Coolkat
