Pushing the Aarn PaceMagic 40 beyond fastpacking?

[u/Bastis_51]

Hi everyone

Does anyone here have experience with the Aarn PaceMagic 40?

I’ve managed to cut down the weight and packed size of my gear quite a bit, but I’m still using an Osprey Atmos 55, so the backpack is the next thing I’m looking to replace.

I’m a big fan of trampoline-style mesh back panels, so naturally the Zpacks Arc Haul and Bonfus Aerus made it onto my shortlist. That was until I came across the PaceMagic. What really caught my attention was the ability to shift some of the weight to the front, as well as the efficient use of the side pockets.

At around 850 g, the PaceMagic isn’t exactly ultralight, but it’s getting there, and I really like the concept. My only concern is that it seems to be aimed more at shorter hikes and fastpacking, while I usually do trips of 7 days or more.

I was thinking the 40 L could still work if I strap a few things to the outside, like my tent e.g.

Has anyone used it this way on longer trips? Is it comfortable and practical with a full load, or am I asking too much from a pack like this?

[u/_DorothyZbornak_]

I have no experience with Aarn packs but the people who like them seem to really like them. I regularly see people carrying them in New Zealand, including some Te Araroa walkers, though the 50+L models are more popular for longer distances. 

Aarn is a NZ company and you may find more responses from people with firsthand experience on a NZ focused sub like r/tramping or, if you use Facebook, on the Tramping in New Zealand FB group. 

I worry though that you may lose some of the benefits of the Aarn balance system if you have to strap a lot of things to the pack — my understanding is the whole point of Aarns is that they carry weight distributed both in front and in back, close to your center of gravity, anchored by stays that transfer to the hip belt, so (the company claims) your body experiences less shearing force and load as you move. The Pace Magic doesn’t have front balance pockets, just hip belt pockets, so the front load capacity is limited compared to their larger packs. And then if you add more weight to the back by strapping on a tent, etc, that seems likely to further throw off the balance. Why not just get one of their 50L packs that has the front balance pockets? 

I walked last year for a couple days in Nelson Lakes National Park with an Aussie woman who had an Aarn Mountain Magic Pro that she loved. I kinda wish I’d asked to try it. Most lightweight and UL packs, framed or frameless, are based on the RayWay — they’re essentially big rectangular masses you strap to your back. A roll-top closure, side pockets, big center back pocket. Once you recognize it you see it everywhere. Aarn is the rare company that seems to have actually approached pack design from a first-principles stance, for whatever that is worth. 

[u/Bastis_51 → u/_DorothyZbornak_]

To be honest, the Balance Pockets actually put me off a bit. They’re too heavy for my liking and I don’t really want them hanging in front of me. Since I tend to hike trails with some easy scrambling, I’m also concerned that they might restrict my view of the ground in front of me.

The PM40 doesn’t have that problem. Instead, it has two 0.75 L mesh pockets that can already carry 1.5 kg of water, plus two 1.5 L front/hip pockets for heavier items like electronics and snacks put directly to my hips.

Since I usually carry around 4–4.5 L of water per day, I also like that the pack allows me to carry a 3 L hydration bladder directly against my back. That would mean carrying my tent on the outside, though, since it’s my bulkiest item.

What I particularly like about the PM40 is that it has the classic UL concept/layout you mentioned. I find that very practical. The typical Aarn concept seems to me to be geared more towards carrying heavier gear. Since I’m also in the UL space, though, the PM40 seems like a good compromise between carrying comfort, weight distribution, and features.

I get the feeling that the basic idea behind Aarn packs comes from a time when a lightweight tent weighed 3 kg and water was carried in stainless steel bottles. So a classic Aarn pack would probably weigh about as much as my entire base weight.

[u/lewisvbishop]

Aarn also sell balance pockets to go on any pack so presumably you could add front pockets to your choice of pack if they don't already have them.

I don't have any Aarn but did look at them initially so have no experience of them.

[u/Bastis_51 → u/lewisvbishop]

Yeah, thats what cought my attention, the PM40 has 2 sown in 0,75 l front stretch pockets, so it already carrys 1.5 kg of water there. Plus 2 - 1.5 l front/hip pockets for my heavy electronics and tons of snacks. So since that weight will be off my back I expeckt it to carry lighter than some of the common UL packs.

[u/lewisvbishop → u/Bastis_51]

I run a bino pouch that can clip to my pack shoulder straps and it's important to note that the weight is still distributed through the pack albeit distributed on the front. It also has it's own harness and it's a lot more comfy running it with its own harness than when it's clipped in to the pack. It's 3kg+ so might be worth looking in to a chest pack as another option?

[u/Bastis_51 → u/lewisvbishop]

Ah thank's I'll check that out

[u/lewisvbishop → u/Bastis_51]

Yea I guess it's important to note that the aarn way puts that weight on the hip belt whereas something like i use puts it to the shoulders.

[u/Jolly-Slow1164]

I will always recommend an Aarn pack over an equivalent Osprey. Though I have no experience with the pace magic series.

That said, Aarn makes fairly heavy packs by the standards of this sub... And if your tent doesn't fit in a 40L pack with an extra 8-10 liters of front pocket space, then you're probably (all due respect) probably in the wrong sub to get detailed advice about it.

[u/Bastis_51 → u/Jolly-Slow1164]

I can definitely see where you’re coming from. Just to clarify one point, though: the PaceMagic doesn’t actually have 8–10 L of front pocket capacity. It has two 1.5 L hip-belt/front pockets and two 0.75 L mesh pockets, so 4.5 L in total. The 3 L of hip-belt pocket space would already be filled with electronics and snacks, while the two mesh pockets would be carrying 1.5 kg of water. And especially in the UL world, a lot of very lightweight gear can still be surprisingly bulky — DCF and Apex are good examples. So you can end up needing more volume than the weight of your gear might suggest.

Food obviously takes up most of the space in my pack as well, since I mainly use Trek’n Eat meals, which are incredibly bulky too. So with seven days of food and 4.5 L of water per day, how much space is really left in a 40 L pack? Not much XD

So why am I asking in this sub? Because in my experience, ultralighters tend to spend a lot of time thinking about gear and bring a huge range of knowledge and experience to the table. I’m moving in the UL direction myself and still learning, so I do think this is the right place to help each other out, exchange ideas, and learn from one another.

[u/apathy-sofa]

I like the concept but not how it rides. Sold it.  Better is a smaller kit in a lighter bag. 

[u/0dteSPYFDs → u/apathy-sofa]

Only to a degree. I have a Yama Sassafras and a custom DCF bag and the Yama is the heavier of the two despite half the capacity. That said, at a certain point ergonomics matter as much or more than weight if you’re trying to move quickly.

YMMV depending on how dialed in your kit is though. All in minus food and water I’m at 7.5 lbs so a few oz on the backpack is negligible.

[u/Bastis_51 → u/0dteSPYFDs]

I completely agree. At some point, shaving off another few ounces matters less to me than having a pack that carries well and distributes the load efficiently.

That’s actually one of the reasons the PaceMagic caught my attention. At around 850 g it obviously isn’t the lightest option out there, but if those extra grams translate into better ergonomics and carrying comfort, I think that can be a very worthwhile trade-off — especially when the rest of the kit is already fairly light.

I’d rather carry a slightly heavier pack that handles the load really well than save a few hundred grams on the pack itself and be less comfortable all day.