Bushwalk Australia

I recently got a used Golite Jam 50 and I want to build a frame for it.

Initial thoughts are to use 6mm aluminium solid tube, however I can only find it in 1m lengths. I'm also thinking about 10mm hollow tube, which I would think would be stiffer, as well as being lighter, but a lot harder to bend.

Does anyone have any advice on how to join the two sections of bar together in a way that will be strong?

I made a frame for my Golite Pinnacle using 10mm hollow tent poles (just old poles from a tent I no longer wanted). I made two vertical struts and a horizontal top strut. To join the struts at the corners, I used an elbow join for 13mm poly-tubing purchased from Bunnings for a couple of dollars. I might have wrapped a bit of tape around the pole ends to get a tight fit. It's plenty strong enough.

The frame is inserted into the pouch that holds a foam backing mat. There are a couple of designs of poly-tubing elbows: best is the one that is quite smooth all round. The one that has a more rectangular design needed to be shaved down a bit or it would rub holes into the pouch.

Works like a charm, I use the pack everywhere and the 100 g frame has converted it into a super comfy pack that keeps its shape and can handle big loads when I need them.

I ended up using both the tube and full section.

First I bent the tube over a bench to contour it to my back. I used a pre bent framesheet from another backpack for a guide.



Then I cut the top and bottom stays to size.

I kinked the inserts so it was a very tight fit into the vertical stays, this means that they won't rotate when the bag is loaded.



Voila! Total weight - 90g. I've put 10kg in the pack and it carries fine.



The down side is that I suspect this is a 35L pack, not the 50 as advertised. Unless Golite include the pockets as part of the volume?

HI Rolfex

Please help. I have a pinnacle pack and was also thinking of inserting a frame. I have most of the al tube and connectors you mention. Please let me know what you did with the existing pad? Did you leave it in the sleeve and of so, how does it co-exist with the frame you added? Thanks.

Hi Perry, the frame I made sits over the top of the pad, so that the pad is between my back and the frame.

Thanks Rolfex. Will give it a go.