Lumbar pack

I see that :) and in this thread an interest in hunting http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=39753

she'll be looking at Gransfor Bruks axes in no time :)

I have gone for 3 days and 2 nights with my Mt Smith lumbar pack. I don't recall the model but it is the largest and only really works if I use the shoulder strap with it to keep it from bouncing.

That said, it weighs more than my SMD Swift and is less comfortable but it is as tough as nails. I use it mostly for late spring/late summer/early fall canyon trips where I am packing very light and not cooking. The only advantage I find at this point is being able to hike shirtless and work on my tan. ;-)

>Piper just expressed an interest in going bushcraft.
>
>Attack!

Ha ha. Only if I get to hunt something. My real name is Diane. My mom named me after Diana, goddess of the hunt. Normally I just hunt for the trail.

I had major back surgery 2-3 summers ago (fusing 3 vertebrate together). I had been feeling great so I decided to give ultralight backpacking a try. I went on 2 backpacking trips, 18 miles and 30 miles, on two different weekends. Now, my big toe has gone numb and I keep pulling my back. I think I overdid it but was wondering if backpacking is out of the question for me now. I had asked my chiropractor if day hiking would be feasible. He thought that was a great idea. So the next weekend, I only took my backpack with 10 essentials, food and water. I left my tent, sleeping bag and pad in the car. My back was still bothered. I then asked the chiropractor about day hiking with a lumbar pack only. He thought that was a lot better idea since the weight would be below the site of my surgery. I have been looking at day hiking options but after seeing some people get their base pack weights down to <5 lbs, I started wondering if I could start ultralight fannybacking instead.

Mountain Smith makes a 800 cu in lumbar pack. It IS heavy compared to my current backpack but maybe I can sew one using a similar design with cuben fiber or Spectra fabric. Reading several of the comments here has given me hope that I don't have to give up overnight 'backpacking" if I can switch to ultralight fannypacking.

I'm going to take about a month off since I'll be traveling the weekends any way to see if the inflammation will decrease. I think I will give day hiking with a lumbar pack a try then add in my bag, pad, and a light weight tarp.

I pack less than 3 lbs in my RikSak 2.1oz with WM Highlite sleeping bag (16oz), Zpacks Hexamid Twin Tarp (Extended Beak with bug screen) at 11.75oz, Gossamer Gear Nighlight Sleeping Pad (Torso length) at 3.65oz, Cocoon Silk Sleeping Bag line at 4.5 oz for a total of 2.37 lbs on my back.

The remaining 10 pounds (including the weight of lumbar pack) with all my food and water go into my Mountainsmith Daylight. It is a 5.75 pound base weight including extra socks and driver's license and 6.35 lbs of water and food but is a lot better for my back. The Mountainsmith keeps most of the weight below the place of my surgery with its screws and pins to hold my vertebrate together. I never thought I would be able to backpack again. This thread got me thinking that it was possible and indeed it has been for 3 trips already.

I'll post an updated Gear List on my blog at http://www.hikingfreedom.com

since this thread fizzd out about 3 yrs ago (forthemostpart)…and since i too love my lumbar packs, as well as the freedom of an open, breathing upper back…and having just read about the packs in this thread, in the 850-1300 cu range…and especially the idea of combining shoulder straps…and w/ the advent of the sawyer mini, cuben tarps, etc, the general shrinking and lightening of SUL loads…I thought I would resurrect it!

Has anyone progressed in this area in recent years? Does anyone wanna share their overnight lumbar packing tales / methods / gear list?

Has anyone converted a suitable large lumber "frame" into a LW version of sil or dyneema or the like?

/Sweatyback Brian

Doug I's "Half Pack" is a cool design. Can find it under "half pack" I believe.

It is built by Chris Zimmer and made of cuben & dyneema. Very cool. Check it out.

I bought his first version from him and while I liked it, I wasn't a fan of the way the straps would get "tangled" when removing/putting on the pack so I sold it here. But the cooler back is WAAAAAAAY nice!

I too have a bad back that includes 2 herniated discs @ L4 L5. Backpacking actually feels good. I guess everyone has their own pain and issues. Works for some and not for others.

The fanny pack idea would totally work. When we were kids we would eat a big dinner and just hand carry a sleeping bag in to the woods about a mile from our house and sleep for the night. Keep in mind this was summer in San Diego at sea level.

Todd (and Doug if listening)

how do you think the half pack would have gone if instead of having shoulder straps, it had a more substantial waist belt instead? Like a twin buckle strap, some denser foam/plastic, etc? I was thinking with the new SMD packs and their waist belt, I could easily buy the waist belt and then make a simple lumbar pack out of cheap material to attach to that to test. I'm not worried the extra few ounces or so from the more substantial waist belt, the benefits of the lumbar pack are elsewhere, the comfort will more than pay for it.

Adam,

I like your idea, I'm just not sure it's easy to do in practice.

With the half pack, as is it would bounce way too much w/o straps. To function comfortably and properly w/o shoulder straps, I think a lumbar pack that big needs two (or maybe three) straps connecting the packbag to the belt (think a two-strap hipbelt adjustment, if that makes sense) to limit bouncing. A top strap from the bag to the belt, and a corresponding strap on the bottom (better still: one of each on both ends) might round it out nicely.

In addition, a substantial belt would be a must.

Jack Haskel had a video of him doing a Sierra trip with just a lumbar pack after he broke his collarbone. I don't see the video up anymore, but you could PM him

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/profile.html?u=Found

What Bob said. I could do it now, but I'd be less comfortable.

When we were kids – middle school/young teens – we very much wanted to wake up in Red Dawn or some other McCarthian paranoia turned reality. In short, we thought military surplus was cool. So we did trips with a variety of gear, combat gear included. There's a Lumbar pack in the ALICE or pre-ALICE combat system that goes on the waist belt and attaches to the suspenders. We did many overnight trips with this setup. Usually carrying a blanket or poncho liner and foam pad rolled together, all strapped to the top. It's doable. We cooked in the canteen cup (also on the belt) and carried at least the 10 essentials. Shelter would have been a poncho. We didn't set them up. Just rolled up in them in the rare event that we got weather. It was Georgia and not winter, so … we had it pretty easy. Summer in California could likely be even easier. Same bugs, less heat.

Check out Intese Angler’s Super Ultralight Backpacking Trip with a lumbar pack . He also has several videos about the contents of his pack
Super Ultralight Backpacking Gear – Part 1
Super Ultralight Backpacking Gear – Part 2
Super Ultralight Backpacking Gear – Part 3
Super Ultralight Backpacking Gear – Part 4

thanx Link
his vids r exactly what i found in researching the topic. he has lots to say, and may enjoy hearing himself speak LOL.

his TIP on the many uses of drinking straws is also good.

I like his videos also , he has so many interesting ones .