Backpacking without a backpack

Elliott:

With a well-fitting pack, you can adjust the load lifters so that almost all the weight is on the hips — and the shoulder straps just serve the function of steadying the pack. Maybe careful adjustments (and restricting load to a reasonable amount) will work?

Moutainsmith has a good selection of lumbar packs. Take a look there.

Yes, you can call it a lumbar pack, a fanny pack, or a waist pack. You can carry it behind, or you can carry it in front and call it a kangaroo pack. A guy came on one of my trips with such a pack behind and one in front, so he had zero weight on his shoulders. I thought that was a little much, but if that's what you have to do to backpack, then so be it.

The largest packs like this can easily handle 10 pounds of load. I've managed to stuff 15 pounds into one, but it was not pretty. Rather than a weight capacity, most of them will run you into a volume capacity problem first.

There seem to be very few UL fanny packs on the market, and most of them are simply small in order to be light in weight.
–B.G.–

The backpacker magazine usually has an advertisement on the back for a backpack on wheels that is pulled behind you. I think it attaches to your waist. I don't have an issue handy to remember what it is called and a cursory internet search hasn't given me much. Maybe someone else can chime in.

Take a look at the Maxpedition Sabercat-Versipack. It's a high capacity lumbar pack with padded hip belt, no shoulder straps.

http://www.maxpedition.com

Jay, you are probably thinking of the Dixon roller pack.

At the risk of stating the obvious… careful not to push the lumbar pack too far! Last thing your wife needs after bad shoulders is a bad lower back!

Pressure on the shoulder straps ?
Most of the time I can slide a finger under my Aarn, the weight is all on my heaps.

Franco

I often hike with just the Mountainsmith "day" lumbar pack for under 3 days. My wife used it for three days in the Grand Canyon and loved it. I think the capacity is about 800ci + two water bottle pockets on the side. I use one of the water bottle pockets for the pad.

Lumbar packs are sensitive to the locaction of the weight. If the weight gets to far above or below the center of the pack they tend to "flop" around and pull at the hips. I try and keep anything heavy as close to the centerline of the belt as possible. This can make for some very strange packing strategies.

Final note; this lumbar pack weighs more than most ultra-light full size back packs. But if you have problems with weight on the shoulders it does work in that respect.

Elliott,

You might want to check out the Luxurylite External frame packs.

Denise, who went on the BPLer Hetch Hetchy trip, uses one…..he has a condition where he can have no weight on his shoulders without causing him serious pain.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=20617

The link above has photos of the setup and you might want to PM him to get more information on that pack that he uses.

Note: There are a lot of photos in the thread/link above….the photos of his setup are about 2/3 of the way down.

Hope this helps.

-Tony

Contact Ron Moak at Six Moon Designs. I haven't seen it, but according to some articles he had an issue that prevented him from carrying a traditional pack. He developed a "vest" harness for his Moonlight pack. It isn't listed on his web site, so you would need to talk directly to Ron.

Jim

I’ve done this. I broke my shoulder when a rickshaw that I was riding in flipped over in India. Less than two months after surgery, I was backpacking with a fanny pack solo in the Sierra. I used the Mountain Smith Day, it’s the best one that I could find after researching. Below are some videos from my hikes with it.

Pine Creek Pass

McGee Creek Pass

The LuxuryLite Condor Modular Pack System places almost all pack weight on the hip belt. And that belt is designed with that in mind. The shoulder straps only stabilizes the load except when you want to temporarily shift weight from the hips to the shoulders.
Ain’t cheap, but I have had great service/support from Warren Bruce.
http://www.luxurylite.com

Everybody and his brother has made lumbar packs along the way. Mountainsmith is a big player, but the weight will pop your eyeballs after looking at UL packs. You'll be hard pressed to wear one out. From my experience, Gregory has made the best lumbars on the light side.

If she can carry a load on one side, a light messenger might do the trick.

Hope she gets well soon!

That's a tough decision to carry weight when you're having shoulder issues.

Just the act of walking will put some stress on the shoulders.

I've used a Mountainsmith small fanny pack a few times. Ok for me with just a few items and water.

Your best solution will be for you to carry her load. Go for short trips or car camping until she recovers.

Good luck.

Dixon Roller Pack. Looks kinda cheesy, but its worth a try!!!

On the assumption that you will ensure her load is light, how about a tump line? You could improvise one, and as long as her load is light I doubt there would be any issue of her neck strength.

— MV

Disclaimer: I do have an interest in this product as I sell them through my store.

That out of the way, and take it with what ever grains of salt you want, But I final got the chance to try the DRP this past weekend and think that it would be a good option to consider. I hiked with about 30 pounds of gear simulating a 4 day trip with all of my gear, my son's gear(he is 6 and can't carry much of his own yet) and food and water for both of us. I hiked the majority of that with the shoulder straps totally off. I literally let them dangle from the waist belt behind me. Only hiking with the waist belt on. The design lets most of the weight be carried on the wheel. Out of that 30 pound load I felt less than 10 pounds on my hip belt. With an light weekend load and some creativity a person could cut the "felt" weight down to a very comfortable 5-8 pounds with out much trouble at all. You would be surprised at the sort of terrain that most folks would think it hard to use a pack like this in, but from my time testing it so far I have not been needed to slow down in any why to navigate the DPR through even some tough bits of trail. I has preformed better than I had expected it to, and I plan to use one for nearly every trip this year to give it a very through test. I know that a lot of the SUL folks will see it as a step in the other direction, but the amount of weight that you feel with the DRP is far less than what is actually in your pack. JMHO, YMMV

Paul
Arrowhead Equipment

Elliot, I have the same issue as your wife and as others have stated the Mountainsmith 'day' lumbar works very well for this application. I can do a 3 day solo w/ all of my gear, food and an esbit stove. The weight on your hips is no more than what one would experience w/ a traditional 30+ pack w/ a padded hipbelt. If your gear is already UL, she should have no problem carrying any compress-able sub 2 lb. sleeping bag, clothing, personal gear and sleeping pad.
For longer trips, you can carry the shelter and extra food :) It is a JOY to be able to backpack (lumbar pack?) pain free again!

aarn pack is the best pack i've ever used.

get a pack-mule?

Like others I think the answer to your wife's problem is an Aarn pack. It has the capacity to balance the load so that the shoulder straps carry no weight at all, they just stabilize the load which can be all on your hips. The shoulders can move freely because of the carriage system.

edit the load does go on your shoulders as you put the pack on until the hip belt is done up.