Carbon Fiber External Hiking Pack Frame

The purpose of this project was to design and manufacture a carbon fiber pack frame that was at least 50 percent lighter than the original aluminum frame, was compatible with the existing hardware, and would stand on its own at a maximum load of 55 pounds. When it comes to hiking, the less weight you have to carry around, the easier and more enjoyable your adventure will be. Cutting down on initial weight of the carrying devise seemed like the most appropriate place to start. The first step was to determine what material would be most effective in achieving the desired results and be both feasible and cost effective for the scope of the project. The next step was to design and draw the new frame and all of its components and all of the necessary mounting locations for the existing cloth portion of the backpack and the addition of feet to make it stand. This was done on the CAD program, Solidworks, in a university computer lab. Next, analysis of the design and material was done to ensure failure would not occur under static and dynamic situations which the frame would be subject to. Lastly, the tubes that make up the framework were manufactured in a university lab, using wet-layup with a standard weave carbon fiber fabric and two part epoxy resin. Parts were cut to size and assembled with a high strength epoxy. The results will be measured against the frame’s abilities to conform to the criteria constraining the project.