That's what I was wondering! Curtis have another chat with your physician! I know that when I tore up most of the ligaments in my knee, my orthopedic surgeon was well aware that my life (outside of work) was hiking and backpacking, and he prescribed exercises, etc. accordingly--knowing that I was motivated to get back to the trail as soon as possible. If the unconnected collarbone is significantly cramping your life style, then it should be bolted together! I've had other medical conditions (vision problems) in which the physician's aim was to restore me to my former lifestyle. (Of course it just happened that one of my job duties was to calculate his year-end bonus, and I was at the stage where I couldn't tell 3 from 6 from 8 from 9 on my computer screen!) Maybe it's time to change doctors?

In the meantime, try on a pack that has load lifters which transfer practically all the weight to the hip belt. It may be that you can raise the load lifter high enough on the broken collarbone side so the shoulder strap carries no weight at all. It would be worth a try! Another possibility, if you can go really light, is to use only a fanny pack.