AARN packs

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Re: AARN packs

Postby Strider » Wed 17 Feb, 2016 9:02 pm

drakkar wrote:Excellent, how do they fair as a standalone pack without the balance bags?

Fantastic, but the balance pockets offer so much benefit that I can't imagine anyone taking them off.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby GPSGuided » Wed 17 Feb, 2016 9:13 pm

drakkar wrote:Excellent, how do they fair as a standalone pack without the balance bags?

No problem at all. For me, their hip belt harness is the most comfortable design I've tried. The only negative is, without the balance pockets, there's no pockets for small items in ready access ie. No hip belt pockets that some traditional packs have.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby drakkar » Thu 18 Feb, 2016 4:47 am

Thanks for the replys. Reason for asking is it means I can buy the pack for my next trip. And balance pockets later.

Not having hip pockets for trail mix will be a pain though.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby philm » Thu 18 Feb, 2016 6:32 am

You can use the packs without the balance pockets - just like a normal pack so not sure why you would do this.
The pockets are easy to remove and put back on - if you want just a day pack from a base camp you could do this.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby DanShell » Thu 18 Feb, 2016 9:13 am

I have an aarn natural balance, the older style and it came with these extra straps.
Does anyone know what they are for. And is there any instructions online on how to attach the front pockets correctly? I have seen the videos for the new packs but not the older style.
Thanks for any help.

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Re: AARN packs

Postby Strider » Thu 18 Feb, 2016 9:35 am

Those straps are for converting the balance pockets into a daypack.

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Re: AARN packs

Postby DanShell » Thu 18 Feb, 2016 9:37 am

Strider wrote:Those straps are for converting the balance pockets into a daypack.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk


Ok thats sounds like its going to take me a bit to work it out! Any tips or is it too hard to explain without visual reference?
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Re: AARN packs

Postby Strider » Thu 18 Feb, 2016 10:09 am

The clip goes into the loop at the bottom of the balance pocket and the loop goes onto the clip at the top of balance pocket.

https://www.hammockforums.net/gallery/s ... =12825&c=4
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Re: AARN packs

Postby DanShell » Thu 18 Feb, 2016 10:15 am

Thanks, interesting. Im not sure Id use them for that but its an option I suppose.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby north-north-west » Thu 18 Feb, 2016 1:10 pm

GPSGuided wrote:
drakkar wrote:Excellent, how do they fare as a standalone pack without the balance bags?

No problem at all. For me, their hip belt harness is the most comfortable design I've tried. The only negative is, without the balance pockets, there's no pockets for small items in ready access ie. No hip belt pockets that some traditional packs have.

Ditto. In fact, even with the camera bag slung over the top it's still more comfy than anything else. They're right about most hipbelt padding being superfluous.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby Lizzy » Thu 18 Feb, 2016 2:28 pm

I use the front pockets as a daypack on longer bush walks where I have a Basecamp or doing side trips. once you know how it is easy and not much extra to carry (just a couple of straps which I leave in the pockets. Very convenient! Yell out if u need a picture
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Re: AARN packs

Postby Chris » Thu 18 Feb, 2016 6:37 pm

Taurë-rana wrote:Interesting timing for reopening this thread, I've just taken the plunge and bought a pack. It is an Aarn Natural Balance pack and I had the opportunity to well and truly try it on and have it fitted in Melbourne today. I'm a bit nervous about it as it's a bit different, but it's comfortable and I really like the balance with the front pockets on. Time will tell whether I have made the right choice.

Congratulations "Taurë-rana.
I bought mine in Melbourne just after Christmas. Very impressed by the thoroughness of staff at Backpacking Light.

Have just used it today for the first time, for a day walk from Lake Highway down along the Liffey for a couple of hours and back.
Absolutely delighted so far, though obviously need more experience in packing etc before multi-day walks.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby Nixfix » Fri 19 Feb, 2016 9:36 pm

Hi all,

I'm just wondering if anyone has any info/feedback on the size of the hipbelt of the Aarn Mountain Magic model? According to the website, they don't come in sizes, but are sewn-in and come in "one size to fit all body sizes". Thing is, I'm quite short & petite and a common problem I have with backpacks is the hip belts are still loose even at their tightest adjustment, which just transfers most of the weight back to the shoulders.

Would also love to find out if any short, er, petite ladies out there find the Mountain front pockets too long for their torso?

Cheers,
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Re: AARN packs

Postby axcarmil » Sat 20 Feb, 2016 7:34 am

Nixfix wrote:
I'm just wondering if anyone has any info/feedback on the size of the hipbelt of the Aarn Mountain Magic model? According to the website, they don't come in sizes, but are sewn-in and come in "one size to fit all body sizes".

Would also love to find out if any short, er, petite ladies out there find the Mountain front pockets too long for their torso?



