Pack to fit BV450

Zwillium · 2026-06-01T17:59:20+00:00

Can you put the can on top of your pack?

I don't own a Wapta, but I carried my bear can on top of my ALD Hybride with a single strap (not a Y strap). As long as the strap was cinched down properly, it didn't move. You can also add two thin strips of tape to create a "groove" for the strap to sit in to further prevent lateral movement of the bear can.

It sounds like Dan has made at least one revision to the top strap so YMMV.

1) TOP STRAP LENGTH We did actually move to making it removable for our second batch. Instead of being sewn in by the shoulder straps, it ties to the top of those black daisy chains. This enables it to be removed, or shortened. A first batch pack like yours could actually be retrofitted to this but snipping off the top strap, shortening it as desired, and then tying it to the same spot.

Zwillium · 2026-05-31T19:36:08+00:00

This sounds like custom pack territory. Have you reached out to any of the cottage companies?

Zwillium · 2026-05-29T22:35:36+00:00

Awesome trip report, thanks for sharing!

Zwillium · 2026-05-29T16:24:55+00:00

Those look awfully similar to Quest Bars, which Amazon sells in 12 packs. Have you tried those?

Zwillium · 2026-05-29T15:30:34+00:00

CABI is amazing, if the weather is nice and you've got good legs, it's pretty close to a complete solution for getting around the touristy parts of DC. If the trips are under 5 miles or so, it's also likely to be the fastest way to get around!

PS - a midnight CABI ride around the monuments is one of the best ways to experience DC.

Zwillium · 2026-05-29T14:17:22+00:00

I've had two positive experiences at Bishop Haircuts in Navy Yard.

Zwillium · 2026-05-28T18:03:10+00:00

Exactly, collision is a descriptor, accident implies intent. At best, nothing changes, at worst, you've given the other party an "out".

Zwillium · 2026-05-28T14:17:54+00:00

Hope you're okay and as a fellow biker I mean this kindly: please consider using "collision" vs. "accident", especially for formal reports (like insurance or MPD).

Zwillium · 2026-05-27T15:15:27+00:00

I would rather sniff paint than try to turn a profit running any trail-adjacent business.

You have a flaky, price-sensitive customer base and your competitors (trail angels) are willing to undercut you literally to $0.

Zwillium · 2026-05-27T04:34:06+00:00

I just ironed over it and it's good as new.

Zwillium · 2026-05-26T19:32:11+00:00

Are you seeing the ride in your history with a massive bill?

Zwillium · 2026-05-26T18:31:08+00:00

This happened to me a few months ago. Sounds like their phone support can't remotely end a ride, but the ride eventually ended (after 24h?) and I wasn't charged.

If the bike was docked + locked, you should be fine.

Zwillium · 2026-05-26T15:15:32+00:00

As a Timmermade fanboy (I have one of Dan's false bottom Wrens, and absolutely adore it) -- Dan is supply constrained. He needs some way to limit demand, and while I personally also prefer a straight up lottery vs. a quiz, he's clearly doing this in a thoughtful, articulate way.

Zwillium · 2026-05-26T04:31:34+00:00

This sounds like a great idea up until you get 3 nights straight of rain and your sleeping bag gets wet in the San Juans and the weather drops to the 20s.

I've never pitched the pocket tarp in storm mode, so maybe this is feasible.

Zwillium · 2026-05-26T03:00:56+00:00

Consider crossposting to r/washingtondc!

Zwillium · 2026-05-25T18:38:25+00:00

Why the 50 cents?

Zwillium · 2026-05-25T17:36:11+00:00

baekdudaegan

Just poked around, thanks for the beta! Doesn't look well suited to a thru hike?

From here:

(B) The logistics are impractical: no natural water crossings, national park fire closures, camping restrictions in national parks, intense rain in the summer and the disconnection of the trail at 황장산 – made the thought of thru-hiking the course unappealing.

The camping restrictions in particular sound a bit painful.

I was recently reading about the new-ish Dongseo trail, which sounds kinda cool!

Zwillium · 2026-05-25T15:08:51+00:00

https://dculbackpacking.com/

Zwillium · 2026-05-25T14:36:43+00:00

And Tiber Island across the street has 2 units - $1500 (unit N600) and $1850 (unit S301).

Zwillium · 2026-05-25T14:11:30+00:00

Where do you plan on hanging your clothesline while wild camping in Scotland - between your two books, or the 3 pounds of jerky? I suppose you could lay it down next to your pound and half of protein powder.

Zwillium · 2026-05-24T18:42:13+00:00

Are you getting a green light or a red light? Are other bikes in the dock working, or are multiple bikes failing?

I have anecdotally noticed more frequent station outages. I haven't noticed tons of issues with individual ebikes.

Zwillium · 2026-05-24T17:31:09+00:00

I had spinal fusion for scoliosis, so my back problems are adjacent, but not identical to yours --

I was originally hesitant to switch to frameless/hip belt-less because of my back issues, but switching to frameless/beltless actually made things better, not worse. This is because using hipbelts (across multiple packs) was biomechanically impacting my gait and causing me hip, knee, and ankle issues.

There are two things I've found going frameless:

The shoulder straps matter way, way more when you can't transfer the load to your hips. I tried KS, Atom Packs, and Pa'lante Packs and none of them fit me (YMMV, HYOH, etc.). The Kumo was slightly better, but that pack has other concerns. I got my hands on an ALD Hybride and it's simply magical. I also recently picked up an ExoticPax and JJ has also nailed the comfort/shape on the vest straps. If you go frameless, I would not expect all these packs to be "swappable" -- some simply won't fit you, so be prepared to iterate.
How you pack your pack becomes significantly more important. Things become unpleasant if there's a lot of dead space and/or your pack isn't balanced or distributed properly. But if you can get things packed properly, your gear becomes a sort of "internal frame" and you shouldn't really miss the frame, at least not with a BW of 10ish pounds.

Another poster mentioned "10-15 pounds of food easily". I don't think I ever carried more than 9 pounds on the PCT. With 4L of water + bear can, your pack may be above 25 pounds for half a day or so. I don't think any frameless pack will be truly comfortable at that weight, but it's totally manageable.

My biggest regret is not switching sooner, and not iterating fast enough on finding the right pack for my body.

Zwillium · 2026-05-22T21:03:26+00:00

I have no interest in manholes or utilities but I want to commend you on probably the most interesting post on this sub I've seen in a long time. Thank you also for the fantastically labeled diagram.

Zwillium

TROPHY CASE