Big/wide Pack Bag

That’s an unconventional looking, ugly pack. How do people react to it on the street?

I use it daily for trips to the gym and back from the grocery store in an upscale Seattle neighborhood (Queen Anne Hill).  People assume I’m a homeless person.  A couple of times homeless people waiting for a free dinner at the church have waved me in.

People’s pet dogs often act aggressively toward me.  I think they are picking up on their owner’s fear from seeing something strange and different they don’t understand.

I’m a form-follows-function type person and gear I make for myself rarely looks presentable let alone cool.

People who know me don’t have a problem with it.

something that looks different.

Don’t care if it looks ugly or not, a backpack is made for transporting stuff not to for looking cool but what is worrying me is that it seems to pull you backward and this can”t be good for your back. Shorten the shoulder straps maybe?

Agree.  The weight falls too far back, moving the center of gravity back, and pulling overly on the shoulders and back.   Some solutions are reducing the size of the pack’s sidewalls, and/or installing a couple of horizontal buckled straps, one high-one low, that keep the weight forward.in the bag.  The straps double as a way to attach flat objects or long thin sacks for a sleeping pad, poles and such; and they also provide a place to hang wet apparel, like socks, to dry while hiking.  But only light stuff; otherwise the attachments would also pull the center of gravity back and defeat the purpose of the straps.  For example, my camp chair, when folded flat, attaches to the back of the pack.

Romain and Sam,

Thanks for the observations and suggestions.

I like your frame

again

good for sweating testing : )

you’re saying your pack looks like what a homeless person would have?  Interesting.  Looks good to me.

the straps angle upwards where it connects to pack so should carry weight on your hips

Jerry,

Yes, all of the weight is transferred to and carried on the hips.