Intrigued about mecapalli (tumpline)

[Felipe]

Indians in Mexico and Guatemala used mecapalli (Spanish, mecapal, in English, tumpline, see images at http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/artefacts/carrying-frame) to carry weights, because in pre-hispanic times there were not beasts of burden. Afterward, donkeys and mules were and are favored (and, currently light diesel pickups), but you can still see peasants resorting to mecapal to carry firewood, corn or pottery for short distances, or in abrupt places where there are not roads. Well, when millions of persons have used a device for many centuries, it should have an experience and a rationale behind it. I decided to try it last weekend, in a three hours walk that included a steep hill. I improvised a mecapal with a standard backpack, with the straps adjusted as needed. The weight was about 5 kg., which is my more or less standard weekend carry (it includes picnic stuff...)
This is my completely un-scientific report about that...
* The right position was not on the forehead, but on the hairline (well, where it used to be...)
* My back was immediately relieved, because the weight is supported by the spine. I discovered that the trick was to align head and spine. I thought that my neck would be stiff and tense, but it was not the case.
* Contrary to what happens with backpack, I tended to stick to one fixed position; it was not comfortable to turn my head around too much.
* When climbing up, I also tended to hunch my back, so I was almost seeing the ground; I did not like it. But when going down, my position was more upright that it would be with a backpack. I discovered that the weight was better distributed, and my (bad) knees were very pleased with the experiment. At the end, I was less tired than usual, although there could be other reasons for that.
* People tended to stare at me as if I were doing a rather strange thing, so I put on my hat...
* Afterward, the improvised strap let a mark, and the skin was a bit reddish, but both disappeared after a while.
I “wikipedied” mecapal/tumpline and discovered that it was also used by Native Americans, and the Canadian Army. But it has almost disappeared, although I found that a Canadian company still sells a backpack with an added tumpline, described as for heavy weights.
I am considering trying this more frequently, with a backpack and “real” weight, with mecapalli maybe not as my standard support system, but as an alternative to ease my back, and when going down a steep hill.

 

[wayfarer]

Very interesting Felipe, I would be interested to hear how you get on.

http://www.thecleanestline.com/2011/08/on-tumplines.html

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-tumpline?p=11685-0

 

[Al the optimist]

Nice piece Felipe. Also relieved to see someone else trying things outside the box. I was beginning to think I was some sort of freak for my experimenting.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

This is the way the women of just about all the Eastern North American Indian tribes (who did all the heavy lifting) carried everything, and it was popular for 19th century hikers, too:

 

[L Squared]

Indians in Mexico and Guatemala used mecapalli (Spanish, mecapal, in English, tumpline, see images at http://www.mexicolore.co.uk/aztecs/artefacts/carrying-frame) to carry weights, because in pre-hispanic times there were not beasts of burden. Afterward, donkeys and mules were and are favored (and, currently light diesel pickups), but you can still see peasants resorting to mecapal to carry firewood, corn or pottery for short distances, or in abrupt places where there are not roads. Well, when millions of persons have used a device for many centuries, it should have an experience and a rationale behind it. I decided to try it last weekend, in a three hours walk that included a steep hill. I improvised a mecapal with a standard bag, with the straps adjusted as needed. The weight was about 5 kg., which is my more or less standard weekend carry (it includes picnic stuff...)
This is my completely un-scientific report about that...

Filipe,
That is really cool and makes me want to add a tumpline to my pack. It looks like it could be just a loop with some adjustment for length. On the other hand could it also be a strap with a hook on each end to attach to the pack on each side? I suppose as a loop it supports the bottom of the pack better. From Wayfarers "Patagonia" link it looks like the tumpline reaches to the bottom of the pack. The Patagonia version appears to be a short piece of 2 1/2" wide seat belt webbing sewn to a 1" wide length of nylon webbing with a length adjuster in the 1" wide portion.
I'm going to check my backpack and see if there are loops at the bottom that I could permanently thread the tumpline through.
I think this is a great idea for being able to move the load to another location should the back pack become uncomfortable while walking. I think I will make one up and try experimenting with it too. Filipe, did you have problems with your pack slipping out of the loop or was your tumpline secured to your pack at the bottom?
Laura

 

[newfydog]

The commerce of much of Nepal is moved in that manner. These pictures are from a couple of months ago.

 

[Felipe]

Filipe,
That is really cool and makes me want to add a tumpline to my pack. It looks like it could be just a loop with some adjustment for length. On the other hand could it also be a strap with a hook on each end to attach to the pack on each side? I suppose as a loop it supports the bottom of the pack better. From Wayfarers "Patagonia" link it looks like the tumpline reaches to the bottom of the pack. The Patagonia version appears to be a short piece of 2 1/2" wide seat belt webbing sewn to a 1" wide length of nylon webbing with a length adjuster in the 1" wide portion.

The support section of the mecapalli looks in the images more like a headband than a strap. In Mexico it is made out of cotton or ixtle (or "tampico" fiber). I had not noticed it before your comment, but there is a range of solutions for the attaching points. Most go to the bottom of the load (as in the “Patagonia” models), but some are attached to the middle (as the one I improvised, with hooks) or the top. I think the first would provide for a more upright position, but in my very limited experience, the best solution should be found with a “normal” weight (to me, this means 8-9 kg) and in different terrains (plain, uphill, downhill).
My backpack does not have convenient hooks, but I think I will be able to find a friendly shoemaker to sew the tumpline with an industrial-type stitching machine. But first, I have to be convinced with the idea and decide on the proper attaching place.

The commerce of much of Nepal is moved in that manner. These pictures are from a couple of months ago.

Very good ethnographic pictures! When I started to look for examples, I discovered that the tumpline was (is) used in many countries and cultures, sometimes in combination with a carrying frame (not very different, btw, to the metalic frame of modern backpacks), or with baskets. I have even seen pictures of a British explorer being carried comfortably on the back of a porter, with a tumpline. Not really recommendable, but this may be useful for a trained person to carry an injured people.
As far as I know, there is no translation for "tumpline" in Spanish or French. Interesting...

 

[newfydog]

Chouinard Mountaineering, the precursor of Black Diamond and Patagonia, used to offer a tumpline attachment for backpacks, which offered a backup or alternative way to carry the load.

The time when I have hauled a huge pack, with extra climbing gear or an inflatable boat for example, I've often thought it would be a good relief for the shoulders and back to put some weight on a tumpline.