Aarn Effortless Rhythm – Lightweight Balance Pack for Extended Expeditions
A twin-compartment, load-balancing pack built for week-long treks, alpine climbs, and heavy-haul adventures. Designed to keep you upright, stable, and comfortable, even with high-volume loads.

Field Use
• Ideal for long-distance backpacking, mountaineering, and extended bushcraft trips
• Transfers heavy weight to the hips while allowing full hip and shoulder mobility
• Excels in technical terrain, steep ascents, and when carrying high, heavy volumes
• Compatible with Aarn Balance Pockets for greater stability, posture, and front-access storage

Features & Technical Details
• Dual waterproof compartments with roll-top closures
• Separate lower compartment for sleeping gear or wet clothing
• Rear hydration-compatible compartment with shock cord and gear lashing points
• Side tabs for attaching Lasso Lock Straps or additional gear
• Compatible with ice axes, trekking poles, crampons, helmets, snowboard, snow shovel, and climbing gear
• Optional Balance Gear Racks for carrying climbing hardware off-shoulder
• Materials: 500D Kodura nylon; 210D & 40D ripstop nylon
• Frame: Hollow 6001 T6 stays, 7075 T6 alloy load transfer tubes, Multi-Flexi Flow hipbelt pivot
• Color: Green/Grey

Balance Pockets (Optional)
• Sport-Regular (10L / 12L) or Expedition (15L / 18L) sizes
• Waterproof Dri-liners, rain-protected zip flaps, mesh exterior pockets with compression cords
• Converts to a front-worn daypack with included shoulder and sternum straps
• Enhances stability, energy efficiency, and reduces fatigue

Specifications
• Volume: Main pack + optional front pockets (varies by configuration)
• Construction: Lightweight, water-resistant, and durable
• Fit: Adjustable for all body types with load-balancing design
• Country of Origin: New Zealand

Whether you’re hauling a week’s gear into the backcountry or navigating alpine approaches with a technical load, the Effortless Rhythm keeps you balanced, upright, and ready for the next push.

SPECIFICATIONS

BALANCE POCKETS

Front Balance Pockets allow for high weights without feeling intrusive. Balance Pockets attach easily to Aarn’s comfortable backpacks and convert easily into a daypack after clipping on the shoulder and sternum straps. Hiking, backpacking, and exploring the outdoors has never been easier!

• Either 10 or 12 liter front Sport-Regular Balance Pockets, or 15 liter or 18 liter Expedition Balance Pockets can be used with this pack. Pockets provide greater stability and balance, and a more upright posture. This translates to much less fatigue and strain.
• Shoulder and sternum straps are included for converting the pockets into a daypack, which is carried on the front of the body for maximum security and easy gear access.
• Front pockets have waterproof Dri-liners, accessible zip flaps to protect items from the rain, and four mesh exterior pockets with compression cords.
• The design of the Front Balance Pockets, which includes four mesh exterior pockets with compression chords, is to provide maximum comfort, organization, and accessibility. Attach to the Aarn balance pack for an unmatched outdoors experience.

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• Sport Balance Pockets - Mid-volume balances unobtrusiveness and weight carrying ability

MORE ACCESSORIES

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These allow you to clip climbing hardware on the larger models with Pelvic Form Hipbelts.

Alternative to sternum straps when Balance Pockets are not used.

Hold tent, poles, foam pad, etc. on pack sides.

Allow skis to be attached to the pack sides and locked to prevent movement

Allow a snowboard to be attached to the pack and locked to prevent movement

DESIGN

FITTING

Instructions also apply to attaching Balance Pockets

WHAT MAKES AN AARN PACK DIFFERENT?

TESTIMONIALS

" I broke my back some years ago (T7 and T8) and have problems now carrying weight for any length of time. I get a real pain like a knife stabbing me between the shoulder blades. But, not when using your Bodypack design!"

Julian Daly, Nelson NZ

Absolutely the most comfortable pack for my shoulders and neck that I have ever had in 25 years of tramping.’

Meg Kilvington, Christchurch, NZ

"Effortless Rhythm with its two frames could have been designed for me personally. Many years ago, I had a small accident involving a bomb. As a result, I have less muscle mass on one side of my back than on the other. Being able to customize the frames separately means it is the first pack that really fits like a glove."

