15
Bending the Aluminum Stay
ArcLight™ frames include a single aluminum stay that parallels your spine
and gives the pack its shape. We pre-bend our stays to a shape that fits the
majority of people. When properly sized and fitted, a Dana Design® pack should
closely conform to the shape of your back. If it doesn’t, you should bend the
stay to match your back’s contours.
If you need to modify the stay’s shape, we strongly urge you to seek out a
Dana Design® dealer. All of our dealers have been trained in the proper fitting
of our packs. If that’s impossible, you can test your agility by using a mirror or
test a friendship by employing a friend.
Removing, Rebending and Replacing an ArcLight™ Stay
To remove the stay, look between the padded portion of the back panel
and the cloth pack bag. Pull up the hook-and-loop flap covering the top of the
padded back panel and locate the vertically oriented piece
of 1
1
⁄
2
inch webbing. The upper end of that piece of web-
bing is folded over the end of the stay. Pull the stay
straight up to remove it. Now pretend you have a
weighted pack on your back by adopting a slight
forward bend at the hips.
Position the stay along your spine so that the
bottom is two inches below a line connecting your
hip crests. The location of the upper end will vary,
depending on your torso length. The stay should
closely follow the curve of your back.
It’s easiest to bend the stay smoothly, without
creating kinks, if you bend it over a broad, rounded
surface like your thigh. Once the stay is shaped, re-
insert it into the 1
1
⁄
2
inch webbing slot sewn to the framesheet, being careful
to put it in right side up and with the lumbar and top curves facing the correct
way. Fold the end of the 1
1
⁄
2
inch webbing over the end of the stay, then fold
down the fabric flap.