I am going to thru-hike the AT next year and looking for advice on a backpack. I have recently had AC joint resection surgery on both sides. They have healed reasonably well and I have full range of motion, but strength is only 80% of before, and I have to be very careful about overworking them or impacting the joint (eg digging, mountain biking).

I do day hikes frequently and am OK with a small pack, but have not worn a fully loaded overnight pack in a few years. Obviously I am concerned about keeping weight on the hips to minimizing vertical load on the shoulders, but also wondering if there are other considerations... for example are there packs that pull more against the chest for front/back stabilization instead of on the shoulders? I feel like I would prefer to meet with an expert and get fitted in person but I'm not sure where to start.

One possibility is the Luxurylite. I just did a backpacking trip and enjoyed the zero down pressure and only periodic front pressure on my shoulders. Of course the fact that there was no contact against my back other than occasional touching was also nice in the daytime warmth.

www.luxurylite.com

(No, I have no formal connections to the company -- just a happy customer).

Thanks for the quick reply! It sure has some good reviews, and he seems to have thought pretty hard about the design. The front pack as a counter-weight seems like a sound idea in this case (even if it looks odd).

Do you think the lightweight fabric is up to the task? I suppose one of the bags could be ordered in the heavier fabric for carrying heavy/odd items? Maybe put that one on the bottom to take the wear when the pack is set down.

I've been using a front bag to counterweight my pack for about 10 years now. It really takes away any strain from my shoulders. For example I don't need to lean forward to keep things in balance.

You can see my home made version of this principle in the Make Your Own section of this website. Look for DJs 1 lb pack or something like that title.

One of the hardest things on the shoulders (and back), in my opinion, is the twisting and pulling associated with putting the pack on. I've tweaked myself a couple of times when I've been in a hurry and mounted the pack quickly and awkwardly.

The lighter fabric is effective in the field but more likely to get punctured in civilization by cramming in your trunk or having other gear piled on it. I have 4 LL-made packs and would say get the heavier fabric -- at least for the bottom. That way you don't have to think about avoiding puncture opportunities like sharp rocks or thorns. The lighter fabric is perfectly strong and durable. It is just a bit more susceptible to puncture.

I have a camptrails frame pack. I took a wheel and fork from a

small bicycle and hooked it on the frame so I could wheel the

pack like a moving cart on the trail or remove the wheel and

hitch up the straps to carry over rough ground.

Definitely a creative approach that would be effective especially in getting heavy stuff from point A to point B. I wonder if it would become tiresome on a longer multi-day or multi-week hike.

Of course, there are some places in the U.S. where they would be illegal: no wheels are allowed in official designated Wilderness areas.

You may want to consider a custom type pack, where you could have a specific shoulder harness designed for your needs. Perhaps a Mchale (www.mchalepacks.com) or a Mystery Ranch (www.mysteryranch.com). These packs are ideal as well for moving the weight from your shoulders to your hips.

But one end of the "cart" is held up by the user's arms. Which attach to the body at the shoulders. Weight on the arms is weight on the shoulders. Not the best thing for the AC joint.

About 2% to 10% of the weight might be on the arms and shoulders.

Do you have exact numbers to support that claim?

The AARN pack has some potential. Might be worth a look or even an email or a call.
http://www.aarnpacks.com/features/multifunction.html#fs

The top crossbar is against the front of my legs and I am

pushing. My arms are near or fully extended and holding the

outer edges of the frame. The pack is mostly ballanced on the

wheel. The weight can be varied, higher the crossbar less

weight, lower the crossbar more weight. I have guessed at the

percentage. It works like a movers cart with 2 wheels, the

pan in front that is slid under the object to be moved,the

weight of the object is transfered to the cart by pulling

the handles back toward the operator.

The difference between AARN and Luxurylite is that LL gives you ventillation whereas the AARN is like wearing a jacket. This has negatives both for summer sweating and compressing insulation in the winter.

My limited experienced is that you do need to be very careful with shoulder injuries. I suffered a shoulder injury setback due to a pack that was too long for my torso and overloaded.

You take the pack off and put it back on many times each day. That contributes a lot to stress on the shoulder joints. For that reason I advise that you keep the pack as light as possible, and be very mindful of how you put it on and take it off.

80% of your former strength is actually quite a lot. I don't think strength will be an issue.

Follow your doctor's recommendation about how much activity you can do at this point.

and there are a couple of good threads over at hammockforums.net

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7278&highlight=Aarn

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8659&highlight=Aarn

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7926&highlight=Aarn

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