Girlfriend’s pack problem

I bought the ULA Ohm 2.0 for my daughter with the S-curve straps. Per Chris, these straps are ideal for women. I have the same pack with J-staps.

Weight transfer to the hips is great and neither of us feels any pressure on our shoulders. I think these packs are priced competitively for what they are.

Every single osprey I ever tried hurt my collarbones. And every woman I ever lent my ospreys to thought they hurt her collarbone. So there you go.

I've had the best results with the gossamer gear gorilla…the ULA was definitely better with the S straps.

One of the keys, I think, is to err on the side of too long a torso so the top of the shoulder strap is actually even with or even above her shoulders. If you think the shoulder straps are just for keeping the pack from tipping backwards and NOT for downward weight through the shoulders it makes way more sense.

Just keep trying packs…

In some cases, the collarbone can hurt if the sternum strap is located too low, or pulled in too tightly. The sternum strap is not to be cinched down hard, as is most people's inclination, but rather to keep the shoulder straps comfortably in place on the shoulders.

You may also have good luck if you slide the shoulder straps up or down, of course dependent on the age of the Aura, I believe some older models lack the velcro shoulder adjustment. Aim for the majority of the weight on the hips and for the shoulder straps to be primarily used to stabilize the load.

I've always been fine with Osprey packs (it's GoLites that just don't fit me, no matter what!)…but I have them "Franken fit" when I buy them, so they end up being semi-custom. My current Aura has a Small pack with Medium shoulder straps and a Medium hip belt — this allows everything to hit exactly where it should and is responsive to my short torso length, but relatively broad shoulders.

All this to say, maybe it's not the brand name of the pack, but the way the size of all the elements combine on your girlfriend's body. If you have a good quality outdoor store near you, have your girlfriend take her pack there, and have them try out different sizes of shoulder/hip straps — with a load — until everything falls where it should, and she doesn't feel that shoulder pressure.

Stay away from frameless packs (the jam you mentioned) if you want weight on her hips, given the circumstances … a good frame will be worth the weight …. with more support to put weight on hips and no chance that her packing the pack incorrectly / creating internal frame with pad, etc. could result in a crappy carry like will happen with a Jam ….

Ian,
I have read some great things about the Ohm 2.0 with S-straps for women. After saving up some $ we might explore that avenue! But with all the different options (strap type, waist size, torso length, and since we are shopping for a woman looks matter too, which probably means she wants it in purple!) I'll probably have to buy new from ULA.

Jennifer,
Thanks for the advice! I definitely think this is going to be an ongoing adventure finding a pack that she loves, hopefully this adventure won't be too long!

Stephen,
She does have a 2013 version, and it was properly sized by an employee at an REI (not her pack, but the same model because we bought her pack online). But, we will definitely tinker with the strap height and see if we can make any progress. The sternum strap tension and height is dialed in well per "proper pack adjustments".

Valerie,
Hopefully we can have some success with our tinkering!

Trace,
That's what I was afraid of, I have personally never owned a frameless pack and was curious because they always claim comfort to 30lbs, which I am sure is a little generous, but I didn't know how much of that would be resting on the shoulders.

Need more info. Is there pressure/bruising on her clavicle? Chaffing? How long does it take to become an issue?

Torso length, adjustment, strap shape or width, foam thickness and density could all be factors.

"which probably means she wants it in purple!"

My Ohm is in the traditional green color but my daughter's is purple. At the time, they only had a thumbnail size picture of the color and I thought it was marketed for the ladies. After seeing Emily's Ohm, I regret not getting that color for myself.

They've changed their website some since I purchased that pack and it's their background color now.

Good luck.

Jennifer says, "Every single osprey I ever tried hurt my collarbones. And every woman I ever lent my ospreys to thought they hurt her collarbone. So there you go."

I'm not a girl, but every Osprey pack I've had (Atmos and several Exos) had the same problem – just could not wear one without it irritating my collarbone! Maybe I have girlie collarbones?

Then she says, "One of the keys, I think, is to err on the side of too long a torso so the top of the shoulder strap is actually even with or even above her shoulders. If you think the shoulder straps are just for keeping the pack from tipping backwards and NOT for downward weight through the shoulders it makes way more sense."

As far as shoulder or collarbone comfort, this isn't just ONE of the keys, it's THE KEY! If you can find a pack for her that does this fully loaded, even if the REI pack fitter says it's too long in the back for her, that pack will be more comfortable for her. This is also true for anyone with a back problem. If the load lifters don't angle up at 45*, don't get the pack. No exceptions.

Trace says, "Stay away from frameless packs (the jam you mentioned)."

More wisdom! To get weight off the shoulders and on to the hips, some sort of frame really helps. Yes, you can get a degree of weight transfer with a carefully, properly loaded frameless pack, but some sort of frame makes it simple. Jennifer likes the GG Gorilla, I like ULA packs. Whichever one fits her best, go with. I think both ULA and GG will be glad to work with you on getting her the right pack (i.e., one which fits right) – they are both good folk!

Let us know how things work out!

I've had two Osprey packs and have loved them both, but that won't mean a whole lot to you because pack fit is so personal. My advice would be the same as much of what you've already heard above. Have your girlfriend try on as many packs as possible and stay far, far away from frameless packs like the GoLite Jam.

In my experience, where it specifically hurts on the collarbone (on the top, toward the back, or toward the front), can lead to a better diagnosis of what “might” be the fundamental issue with the pack’s adjustment.
As others have suggested, her sternum strap and/or load lifters might be too tight while she is hiking. But I can’t tell you how many times people assume that these two adjustment points should just be vigorously yanked on before the waist belt and shoulder straps are properly adjusted. Every day, tons of packs leave outdoor retailers either not adjusted, or improperly adjusted. But worse than that; the customer leaves the store without the proper education on how to keep the pack properly adjusted while actually wearing it.

But regardless of all that, it sounds like she’s onto a different pack. Therefore, it is essential that she get out there and really “see what fits” for her. Just dedicate an afternoon to a local outdoor shop or two, and try on different types of packs by different manufacturers, and see what she resonates with. Make sure you are working with the “pack fitting specialist” if you can.

You may be surprised with the outcome. And you can certainly order something from the cottage industry, for most of them will take a return if it doesn’t fit properly, but be patient and “let her back” make the decision. If she really doesn’t want too much weight on her shoulders, an external frame might work pretty well.

Good luck!

Matt