Nothing in it for me...I don't even remember the name of the guy who I cooresponded with to get it BUT do remember he emailed me back instantly and did ship instantly.
I ordered a front pouch from Zpacks...there is another brand of a front pack that looked like it sat closer to the belly and I feared I would not beable to see the ground.
I took the chance and ordered the Zpack and the guy did email me saying if it didn't work on my pack I could return it. I held my guidebooks in this, pen, phone any papers I got from the local tourist office (more so on the Norte than on the Frances). I put my apple or orange etc... in here.
Edited to add and pilgrim's passport, regular passport and money...it hold a lot!
Having my guidebook in there for easy access was wonderful. The only downfall was that my book was the go to book since it was easy to grab
http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/backpack_lid.shtml
Easy to attach to backpack and took weight off of the back and I wondered if counted some of that weight as well as I my pack felt so much better on the Norte than it did on the Frances.
Neve
I am in Sarria on my second, full
Camino Frances (from St. Jean Pied de Porte). My ZPacks chest bag is wonderful. Here are some thoughts based on live field experience.
I thought of moving often accessed items like guidebooks, snacks, notebook, etc. from the rucksack to the front last year, based on my observation of the folks from Australia and New Zealand with the radically different Aarn backpacks with front balance pockets. However, it occurred to me that, while shifting the center of balance and making small, often needed items readily available, there had to be a less expensive and less complicated arrangement.
My present solution (here seen at Sahagun) used the ZPacks chest bag
suspended lower so it rides on my belly. This provides a place to rest my hands while walking across the Meseta. It helped prevent swelling when I was not using my walking poles. All in, this bag moves about 1 kg or a little over 2 pounds to the front.
In addition, I use "Drink n' Go" bottle clips from
www.niteize.com to hang 2 half-liter water bottles from the front of my rucksack harness. My Osprey Kestrel, and most other rucksacks, have horizontal attachment points for clip-on items, on both shoulder straps.
So, this combination shifts nearly 2 kg or 4.5 pounds from the rucksack to the harness front, where they are rapidly available. You can actually feel the weight shift and increased comfort. The Aarn folks are definitely on to something.
As a final point, earlier on this Camino I saw a fellow with a chest/belly pack made by Salomon. While I did not have the chance to speak with him, I did a web search and learned that it is rated at 5 liter capacity, AND it has two mesh bottle pockets. I will be researching that when I get home. The ZPacks chest bag holds maybe 2 liters or so.
The Aarn engineering principle of redistributing weight to the front to shift the center of gravity and resultant stress on the body is a sound idea. I just believe there are simpler, less expensive alternatives that can be fitted to nearly any rucksack.
I hope this helps someone.