[pct-l] Jardine and the Backpack Hip Belt

Tue Feb 15 09:36:22 CST 2011

Hey Sym, I just read my first jardine(beyond backpacking)yesterday,im
a heavy truck guy,but jardine has my head spinning(wild
thoughts,imagine that!). I may end up starting over with my gear and
such,which is crazy and very late,but possibly very smart. Id say
bulking up is great,but you will lose that mass in no time without a
continued program and the diet to keep it solid. Id say lots of
push-ups,you can do em anywhere(no gym needed),and keep it going on
the trail. H Walker is a prime example of a guy who bulked up with
push-ups,pull-ups and sit-ups. He was an NFL legend and never lifted
weights,hes old as the hills now and still rough and buff enough for
cage fighting. Yoshi,dont worry about the english,your words are more
than fine for this list(better than mine) and I like the way you
think. Hike on.

On 2/15/11, Yoshihiro Murakami <completewalker at gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Sym
>
> I will write briefly, due to my limited ability of English writing.
>
> Generally speaking
>
> Ultra Light backpackers only satisfy the light backpack without waist
> belt, because they can easy carry their load on their shoulders, since
> total pack weight is very light.  The shoulder is not strong enough
> for heavy load.
>
> Heavy Trucker need strong waist belt, because they cannot carry whole
> weight by their shoulders only. I can carry heavy load with my special
> backpack ( Mountainhardwear Solitude ) within 30 Kg, because the total
> pack weight is supported by the hip bone.  No weight on the spines and
> shoulders.
>
> Ray Jardine's book gave strong influences on the light weight trend,
> but  his book contains some pseudoscience. So the reader must consider
> his opinion with precaution.
>
> 1. The importance of waist belt cannot be ignored. The waist belt
> support the half or more pack weight, then the muscles of shoulder and
> the spines suffer lesser damage. This tendency became prominent when
> the total pack weight became heavy. Many backpack makers recognize the
> importance of waist belt, then they maintain their waist belt.
>
> 2. The most of his discussion of energy expenditure lacks empirical
> evidence. His unit "foot-pound" may be one of the typical
> pseudoscience.  I am not specialized in this field, but I had searched
> the articles and found that the energy expenditure was measured by
> Oxygen consumption. The energy consumption do not increase with the
> pack weight. And I also found the weight of boots has no relation to
> energy consumption when we were walking about 4-5 Km/hour. Our
> physical system is tuned very well for walking. Our simple expectation
> frequently fails.  The boots vs shoes and weight problems are not so
> important as has expected. The important thing is blister. The
> footwear should be selected on the blister - free stand point.
>
> 3. I cannot agree with his opinion about the sleeping bag. I think the
> most effective insulation material is down. So, I think the best way
> is minimize the clothes and maximize the down sleeping bag.
> Coincidentally, my opinion is the same with Glen K Van Peski. I heard
> his lecture at Tokyo. He is a ultra light backpacker, I am a heavy
> trucker. But the lightning technique is almost the same.
>
>
>
>
>
> 2011/2/15 Kevin <hikelite at gmail.com>:
>> I own an ultra light pack, but I put it aside a few years ago in exchange
>> for a suspension. I love my Gregory Z65. It actually transfers the weigt
>> to my hips. No matter what I do with my GoLite, I can't get the weight off
>> my shoulders. With the Gregory, I can pull the top adjustment straps(dunno
>> what they are called) and the weight comes off my shoulders. It feels like
>> the pack is sitting on the waist belt and the should straps are just
>> balancing the weight over me. I feel some pressure against my chest, but
>> it provides relief for my shoulders. I'm usually good for the first 10
>> miles or so, the I start shifting the weight back and forth between my
>> waist and my shoulders.
>>
>> Of course my Z65 weighs 4 pounds. This is a lot by ultra light standards.
>> I considered a new pack, but I'm skeptical any can carry a load as well.
>> Leaving KM, I'll have 11 days food with me. That's 22 pounds or more.
>> Granted, my base weight is nearly 20lbs, so YMMV.
>>
>> Misspellings and typos brought to you by iPhone.
>>
>> On Feb 14, 2011, at 8:09 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
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>
>
>
> --
> Sincerely
> --------------- --------------------------------------
> Hiro    ( Yoshihiro Murakami )
> Blogs http://completewalker.blogspot.com/
> Photo http://picasaweb.google.co.jp/CompleteWalker/
> Backpacking since about 1980 in Japan
> 2009 JMT, the first America.
> 2010 JMT, the second America.
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