Backpack shoulder pain - help

Hello outdoors people,

I have done several short backpacking trips recently (spring through fall of 2014) and my pack has served me well as far as holding my stuff and functioning well. However, I need advice on how to alleviate the pain in my trapezius and upper back after hiking with my pack on. I can go 10 miles or more but by that point my traps and upper back feel horrendous. I have an REI Flash50 (50 liter pack). I am an athletically built guy but my waist size is about 29" and even when I pull the waist straps to their very tightest, I would still like to tighten it another inch or so. When hiking with this pack, I tend to jut my head forward to offset the pull of the pack on my back. I do this unconsciously and am constantly trying to pull my head back and walk with a straight up and down posture. Any advice? Do I have the wrong pack? Am I too thin? Is the only solution to lighten my load? I'm not sure how much it weighs when full but I'm guessing 50lbs (?) I could probably do some things to significantly lighten my pack, but I'm curious what advice people might have.

One thing pops out at me right away is that UL 50 liter packs aren't designed to carry 50 lbs. If you're cutting weight in the pack itself, I think mfg.'s just assume (and quite rightly) a lighter load to be carried. I have a few light, but not UL 60l packs that I feel aren't meant to handle over 35 with their suspension. I could probably carry more in them, but not for more than 5 miles w/o pain. I would seriously consider weighing your gear and going over the gear lists of other BP'ers. For myself, I'd be packing the Flash 50 with no more than 25 to 30 lbs.

Ok cool, that's a good place to start. A larger pack could very well be the solution since the one I have does seem to lack support. I think this spring I'll start to transition to lightweight and since I'm not a particularly big guy, ultralight is probably the best way to go. I can imagine combining a bigger pack with lighter stuff would make a pretty excellent difference. Thank you

Have you also explored how you can pack differently? If you're compensating for the weight pulling you back a bit, you could experiment with different ways to keep as much weight as close to your body/center of gravity as possible.

It may also help to put denser items higher up.

It could be the fit of the pack, both in it's size relative to your torso and how you're wearing it. There's a video and article here: http://sectionhiker.com/how-to-fit-a-backpack/

When you put on a pack, the proper order for tightening everything is hip belt, then shoulders, then load lifters, then sternum strap. The hip belt should be just above your hip bones, and support most of the weight of the pack. When viewed from the side, there shouldn't be any gap between the shoulder straps and your shoulders. If you adjust the hip belt correctly, but are unable to adjust the shoulder straps for a proper fit (or vice versa), then there's a good chance your pack is too short or too long for you. The height of the shoulder harness may be adjustable.

I have and would recomend a Kelty trekker 65 i love it, and the torso height is adjustable so it can fit about anyone, also its external frame will handle heavy loads better.

I doubt a Flash 50 is designed for carrying that much weight. That is issue No. 1. It may not fit you right, which is issue No. 2. I am fairly small and 50 lbs is too much for me to carry very far. If you want to carry that much weight, try a different pack, like an Osprey Aether. I've tried those on and they fit me pretty well, but the caveat is that I've only done so in a store, not on the trail. My pack is a Kelty. Make sure your belt is wide and stiff enough to carry that weight on your hips, rather than your shoulders. With my pack, I try to load and fit it so that my hips carry most of the weight. Give that a try. The other solution is to lighten your gear, but that can require a fair amount of rethinking and re-equipping yourself.

If you get a new pack, don't overdo it. Bigger isn't necessarily better. I made the mistake of getting an Arctery'x Bora 80. It was too heavy, too stiff and I sold it after one trip.

Definitely too much weight for that pack! While what REI advertises as "ultralight" is not, more like the high end of "lightweight," any pack advertised as "ultralight" generally has a maximum carrying capacity of about 25 lbs., maybe 30 in a pinch. Unfortunately REI does not include the maximum recommended weight in their specifications. I personally would never buy a pack for which that info isn't provided.

If you want to lighten your load, take a look at the "27 lb., 7 day gear list" on the home page of this site, left hand column.

It is also important when purchasing a backpack to have it fitted with all your gear inside.

50 pounds is going to hurt something. There is no getting around that. Take the inexpensive solution and leave about 20 pounds home.

I'll add one thing to everyone else's great advice.

Stop for a rest BEFORE your pack starts to hurt. This comes from an old book on another topic. With that much weight, you should only be walking about 2/3 of the time while on the trail. This means a 10 minute break after every 20 minutes. Find a cycle that works for you.

Once you've walked until your shoulders hurt, your comfortable day is over. With that much weight, be careful you don't throw out your back taking it off and putting it on so many times.