What are these parts of backpack used for?

G

Grapevine

Joined
Mar 5, 2002
Messages
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Stupid question, but I see these on packs all the time and don't know what specific use they're meant for. I tend to just use the pockets. I know there must be some extraordinarily simple explanation that my inexperience of the outdoors can't grasp. The one on the right I can imagine clipping a bunch of things on, and the left one I can imagine putting something in there and having it lashed down, but is that it's designed for use? Any advantage of one system over the other?

Sureshot_Bigshot.jpg
 
Stuffing a piece of clothing. usually a light jacket or something im wearing when it gets too warm. The deal on the right is called a daisy chain. Just a piece of webbing sewn on vertically. Again used to attach carabiners or more straps for accessories horizontally. The loop at the bottom is an ice axe loop. The ice axe is inserted so it hangs then is flipped up and strapped to the back to keep it secure.
 
Da-aaaaannng Denverco! lol

I was gonna say I used to keep extra tennis shoes in the cris-cross thing on the left but I had no clue the right actually had a name.


Unless you climb alot I'd go with the left one. You can end up using that cris-cross thingy for a lot of random stuff.
 
The one on the left is commonly called a shock-cord system. As others said you can use it to secure a jacket or something similar.

A couple of common uses for the daisy chain are lashing a sleeping pad vertically to it and using it to hang light things off of with a carabiner, such as a pair of Tevas or a small bag with trail food.
 
On the left
A- Rain gear
B- Wet rain gear when drying it off
On the right
Attach carabiners for climbing
 
I use the daisy chains (right) to clip my canteen on to the backpack with a carabiner.
 
Bungee (right) is good for clothes and light stuff - I've seen them used for foam pads. Anything heavy is going to stretch it out too much. Best used to dry wet items, or for something like a jacket that you're going to take on and off.

The daisy chain originated with climbing gear. You could clip stuff in different loops and keep it spread out and organized. On packs, you can use them as lash points - run a cord or strap through the loop. Personally, I think they're pretty useless. First, the webbing should be flat to make good lash points, but usually they bulge out in big loops (which is better for the original climbing use where you're clipping a carabiner). Second, two parallel daisy chains would let you secure large items better, but almost all of them are a single line running down the middle of the pack. All-in-all, anything you attach to a single daisy chain is going to flop around more or less. They're OK for securing the ice ax (though you need to attach the top with some sort of strap or lashing - dedicated lash points do a better job) and you can use them to organize climbing gear (though this will still flop around). They're also OK for attaching a carabiner to make yourself look cool.

See a better implementation of the daisy chain on Mystery Ranch packs:
http://www.mysteryranch.com/site/xwing.php
PALS webbing also looks like this (flat webbing vs. loops, parallel rows), though there are many more rows.
 
I have had both systems and I agree the shock cord system is much more useful. The thing I dont like about the daisy chain setup is that you must carry extra equipment to use it
 
I'll agree that the daisy chain setup on the Big Shot pack (on the right) isn't ideal. It does look rather limited upon first glance. However, one could fashion an effective lashing setup by incorporating the two compression straps on each side of the pack, and maybe even the two compression straps on the bottom of the pack. It is actually a pretty versatile setup.

I looked at both of those TNF packs this past winter, but wasn't happy with how they fit me with a full load. They are both nice packs, though. Decently made.

I like the bungie system on smaller packs (< 2000 ci). On larger packs where heavier loads may be carried, I personally prefer a compression flap/shovel pocket setup.
 
I use the shock cords on the left hand picture to trap clothing layers I've shed, and the daisy chain on the right to secure my ice axe, drinking cup, stove, whatever.
 
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