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I think my most hated quote is 'no pain, no gain', this saying alone is the single cause of so many people pushing through serious issues thinking it will go away. You know your body better than anyone, and if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right.
It depends, and generally is is not possible to completely eliminate. If there is some weight on the shoulders, it should be a relatively small proportion of the overall weight with most of it being carried on the hip belt. I carry some things I want handy in pouches attached to the front of my harness. All of that weight gets carried on my shoulders, albeit that it isn't a very large percentage of the total in any case.This is a great thread, I did not realize the importance of the waist strap and I did think some of the pack weight had to rest on the shoulders.
Several posts have addressed the fit issue for your pack. One other thing you might want to take a look at is the overall weight -- you mention walking with 10 kg, which sounds heavy. If you search other threads for packing lists, I think you'll see that you can probably get by with 7 to 8 kg, especially since you'll be walking in May and not carrying some of the heavier clothing you'd need earlier in the spring.Hi all
Ive begun training with my pack and so far i can walk just over an hour with my pack loaded up to almost 10kg with no drama at all...
Cristina
Hi all
Ive begun training with my pack and so far i can walk just over an hour with my pack loaded up to almost 10kg with no drama at all. It feels really comfortable and i almost dont even notice my pack at all. After a good hour and a half i start to get sore upper back, like around my shoulders, just under my neck and then eventually into the tops of my arms. Today i walked 3 hours and my only complaint about it would be this achey pain i had in the top of my back and arms.
Any recomendations on what i may be doing wrong? Or what i can do to prevent this?
Thanks
Cristina
Was going to say the same!Make sure the weight of your pack rests on your hips, not your shoulders. The shoulder straps should be so that you can put a couple of fingers between your shoulders and your straps. The pack should 'hover' above your shoulders. Also make sure it is evenly packed, when standing it on the floor it should stay upright without leaning to any side. Buen Camino! SY
The majority of the weight should be on your hips. And it is not meant to be pain free. You have to get used to being a little uncomfortable. That's just how it is.
What SY and falcon said, carry the weight on your hips. I saw several people walking with the waist strap open completely and say they had problems with the pack. We met three young girls from Ireland the morning we left Sarria doing this, they were talking about sending their packs ahead as they were hurting so much, we showed them how to adjust the packs we met them several times later and they told us it had made a huge difference. Only one of them sent the pack ahead after this.
Thanks for all the info and tips people!
Im hoping to carry approx 7-8kg on my Camino. Im training with 10kg. When i carry the 10kg it feels surprisingly light actually. And yep am very conscious of the weight sitting on my hips also and proper positioning of my hip belt.
As well as walking i am going to the gym and working on legs and core, might add in some more upper work i think as mentioned by someone.
I emailed Osprey and they sent me a few videos to have a look at and said if i was still having issues to contact them again so that they could work it out, which i thought was awesome.
I really think its the tweaking of the length of the torso on my pack.
Might sound like im being a padantic but my theory is, the more ready i am physically the more enjoyable El Camino will be. Less worrying and stressing that anything is uncomfortable or sore!
This is a great thread, I did not realize the importance of the waist strap and I did think some of the pack weight had to rest on the shoulders
This thread is living proof of why none of us should answer the "what kind of pack should I buy for my Camino?" question with anything other than, "the backpack that a professional recommends for you after you've been measured and properly fitted." I want to scream when that question is answered with, "Well I used an Osprey 45 liter and absolutely loved it" or something similar.
Picking a backpack based upon a stranger's recommendation is literally dangerous. And we should stop answering these questions.
I agree that we should continue to both provide advice and share our experiences. However, most 'testimonials' about packs that I see are virtually worthless. They invariably fail to establish the essential elements of the context that are needed for someone to understand how to use the information in the circumstances they face. As an example, a common pack volume calculation has six variables - body weight, days out, resilience and complexities, season, gear type and party size. If you are 70kg and used a 35li pack in summer because you were able to afford the best and lightest gear available, suggesting that a 35li pack is the right size and not explaining those other thing just isn't helpful.I think that we should continue to answer such questions - the main point of such testimonials is the volume of the pack suggested - then pilgrims can narrow down their choice to a particular brand of pack
And, in my view, the lighter the weight you are carrying the less need there is to fret over measuring and fitting too much beyond what you can do yourself either in the shop or the internet
I agree with your general proposition that when it comes to fitting a pack, that is best done by visiting a number of retailers and trying out a number of packs in the right size range. I suggest that we can offer a range of useful advice about different approaches to pack design, volume, options for water carriage, etc. It is possible to prepare forum members who are still to purchase their pack for some of the questions they might expect from a salesperson when they are at a retailers. Inasmuch as it is useful, we shouldn't be limiting our response to 'visit a retailer'. That would be just as wrong as being overly prescriptive about weight, design or manufacturer.Let me restate my objection to answering the "what backpack should I buy" this way. If someone said, "what size boot should I wear?" everyone would answer "get your feet measured and buy a pair that fits." Purchasing a backpack should be the same answer.
