Harrier Frame Modification

Mountain Hard Wear Harrier
Frame Modification
12 November 2007

This is my latest in a long line of home made External Pack Frames. This one uses a few parts from a Mountain Hardwear Harrier pack.

I made a new hip belt that is mostly foam stabilized with thin plastic sheet. The shoulder straps are also new and made from a very strong and very special Cuben Fiber (6.25 ounces per sq yard) by itself.

The modified Frame weighs 17.67 ounces. The stock Harrier frame weighted 55.65 ounces.

The stock Harrier pack bag at 3600 cubic inches weighs 34.86 ounces empty and I will make a new bag out of Cuben Fiber. The new Cuben Fiber Pack Bag will be very light.

I am using the stock Harrier pack bag for testing the frame. The bag (with stuff in it) and frame weigh 21 pounds. I am walking 2 miles twice a day to test the frame.

If this frame works out it might be used for something like an AT long hike next year.

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It is going on two years since Mountain HardWear introduced its "EXODUS Pack Series.

I started this entry on my BLOG back in May 2006. I like a lot of the features of the EXODUS Pack Series except that it is heavy - by my standards anyway. It has sat in Draft form since then and I am taking a little time now to clean out all my "half-started entries. I have made two newer versions of an external frame using a few ideas from the EXODUS packs. I will try and add them to this BLOG before the end of the year (2006).

Mountain Hardwear EXODUS Pack Series:
Two EXODUS Frames.
(NOTE: Most of the following was taken from MH information.)

1. Motive Frame:
The Motive frame is designed for active backcountry and off-trail use. Motive's free-floating design allows unrestricted mobility for technical activities. For use with medium loads.



2. Cruiser Frame:
The Cruiser frame is designed for traditional backpacking and trail-oriented use. The Cruiser's center stay provides excellent stability and support for heavier loads.


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NOTE - (From Bill):
1. I think the only difference between the two frames are the lower part of the frame sheet area. It looks like the lower cross piece on the Motive connects to the upper part of the frame sheet the same way the lower part of the Cruiser does. If you had one of the frames you might be able to get the parts to change the frames from one to the other and back. That would give you one frame that could work both ways with a quick parts change.
2. Notice the points on far sides the top part of the frames. This is what the pack bag slips over when you put it on the frame. Straps on both sides of the bottom of the bag pull it down and the pressure hold it. The lower straps attach to the bottom of the frame.
3. If you could buy other size pack bags you could swap out a larger bag for a smaller bag or the other way around.
4. I would just sew me a new SUL pack bag out of some Cuben Fiber.
5. I weighed the Maestro - med. The frame alone was 3 pounds 12 ounces. The bag alone was just at 2 pounds. Total weight was just as MH lists it - 5 pounds 12 ounces. Being that close to a pack that was that heavy made my blood pressure go up.
6. There is a lot of room to lighten the pack/frame system. I would really like to have one to put on a diet if I could get it free or at a really good discount.
7. I used a copy machine to enlarge all the pictures post here.
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Pack Detail:

The Mini Frame:
This piece of molded polycarbonate is the backbone of the EXODUS system. It is engineered to have great vertical stiffness (keeping the loaded pack bag under control) while having torsional flexibility (allowing it to move with you when you twist your torso). Also built in to the Mini Frame is the ability to adjust the pack's torso length. You can either custom-fit the length to one lockable setting or allow the adjustment to ride free so the frame can adjust to your movements on the fly.


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The U-Bar:
The U-Bar connects the yoke of the harness to the main frame. This does two things: it holds the yoke in its correct, load-bearing shape, and it allows you to adjust the upper body-to-pack geometry. What's more, it lets you do the adjusting on the fly.



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The Fit-Lock Harness:
You can mold our yoke-and-belt system so that it fits the contours of your neck, collar, shoulders, hips, and waist. Then lock that fit into place. The harness stays in that setting until you decide to readjust it. High density foam and polycarbonate overlay hold this body-fitting shape, so load is transferred evenly. Think of how hard it would be to hold a cup of coffee if the handle were a floppy piece of fabric. That's what packs with non-structural shoulder straps are asking you to do.



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Scandium Tubes:
Heat-treated Yunan Scandium tubes attach to the Mini-Frame and transfer load to the waist belt. These advanced alloy tubes are very light and have high compression strength combined with just the right amount of flexibility to absorb a bit of shock and to allow the aforementioned torsional flex.


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The Pivoting Waist Belt:
While wearing most packs, bending over to tie your shoes is virtually impossible. That's because you are strapped in to a structure that does not bend where you do. Our pivoting waist belt changes that. Its two pivoting joints leave the belt free to tilt forward or back when your hips do. Now you can bend forward to tie your shoes or bend back to reach for a hand hold without having your pack fight you all the way.


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