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4 months of light hiking ONLY! Aaaarrrgggghhh!
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Home › Forums › General Forums › General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion › 4 months of light hiking ONLY! Aaaarrrgggghhh!
- This topic has 13 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by Paul Magnanti.
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Feb 23, 2016 at 2:56 pm #3384088
Today I got the bad news from my orthopedic surgeon after he looked at my MRI pics.
My right shoulder has two bone spurs which have impinged on and cut two tendons, one being the bicep tendon, right in front and too near a pack shoulder strap. He will put in at least two screws and re-attach my tendons with stitches of thread which are then wrapped on the screws which are in my bone.
I have two screws from this doc in my left shoulder from an operation three years ago. And I can tell you that I am now a believer when they tell me shoulder repair surgery is much more painful than either knee or hip replacement surgery. Even small tension on the newly installed screws caused deep bone pain.
Oh well, at 72 I guess I have to expect parts to wear out and get some “bionic” repairs. The good news is that I can hike with a big fanny pack… very carefully.
Feb 23, 2016 at 4:29 pm #3384107Can you hike with a VERY large fanny pack with a single modified shoulder strap? I know with my pack setup, a Burn, that I can do this because I often hike like this. I would probably attach an extra large sternum strap that went all the around to to body of the pack if it was for a longer distance.
I have have a staple in my shoulder to repair a severely dislocated shoulder. Unfortunately in my PCT thru I ended up dislocating both of my shoulders, several days apart likely due to upper body muscle loss.
Hope me your healing is fast and creativity puts you back on the trail.
Feb 23, 2016 at 5:49 pm #3384123AnonymousInactive“Oh well, at 72 I guess I have to expect parts to wear out and get some “bionic” repairs. The good news is that I can hike with a big fanny pack… very carefully.”
Keep moving, Eric. It ain’t over ’til the gravitationally challenged lady sings.
Feb 23, 2016 at 6:03 pm #3384124Malto,
Thanks for the single shoulder strap idea. I’ll try it. In the Mojave the big weight factor is water. I take at least 3 liters for a 4 hour hike, just for safety in case I get stranded.
Yeah Tom, I hear you. “Keep on keeping’ on” is the motto of geezers. “The first 100 years are the hardest.” or so I’ve been told. ;o)
Feb 23, 2016 at 6:49 pm #3384135Hi Eric,
Get get yourself sorted out and back fighting fit.
I started using a bum bag (fanny pack) for xc skiing last year and really like it.
Best of luck,
Feb 23, 2016 at 8:06 pm #3384151Would car camping with day hikes be an option? In dispersed areas, it can even be remote. Just an idea anyway.
Feb 23, 2016 at 8:25 pm #3384160Eric,
You’ll be back at in full force before you know it. It’s guys like you and Tom K that inspire me that I will hopefully be hiking for many more years.
Feb 24, 2016 at 7:09 am #3384214How about a maxped Jumbo?
Nothing about it lightweight but with the hipstrap cinched it’s surprisingly comfortable.
I wear mine sometimes as i find it useful to be able to swing it round to access stuff
Feb 24, 2016 at 7:24 am #3384216Sorry to hear you are limited for a bit, but it sounds like you have a game plan to work though it. I am sure you saw it but recently an old thread about backpacks without shoulder straps resurfaced that might have some ideas you could use.
Feb 24, 2016 at 8:58 am #3384232Eric,
I really like to use an old fanny pack of mine when possible for day hikes as my neck/shoulder does not like weight. The fanny pack body is large enough to take lunch and rain jacket, sun screen etc. on the bottom of the pack is a pair of straps that works for a piece of extra clothing rolled up. One problem comes up when I need more water than the two water bottle pockets will hold. My solution was to sew two small, maybe 1″ pieces of webbing, one on either side. I fish a mini beaner through each piece of webbing and then I can clip on a one liter Nagene bottle through the cap retainer loop to each side of my fanny pack. Yes, they flop around a bit, but it’s tolerable and much better than the weight on my shoulders. This set up gets me up around a gallon of water for a long day hike in the desert.billy
Feb 24, 2016 at 2:47 pm #3384329Ooh you guys are giving my ideas for my old ginormous fanny pack. It was intended to be used with a separate halter system that I never purchased. But I think a single over-the-shoulder strap would actually be a lot better. Add a couple of hip-belt pouches and some beer bottle holders to the waist belt and it might actually hold enough for a quickie overnighter in good weather.
Feb 24, 2016 at 4:07 pm #3384350Here is a possible solution to the water weight. I have attached a total of four pouches for water and food and another two for commonly used small stuff. Nth at would give you the ability to get 8+ lbs out of the pack and onto your hips.
Mar 8, 2016 at 10:07 am #3387558Paul,
Have you been talking to my wife? She said the same thing. So I guess it’s going to be car camping and day hikes at least until my PT tells me I can begin trying a daypack.
I do have a huge Ski Patrol 1st aid fanny pack that I might try as well.
Mar 8, 2016 at 10:23 am #3387565Have you been talking to my wife? She said the same thing. So I guess it’s going to be car camping and day hikes at least until my PT tells me I can begin trying a daypack.
Ha! Part of the reason why I suggested car camping is that *my* wife enjoys being out there but does not enjoy backpacking as much.
She enjoy places a little less popular, dispersed camping and is content to be somewhere without a lot of amenities that established campgrounds may have.
I have found over the years that car camping does allow places that aren’t backpacking destinations to be explored more. (The ancient Puebloan areas are among the first that comes to mind).
In any case, enjoy the car camping. It can be another enjoyable way to be outside.
Best of luck with the recovery, too.
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