Backpacks today look nothing like the metal and canvas contraptions of the 1970s. Removable internal supports made of plastic have replaced external frames, and ripstop nylon now reigns supreme. No ...

Outdoor gear brand Kelty is well-known for its iconic external aluminum frame backpack, but over the years the brand has struggled to remain visible in a competitive field. Now, Kelty's parent company ...

The big external-frame pack has not quite gone the way of the dinosaurs, but for all intents and purposes it s extinct. The last serious effort to turn out a competitive external-frame pack came seven ...

In this column last month I covered two major companies, Kelty and JanSport, who will introduce retro-style, external-frame backpacks in 2011. The article pitched external-frame packs as bulky, ...