[pct-l] Using a Tumpline?

["Joanne Lennox" <goforth@cio.net>]

My sleeping bag is finished, my single hoop tent is almost done ( big ,
looks to be almost a 2-person, and weights 1 and3/4 pounds minus the 5.5
ounces pole),  after cutting my pack down twice, I am very pleased with
it(1 and1/2 pound).

I put a hip belt on it, and some of the weight does get transferred to the
hip.  Depends mostly on how packed it it, and it helps to have my blue foam
encircling the inside.  Still most of the weight is on the shoulder straps,
and I am not accustomed to this.  SOOO....., I made a tumpline and have
used it for 4 of my training hikes. I use it for abou t5-10 minutes at a
time to give my neck and head muscles time to adapt, and get used to the
idea of carrying some or all of the weight.

I like it.  it is very light.   With shoe lace attachments it weights less
than an ounce.  When I beef up the encircling attachment by replacing the
shoe lacing with 1/2 inch webbing, it weights 1 and1/2 ounces. It allows me
to take the weight completely off my shoulders, and it feels very natural
to me.   The straps are adjusted to the point that if I just tilt my head
slightly back the tension somes off the tumpline, and returns to my
shoulders, by tilting my head forward, and/or leaning forward ( like when
you are going uphill), the weight is transferred to the tumpline.  In
between use, I just take the head part and set it back on the top of my
pack.

I've learned some things.  One of these is that it is easiest to use this
contraption when going uphill; it is harder going downhill, or on uneven
terrain. or where you want to be looking around a lot.  It transfers the
heel strike and the hip swing to the head, it gives a tremendous sense of
how you are using your feet, which has its good and bad points.  I remember
watching some Guatemalan Indians carring huge loads of firewood with
tumplines and they were just gliding along the ground.  Now I know why. 
The line hits my shoulder blade before my head.  I was wondering if there
was a better way to rig the thing.

Does anybody out there have some experience with a tumpline?

Goforth
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