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Backpacker Joe
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Joined: 16 Dec 2001
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Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostFri Aug 09, 2019 10:12 am 
Well, I figure at some time Dan McHale is going to retire and not make packs anymore. So I decided I wanted another mid sized panel loading (I have one with different colors) pack from Dan. I love the one I have so much I decided to double up. LOL His access to the Dyneema fabric he used on my first one is gone, so this one is made out of another different style of Dyneema. This material is a little bit thicker and stiffer, but its super tough and super lite. Dan McHale little big (around 3000 ci with the outside pocket) day pack. Ive gone four days using my other one.
His packs are like nothing else Ive ever worn. If you ever get the chance I highly recommend having him measure you up and build one for you.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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reststep
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reststep
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PostFri Aug 09, 2019 11:26 am 
Looks nice. How much does it weigh?

"The mountains are calling and I must go." - John Muir
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Backpacker Joe
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Joined: 16 Dec 2001
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Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostSat Aug 10, 2019 11:04 am 
It weighs a little over 2.5 lbs.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Kat
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Joined: 05 Oct 2003
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Kat
Turtle Hiker
PostSat Aug 10, 2019 6:57 pm 
Interesting design with that strap-on day pack. Looks like a nice pack.

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joker
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Joined: 12 Aug 2006
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joker
seeker
PostSat Aug 10, 2019 8:00 pm 
Good idea I think I'll go get another one from him too!

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Chief Joseph
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Chief Joseph
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PostSun Aug 11, 2019 8:58 pm 
Backpacker Joe wrote:
His packs are like nothing else Ive ever worn. If you ever get the chance I highly recommend having him measure you up and build one for you
I'll get right on it, just as soon as my oil well comes in.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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Backpacker Joe
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Joined: 16 Dec 2001
Posts: 23956 | TRs | Pics
Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostMon Aug 12, 2019 8:09 am 
Chief Joseph wrote:
Backpacker Joe wrote:
His packs are like nothing else Ive ever worn. If you ever get the chance I highly recommend having him measure you up and build one for you
I'll get right on it, just as soon as my oil well comes in.
Wise guy! You dont have to get all the exotic fabrics. You can get them in regular nylon.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Dante
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Dante
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PostMon Aug 12, 2019 3:50 pm 
I can't afford to buy a second one. I'm 55, so the one I have will probably last the rest of my life. That said, I sure wish I'd ponied up the cash for a McHale 20 years earlier doh.gif

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kraitcatcher
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Joined: 26 Sep 2003
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Location: chalmette,la.
kraitcatcher
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PostWed Oct 23, 2019 7:51 pm 
Hey Joe,I have a McHale and it is the best pack I have ever worn. I’m hoping to get another one,a bit smaller like the Bump 32. You say he can’t get the same Dyneema any more? Does that mean no more small grid in black? James

currently looking for backpacking partners for next may for a week in the trinity alps,asnd some other trips and help on a book that will involve tons of camping
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Backpacker Joe
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Joined: 16 Dec 2001
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Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostWed Oct 23, 2019 7:56 pm 
kraitcatcher wrote:
Hey Joe,I have a McHale and it is the best pack I have ever worn. I’m hoping to get another one,a bit smaller like the Bump 32. You say he can’t get the same Dyneema any more? Does that mean no more small grid in black? James
James, not at all. There is/are all kinds of grid fabrics. The original Dyneema Dan used for years dried up. The Dyneema he has now is simply different. This latest pack is still Dyneema. Frankly the fabric seems more rigid, more stout, stronger. I like it. Get a hold of Dan.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Malachai Constant
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Malachai Constant
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PostWed Oct 23, 2019 9:03 pm 
MaCale packs are the bomb, and they can be anything you want them to be.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Backpacker Joe
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Joined: 16 Dec 2001
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Location: Cle Elum
Backpacker Joe
Blind Hiker
PostThu Oct 24, 2019 9:44 am 
Malachai Constant wrote:
MaCale packs are the bomb, and they can be anything you want them to be.
up.gif

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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cascadetraverser
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cascadetraverser
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PostThu Oct 24, 2019 2:44 pm 
I have enjoyed mine for the last 6 years and bought my wife one as well. Your idea of getting another is smart. They are pricey though. You might just have started a mini business boom for Dan if we all get another one....

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Downhill
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Joined: 30 Jul 2018
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Downhill
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PostTue Nov 05, 2019 2:57 pm 
I got these two McHale packs within a year or two of each other sometime around 1988-1991 I would guess. Other than an Arcteryx day pack, these are the only packs I've used since I got them and given the level of wear showing after 25+ years compared to their owner, I'm sure they will long outlast me. My packs are more minimalistic than most that Dan made and sold. I had to beg him to not put on all the gadgets, pockets, pads, pouches, panels, zippers, and misc features he was so keen at thinking up. Most were really cool ideas but added cost, weight, and complexity over what I wanted.
The blue/grey pack I had made for more technical climbing so it has a narrower vertical profile. It was also made entrirely out of cordura for durability while hauling and added water repellency. The purple/green pack is a bit lighter and roomier. Both packs were made without padding on the back so they are more easily hauled but this means they are a bit sweatier than other designs. Both packs have removable double-fold back pads for sleeping and extra long internal "skirts" allowing the packs to be used as 2/3 bivi sacks. Besides being super-well made and durble, I have found these packs to be very comortable and can carry very heavy loads if packed carefully. I won't need another pack in my lifetime but if I was in the market for a new pack, I would likely get another McHale.

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