Well, the Aarn pack has arrived! Working out how to adjust it has been a bit of a nightmare, but there are plenty of resources and vids on the Aarn site. With choosing this pack I’ve solved a problem and created another…
When I was playing around with weights, and thinking of ordering a MLD Prophet, my weight for shelter/sleeping/cooking/pack was looking around 4.5 pounds. Putting the Aarn in the frame boosted that in one go to about 6.5 lbs.
BUT, I suffer from Spondylitis, which is an arthritic condition that causes the spine to curve. It also means that as much as weight as possible needs to be carried on the hips, the other big no-no is hunching forward. The Aarn, like my Pacerpoles, are designed to keep you upright and to keep the weight on the hips. Much of where I go is pretty dry, so I often have to carry all my water, and the Aarn seems to solve the problem of this kind of weight and balance. The downside is the jump from 4.5 to 6.5 lbs!

Time will tell, but it does leave the option open for a cuben pack for summer with an immediate huge weight saving!

Pics and more ramblings to follow…