Hi all
Ive begun training with my pack and so far i can walk just over an hour with my pack loaded up to almost 10kg with no drama at all. It feels really comfortable and i almost dont even notice my pack at all. After a good hour and a half i start to get sore upper back, like around my shoulders, just under my neck and then eventually into the tops of my arms. Today i walked 3 hours and my only complaint about it would be this achey pain i had in the top of my back and arms.
Any recomendations on what i may be doing wrong? Or what i can do to prevent this?
Thanks
Cristina
...I emailed Osprey and they sent me a few videos to have a look at and said if i was still having issues to contact them again so that they could work it out, which i thought was awesome.
I really think its the tweaking of the length of the torso on my pack.
Might sound like im being a padantic but my theory is, the more ready i am physically the more enjoyable El Camino will be. Less worrying and stressing that anything is uncomfortable or sore!
In my neck of the woods shops only carry a limited range of brands. Generally the sales assistants only know the brands they sell and obviously will recommend one of those. Many don't know how to fit a pack. Before I became a convert to my Aarn pack I can't tell you the number of packs I tried, and in so many cases the sales assistant automatically reached for the short back length, just because I'm a woman.
In my experience the most assistance one gets is "here, try this on, we will load it up with some weight. Right, now, walk around the shop and see how it feels".
My pack is a rare breed. I doubt any would know about it unless told by someone like me. Yet it may be the answer for some people, particularly those with back problems.
I think it is helpful for us all to provide feedback.
I wholeheartedly agree with Wendy. Mechanics are hugely important, and the last thing we (at least I) focus on. I do normally use poles and they do cause me to change my mechanics, in a bad way. When I do, I feel it in my shoulders and think it's the fault of the pack. Only to remember to straighten up and walk right.Hi everyone. I'm an Australian Physiotherapist.
It is also important to ensure you can move as normally as you usually do without a pack. With your pack loaded, ensure you can 'armswing' as you normally do. This may mean not using sticks. I dont. Watch your reflection in a window side-on and walking towards it and try to straighten up head,neck and spine as well as armswinging. Practice this a lot. All of the above hints in this thread are absolutely correct,so now add this functional training to your existing training.
Trying to replicate your normal walking motion will also help with shin pain,shinsplints,back of heel pain and achilles tendon pain behind the ankle.
Good walking everyone.
Wendy busch.
Hi KangaIn my neck of the woods shops only carry a limited range of brands. Generally the sales assistants only know the brands they sell and obviously will recommend one of those. Many don't know how to fit a pack. Before I became a convert to my Aarn pack I can't tell you the number of packs I tried, and in so many cases the sales assistant automatically reached for the short back length, just because I'm a woman.
In my experience the most assistance one gets is "here, try this on, we will load it up with some weight. Right, now, walk around the shop and see how it feels".
My pack is a rare breed. I doubt any would know about it unless told by someone like me. Yet it may be the answer for some people, particularly those with back problems.
I think it is helpful for us all to provide feedback.
Hi 2kiwisHi Kanga
I am looking at buying an Aarn pack ,which model do you have ,not sure how small I can get away with ,have had a rough go at packing and its 5 kg with room and nothing in front packs ,have got 33 litre Natural Exhilaration and thinking of going down to marathon magic
Cheers
Hi there thanks for that ,it arrived yesterday in mail ,unfortunately there isn't a shop near here that stocks them ,so not sure if I ordered the right size yet ,can ask how tall are you and which pack do you have on in your profile photo ?Hi 2kiwis
I'm sure that Kanga will provide you with some expert advice. Just thought that I'd add my own experience on the Camino with an Aarn. I have 4 Aarn packs - they also breed beside my Buffs! I was almost going to take the Marathon Magic for our Camino Frances but decided on the Natural Exhilaration as it suits my longer back and was glad that I did. I think that there is only about 300/400gms weight difference between the two. Carried my maps, credential, water, snacks and sunglasses in the front balance pockets. If you already own the Natural Exhilaration and are used to it and weight is not an issue, I would stay with that. Trying on a new Aarn is only one step away from buying it
Lucky you living in the home country of Aarns.
Hi there thanks for that ,it arrived yesterday in mail ,unfortunately there isn't a shop near here that stocks them ,so not sure if I ordered the right size yet ,can ask how tall are you and which pack do you have on in your profile photo ?
Had another look at specs for marathon magic and is quite narrow my thought now is do I need the smaller Natural Exhilaration
I do like the way the harness fits on it ,just felt quite big ,maybe is because is different shape to others ,my torso length is 40cm.
Need to put it on and go for a walk now it has stopped raining ,summer has failed to arrive here yet
Thank you, that is far to hot ,experienced it in southern Spain last year. I am only a little taller 167 cm so think shorter pack would be better ,not going for ages but have been weighing clothes today seeing how little I can get away with and then also smaller packI'm 162cms and the pack in my profile photo is the Natural Exhilaration. It does feel big on compared to other packs but as soon as you're walking, that's forgotton. I would have gone for the longer back length but with the shop fitting ended up with the 30L short back length and this was perfect.
A test walk will be good - could use some of your rain. Today we are the hottest city (aiming for 44℃ ) in the world on our 4th day over 40℃
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