>>1574188Pretty much. They also have the advantage when you're carrying oddly shaped things, or for carrying out game.
External frame rucks were used heavily in the Vietnam era, and they persisted for a decade or so thereafter because of the surplus market, and because they were what veterans were familiar with. Now that the Vietnam guys are dying out and the surplus market is long exhausted, people are realizing that external frames don't really have much purpose for the average person.
Maybe if you're trying to lug a chainsaw or something deep in the woods, but otherwise there's no point in carrying the extra weight of a heavy frame.
