Backpack (unloading vs taking off)

[PlayDiscGolf]

I don't know if it's been mentioned before, but I've thought about the concept/idea of an automatic complete removal of the backpack in dire times of need. You could have the option of full removal to allow for improved mobility (decrease any carrying weight to just the clothes you're wearing). If you've become over encumbered due to fatigue or illness, you could remove your backpack to speed up your cadence (walking speed) while keeping all of your belongings in a contained bag waiting to be picked up and worn when ready. After full removal, you could go back in to grab any necessary items, but only what you could carry or put in your jacket/pants pockets...

Hope you guys and gals like the idea and we can expand on what it could bring to the game! 

[Fitz]

I like this idea a lot, but I'm not such a fan of the idea of being able to fill your pockets. Instead I think you should just take your activated item. And before you can haul other items again you either have to retrieve your backpack or make a new one. This would be a good way of placing emergency caches around the world.

[Mroz4k]

I always thought it would be better if the player was first starting off with a small backpack, one which was unable to carry too much gear in it, and that those "backpack" containers found throughout the world would have different "stats" and this way, a player could eventually find a bigger backpack to carry. I wouldn't go down the "crafting" road, honestly - no backpack you could make out of the natural resources would be even close to the industrially made ones - a leather backpack gets easily soaked and incredibly heavy - so unless it would be crafted out of an industrially made tarp, I don't think you would do well crafting backpacks.

As for "throwing away your backpack" - this is deemed to be incredibly unwise in any survival situation. You do this in a storm, not only would you (in reality) never find your backpack again, you would also be taking an extreme risk that you would need something from that backpack and you would have nothing on you anymore. 

The only things you really need to "drop" quickly are baits and smelly items used as baits, and for that all you need to do is just spam the number 3 which is a shortcut for baits. If you want to drop more items, I think going into your inventory to drop them rather than discarding the whole backpack is better.

[The Don Patrol]

It's normally not advisable, no, but the advantage here would be quick escape, perhaps.  Let's say, you've found a cache of canned food and you're on your way to your base and then you're suddenly beset by wolves.  You're close enough to run to your house, but you can't run because you're over-encumbered. If you could drop your pack, it could save your life.  I don't think anyone would take too much issue if you couldn't collect anything else until retrieving the pack (or remains thereof), that would be fine, since wolves eventually move on or at least hunker down for storms.