Hamish Alkman, Limoges, France

I had no aches or pains in my shoulders or hips despite my unfamiliarity with carrying a heavy load. The pack moved with me and didn’t prevent or hinder natural body movement. The precision shaping of the hipbelt made it so comfortable. The Balance Pockets worked well to balance the weight distribution. A very impressive performance, certainly the best pack I have used. I am selling my highly-rated NZ backpack so I can purchase an Aarn Bodypack.

Paul Moreham, Christchurch, NZ

I used Effortless Rhythm on the Copeland Pass crossing. This is really quite amazing. I was able to walk with it for 3 days and remove it at the end without a single sore spot or any indication that I’d been wearing a pack at all."

Julian Maclaren, Christchurch, NZ.

"For the past 7 years, I've worked as a guide and national park ranger on the Overland Track in Tasmania. I walk literally thousands of kilometers carrying heavy packs every year as part of my jobs and have used and have trialed a wide range of different pack makes and models. I've just returned from an eight-day ranger shift trialing Effortless Rhythm with Balance Pockets and Pacerpoles. Both the pack and poles have far, far surpassed my expectations. I was carrying around 30kg for the first couple of the days and was truly impressed by the comfort and freedom of movement allowed by the pack - the Effortless Rhythm is aptly named! The Balance Pockets are an excellent innovation, of which I was skeptical to begin with. Initially I found the pack slightly awkward to put on with these full, but soon got used to it and found the benefits far outweighed any slight inconvenience. Having the weight central to the body meant the pack felt like it was part of your body, walking as if I wasn't carrying any weight at all, and was great for balance. The Pockets also meant that I could have all my essentials and equipment close at hand and could do so much more on the move. With the weight in the pack neutral to the body even with large weights I found I conserved so much more energy and there was much less strain on my body. I have not tried found or used any other pack that could match this. The design of the poles was similarly impressive. Walking using poles with hands in a neutral position is excellent. My hands stayed comfortable after using the poles all week and they were far more energy efficient than other poles I have used.

From the first day, all I could do was rave, and I have had many people over the week, both guides and other walkers, express interest in both the pack and poles. I can't recommend this equipment highly enough, and it would be a privilege to trial and recommend your equipment to clients and other walkers."

Nick Tyson, Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania

" I initially purchased the Sport Balance Pockets, but once I had seen the attention to detail and quality build, I was convinced to put aside my 'leading name brand' pack and move to an Aarn Bodypack. I purchased the Effortless Rhythm to complete the system. The first impression was that this system is designed by people who had spent a lot of time thinking about carrying loads. The pack is a clean highly functional design with everything knitting together to make a complete highly efficient system. All other packs you may haul on your back, but this one you wear like a coat it is so comfortable. This system is the only one that I have found that truly allows you to get a 'perfect fit'. When wearing the body pack I was outright amazed to have no pain in the shoulders, back, or hips even after hours of hard tramping. Couple this with a huge increase in walking efficiency, and the advantages of this system really come into their own. I have been tramping for over 30 years, carrying loads around 35 - 40kgs at times. I have been involved in Search and Rescue and have tried a wide range of different gear. Nothing at all that I have seen, tried, or owned previously comes anywhere close to the quality, design, and outstanding common sense system that Aarn delivers."

George Turner. Nelson, New Zealand

Auyuittuq Pass Expedition, Baffin Island

" Despite all my efforts to minimize pack weight, my old pack was over 30 kg. You can’t say it was pleasant to carry; initially, all our sacs were far too heavy to lift onto our backs alone, so we always stopped by rocks where we could sit and slide out of our sacs. I became more and more converted by my low-loader, front Balance Pockets and all (nicknamed ’Boobs’). Canadians are so traditional, I endured endless grief about my odd sac, but occasionally with the sun to the side I would glance at our shadows and sure enough there was a bunch of hikers hunched forward under their loads except for one short guy who seemed to be standing upright... Smugly I remembered my 20% energy saved! When I first tried the Effortless Rhythm I was not sure how much difference it would make, but swapping back to a traditional sac (I carried a few peoples’ sacs across a few rivers) it was instantly obvious that the Aarn’s claim about posture was correct. In addition, the load was kept very low and compact, great for crossing moraine and rivers and definitely the most stable sac on the trip."

Tom Sibbald, Windermere, UK