One of my recent purchases was a Mountain Hardwear Scrambler alpine pack. It weighs just over a 1/2 lb. and I'd been told it could crunch up into a really small stuff sack. I was going to tuck it into my 60L pack for use as a day pack, backup, or to share the load with a fellow survivor/family member/SAR volunteer/etc. Unfortunately it did not come with said stuff sack and there is a light, but rigid foam back board. While this makes the pack super comfy despite the lack of a belt, it's hard to get out...too hard.

With Plan A ruined I needed a plan B. It's a really nice pack made from silicone impregnated cordura nylon and I didn't want it to just sit and collect dust...plus it's yellow! How can I go out on a SAR call out without it? Being a big fan of redundancy I tried a few things last night and here's what I came up with:



I loaded it up with nearly everything I'd normally put into the top half of my big 60L pack. Save for a few items the fit was perfect. I then tried to drop the whole pack into the top half of the same 60L pack...an amazing fit! Because it's a top loading pack the items are just as easy to get to and the pack adds some water repellency to the items inside.



The pack as pictured is without the Sleep System (sleeping bag, bivy, etc) in the bottom half and weighs about 25 lbs.

To bad you're first idea didn't work, but the second idea is a lot better!

HOWever...

Exactly why haven't you made a post of your SAR-pack yet...

I'm working on that one right now. It's an all picture weekend at my house this weekend!

In reality my SAR pack is very similar to my hiking pack only with more stuff in it. I keep everything modular in kits so that when I get called out I can repack the bag quickly and cut weight to meet the given situation...but also keep the whole thing light enough that I could carry it all if I had to.

Oddly, this is also my main BOB pack...what a coincidence.

Hacksaw....Great series of posts, keep them coming!

smitty

Glad to see your idea worked! I've thought of getting a MH Scrambler as a summit pack for multi-day snowshoeing trips, but was worried about the problem with the pad that was, according to some reviews, difficult to remove (like you said).

I settled on a Black Diamond Bullet, which weighs in at 13.9 ounces, that is very supple and easy to pack. I tried to do it like you did (put the small packed pack in the other pack), but for some reason, it didn't seem "right". I should try it again sometime.



Like you, my SAR pack is my dayhike pack. Either an Osprey Stratos 32 (spring, summer and fall) or an Osprey Switch 36 (winter). I bring the same basic stuff for both activies, but add some stuff for SAR : a heftier first-aid kit, 60' of 10 millimiter rope, a full-featured compass, GPS, all-weather notepad, Ironclad heavy utility gloves, a small sleeping pad, 3W Luxeon flashlight... off the top of my head, that's about it.

I have seen this done a few times:

Buy a few inexpensive large stuff sacks. Usually the nylon will be strong enough. Improve them by treating them with a durable water repellent and over-stitching the seams. Stitch a small rubber ball, wad of cloth or sturdy ties into the lower corners. If they don't have double cinch cords install them.

To use you put what you will inside and the top is drawn tight and the cords are looped at the ends and drawn tight over the objects you stitched in earlier.

The result is a simple backpack. The doubled cords don't dig in too bad but you will want to limit the load to something less than twenty pounds. I have day hiked with one of these carrying my rain poncho and liner, jacket and a few other light items without any problems. I carried the water and a few other items on my belt or

For some reason the posting system is cropping my posts.

Risking redundancy lets give this another try.

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I have seen this done a few times:

Buy a few inexpensive large stuff sacks. Usually the nylon will be strong enough. Improve them by treating them with a durable water repellent and over-stitching the seams. Stitch a small rubber ball, wad of cloth or sturdy ties into the lower corners. If they don't have double cinch cords install them.

To use you put what you will inside and the top is drawn tight and the cords are looped at the ends and drawn tight over the objects you stitched in earlier.

The result is a simple backpack. The doubled cords don't dig in too bad but you will want to limit the load to something less than twenty pounds. I have day hiked with one of these carrying my rain poncho and liner, jacket and a few other light items without any problems. I carried the water and a few other items on my belt or in a musette bag slung diagonally.

If you willing to get more involved it is pretty simple to stitch in two lengths of 1" webbing and to install a couple of Fastex buckle ends. Giving you a waist belt that will take much of the weight.

I have yet to see it done but it shouldn't be too hard to substitute webbing for the normal cords or to stitch in webbing to create more comfortable shoulder straps.

An advantage to such a modified large stuff sack is that your sleeping bag can ride in one and soft clothing in another. You pretty much need these sacks anyway so slightly modified they serve double duty and keep the weight down. If and when you need a light-duty pack for a side trip or to share the load your covered.

Hint - Kids love to participate and engaged they are less likely to wander off. Setting them up with a simple pack with something light makes them feel like part of the team. Keep the load light because they tire quickly. Even if later in the day you have to carry the load again for a time your better off. And sometimes you find tough kids who will steadfastly carry a significant load for the duration.

To some extent adults can also be manipulated in a similar way. A rescuer, the one with the back and gear, leading victims out has to shepherd everyone themselves. Mount a pack on one of the victims and there is a good chance they stop seeing themselves as a victim. They are participating in their rescue and are more likely to police their own actions and help or guide others. Attitude is often half the battle.

Back in the days I carried an external frame pack, I used to stuff my sleeping bag in to lightweight day pack, then strap the whole thing under the main pack. Whatever works...