Kelty Trekker 65L External-Frame Backpack

Yeah, the Yukon seems to be marketed to youth, but fit-wise it is fully capable of being an adult pack. I am about 6‘ and am not even close to the frame length adjustment limits When adjusted correctly for me. The stock bag on the Yukon is fine for short to moderate length trips where I do not need a bear cannister. I also have a bigger bag from a (long discontinued) Kelty Sierra Crest that fits the frame. I bought it separately from a guy who just wanted the frame and had no need for the bag. So, it takes a few minutes to switch it out, but it is not a big deal and will take a bear can, as I suspect your Trekker will. As to bringing the pack in the tent, I am a hammock camper now, so it is not an issue for me anyway. Sometimes, if it is not too pitchy, I hang it from a tree with something like this https://dutchwaregear.com/product/big-carl-pack-hanger/ This works great. If it is raining, I put it under my tarp under my hammock on a ground sheet. I live in Western Oregon, so this is not uncommon for me to do that. As I push 60, I am strongly coming to the conclusion that aligned posture is where it's at for comfort and reducing injury, and even burning less energy. Though there are others, Aaarn packs leads the charge of balancing the load with significant weight carried in the front. I have not tried one of their packs, but just got a pair of their Universal Balance Bags, which work with other packs to get some weight up front. I have messed with makeshift ghetto versions of this idea and have high hopes for these bags with my Yukon and other externals I have. Most of my friends are closed-minded to trying an external, even when I offer to loan, and even give, them one of mine. IMHO, they don’t know what they are missing!

It was a big mistake when I gave my external pack to my son and then purchased an internal pack which is hot and killed my back. Only after building a custom hip suspension system could I use it. The plus of an internal pack is the narrowness makes it easier to bushwhack and to be able to use the bonnet for a day pack. Everything else is a pain in my opinion. Most of the time I am on maintained trails and I find the wider the pack, and the closer the load is to my center of gravity (front to back), the better my back feels and I have way better balance. Think of a tight rope walker. The longer the pole they carry the easier it is to balance as the weight is out to the sides. I also find I have better balance if I can get the weight low and on the external pack I love to strap my bear can on the bottom. If you have taken martial arts you know getting your body weight lower can keep you form being tripped or thrown. Balance and heat control become more of an issue as you get older. I find the fabric back support of the external frame pack does a good job of letting air cool your lower back. I am a fan of external packs if they have good hip and shoulder pads.

I kind of wish that I had looked a Yukon more knowing that someone has talked about it. I think 48L is probably a perfect size for what I need most of the time. Almost all of my trips are 1-2 nights when I go because it's really hard to coordinate with friends to get more than a couple days off on a weekend. Yukon is always marketed in descriptions as a "scout pack" so I thought it might not be big enough. I'm sure it is. The Trekker is a little too big for me to want to bring it in my tent, so that would be the only downside, it kind of takes a big amount of space because of the frame. It would fit in my Hubba Hubba, but it would be annoying. Haha. I have been fortunate that I haven't had bad weather but once with it, and the day I got rained on it was the hike out, so I didn't have to try and figure out how to keep it dry/dry it out. And you're right. It's not bright red in any way. It's burgundy. I may be able to dig up a photo later today of it in use. At this point I'll never get rid of it even I replace it for my own use, because it's an excellent loaner pack.