[pct-l] Numbness

[gray_hiker at mindpoison.org (Gray)]

From: "Ben Schifrin" <benschif@sonnet.com>

> The condition is called, "meralgia paresthetica". It is caused by
> compression from a hip-belt on the median femoral cutaneous nerve of
> the anterolateral thigh.

People who suffer from this may want to try out a pack from Osprey. Their
hip-belts are designed in such a way that it cinches above and below the
pelvic bone, and I've found that it signifigantly reduces any pressure on
this nerve. You can also by just the hip-belt, and if your current pack is
attached thru a hook-and-loop system, it's possible that it would work on
your old pack. Also, you can rent an Osrpey pack from REI, if you have one
near you, so you can try it out before dropping a lot of money on a new
pack.

I've carried very heavy loads for long distances with my Osprey Aether 90,
and never had any problems with numbness, though when I used my old frame
pack, or my old ArcTeryx  internal frame pack, I did.

YMMV.

Gray