I have the Mountain Magic 22. The hip belt has two adjustment points that sort of loop together, such that you can get a good fit for your own body. Re the hip belt, as a comparison, I also have an AARN load limo with a small hip belt which, althougth it fits, has less room for tightening further than I do on the MM 22. In short, the MM hip belt seems to work really well. Fyi, I am 160cms, female and wear xs/s size clothing. The pockets fit OK - not too long nor too bulky. I prefer these to the ones on the load limo. The MM with or without the pockets is very comfortable.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby Nixfix » Sat 20 Feb, 2016 10:15 am

Thanks axcarmil for the reply! What size pockets do you have?
I was looking at the 38L Mountain Magic + 12L Mountain balance pockets. I love the capacity, but the 12L pockets seem a little large - 36cm in length - which means it would reach from hipbelt to almost the top of my shoulder. I'm just 153cm (or about 5 feet). Anybody had an issue with pockets being attached too high up the shoulder?
I'm considering swapping them out of the smaller Marathon pockets for a better fit, but they're only 4L in capacity.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby kitty » Sat 20 Feb, 2016 5:59 pm

Im 162cm and when I bought my Featherlite Freedom I got the sports pockets swapped to the small size which are 10L and 29cm long.
I tried the pack on, loaded up, at Main Peak and the S sports pockets instantly felt more comfortable to me than the R, the R seemed to come up to the top of my shoulders.
I liked that Aarn Packs were happy to swap the pockets out for a size that I preferred.
Good luck.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby axcarmil » Sat 20 Feb, 2016 6:26 pm

Nixfix wrote:What size pockets do you have? .


I'm not 100% sure, but they are the pockets that came with the 22 pack. I think they are about 3l. I just measured a pocket and is is approx 31 cm long. The ones for my load limo are the regular size and are 38cms long (in retrospect I should have got small!). I prefer the size of the MM pockets, and the capacity for that pack, which I use for day walks, is fine. However, when carrying a larger capacity in the load limo the larger front pockets 'balance' the front and back better. When I put heavy items in the pockets it pulls them down and out such that they do not feel as cumbersome (and in my face) when they are full compared with when the pockets are empty.
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Older Aarn Natural Balance - what are these straps for?

Postby Joynz » Tue 24 Dec, 2019 6:36 pm

I have just been fortunate enough to get an older model Aarn Natural Balance. It’s black with blue Sport balance bags.

The issue is I have found three unused webbing straps and wondering what they are for.

They aren’t to convert the balance bags into a backpack - because this model has the straps for this already attached to the balance bags.

Each of the 3 straps strap has a flat plastic ‘clip’ at one end - on top of purple webbing and a buckle half at the other end. The clip is designed to clip to webbing. I suspect there should actually be 4 straps but I only have 3.

The pack only has a couple of purple webbing loops on the hip belt and the shoulder strap lengthen/shorten straps are purple too
Not sure how to attach a photo. Edit figured it out now.
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Last edited by Joynz on Wed 25 Dec, 2019 3:47 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby bernieq » Tue 24 Dec, 2019 8:49 pm

Here's a link to photo upload instructions : viewtopic.php?f=9&t=562

A picture would help, obviously, but I'd suggest they are an older version of lasso loc straps - this is the current version : https://www.aarnpacks.com/products/lasso-loc-straps

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Re: AARN packs

Postby Joynz » Tue 24 Dec, 2019 10:30 pm

Maybe - or the cross over sternum strap perhaps.

How can I post a photo to the site - doesn’t seem to be any option...?
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Re: AARN packs

Postby north-north-west » Wed 25 Dec, 2019 5:56 am

Joynz wrote:How can I post a photo to the site - doesn’t seem to be any option...?


Easiiest way is to use the "Upload attachment" option below the bit where you write your post. Image must be a jpeg and no more than 3mb.

The straps sound like the those used to turn the pockets into a daypack.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby bernieq » Wed 25 Dec, 2019 8:03 am

Joynz wrote:How can I post a photo to the site - doesn’t seem to be any option...?

bernieq wrote:Here's a link to photo upload instructions : viewtopic.php?f=9&t=562

! At the risk of repeating myself :? .... viewtopic.php?f=9&t=562

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Re: AARN packs

Postby Joynz » Wed 25 Dec, 2019 3:48 pm

Uploaded a photo now (flashback to the early 2000s!).

Showing the straps, the purple shoulder strap webbing and one of the purple loops on the hip belt.

The balance bags already have shoulder straps attached - so it’s not the straps for that.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby north-north-west » Wed 25 Dec, 2019 4:17 pm

Similar to the straps I have for the pocket/pack conversion. If you don't need them for that, just use them to cinch down the pack for daytrips from a basecamp, or to attach things to the outside of the pack.
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Re: AARN packs

Postby Andrew » Sun 29 Dec, 2019 11:56 am

I have an early AARN Natural Balance and it is still going strong :)
They just go and go and are so comfortable - only had 2 issues:-
1/ Recently replaced a zip in one of the balance pockets.
2/ About 5 years ago (on an extended trip) one of the vertical metal struts kept poking up out of where the velcro cap is supposed to contain it. I used the foil from the top of a Back Country meal to make a cap for the metal strut (to make it a bit fatter/bigger) and it has been fine since and the Back County foil is still in there :)

Cheers,
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