[pct-l] Jardine and the Backpack Hip Belt

[Kevin Cook]

LOL at Steel-Eye

You just created a visual that made me laugh. I can just see a bunch of
thrus hopping down the trail on one foot!

Thanks for the morning chuckle. :)

On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 9:13 AM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net> wrote:

> Good morning, Sym,
>
> I discount Jardine’s “belt crunch” theory because I’ve found that for every
> instance I was distressed by having a belt-constrained pack I could find an
> equally distressing situation where a beltless pack flopped out of
> position.
>
>
> More important to me is the need to reduce weight by having frameless pack.
> Without a frame of some sort to apply force to the belt structure the pack
> just slumps and continues to load the shoulder straps – obviating the need
> for the belt.
>
> When I first read Jardine’s description of one-shoulder hiking I thought it
> was a silly idea, but after trying it I became convinced it was a very
> silly
> idea.  My 8 lb. base weight, loaded with food, fuel, and water consumables,
> could be about 20 lbs.   That’s 10 lbs. on each shoulder, or 20 lbs per
> shoulder with the “Jardine carry”.  Most ultra-lite hikers, including me,
> would consider a 40 lb. pack too heavy to be comfortably carried, however
> that pack would also provide 20 lbs. per shoulder – the same as the
> “Jardine
> carry”.
>
> Not only is the force at the one shoulder doubled, but my body is
> off-center
> loaded which strains my back, disturbs my gait, and changes my balance.  If
> I were one day from resupply, and was not carrying much water, my resulting
> 10 lb. pack could be carried any-which-way with no real effect, but why do
> it?
>
> Before you whack off your hip belt, give the idea a good test in actual
> hiking:  Unhook the belt and hike using one shoulder as well as two.  In a
> similar test, if your feet get tired, try resting one foot while hopping
> along on the other.
>
>
> Steel-Eye
>
> Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 14, 2011 at 7:09 PM, Sym Blanchard <symbiosis222 at gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > I just read Ray Jardine's opinion of backpack hip belts on page 44 of his
> > book *Trail LIfe*.
> >
> > He reckons that the hip belt constrains spine motion, and therefore
> > increases one's chance of injury from falling. "Crunch!" he says.
> >
> > Last September, I had fallen while hiking the PCT, breaking my ankle and
> > shoulder.  I figured I need to get trekking poles (which I hate), ditch
> my
> > umbrella (which I love), and buy high top hiking shoes (which I hate).
> >
> > Now I am rethinking my strategy.  My base pack weight is about 8-1/2
> pounds
> > so I can cut off my hip belt, but the weight still seems tiresome on my
> > shoulders (especially when fully loaded with food and water).
> >
> > I am thinking about working out more at the gym to build up my shoulders
> > and
> > then carrying the pack on alternate shoulders (a la Jardine).
> >
> > Anyone else have this experience or have thoughts on this strategy?
> >
> > Thanks in Advance,
> > Symbiosis
> > _______________________________________________
> > Pct-L mailing list
> > Pct-L at backcountry.net
> > To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> > http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> >
> > List Archives:
> > http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
>