Backpacks And Artificial Shoulders

If anyone out there has artificial shoulders like me (I have reverse replacements) and has used backpacks since, let me know what you’ve found. The pilgrimage is coming together, and it appears a suitcase is not going to work for portions of it.

One option is to use a backpack in place of a suitcase. The other option I’m looking at is using a suitcase for part of the trip, but have a smaller backpack as my carry-on and for times when suitcase isn’t going to cut it. The latter would work only if I do rent a apartment/room for the trip.

The only thing the doctor who did my surgery suggested is that I should get lots of padding for the shoulders. My thoughts are that a hip belt would be a good idea to keep pressure off the shoulders.

Thoughts?

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12 thoughts on “Backpacks And Artificial Shoulders”

  1. I don’t have artificial shoulders *yet*, but they’re pretty jacked up. Probably not as bad as yours were, but close.

    Here’s the thing though, unless you’re a soldier on patrol you shouldn’t be carrying very much weight on your shoulders. You should be carrying it on your hips using the *hip belt*, and the shoulder straps are for balance and stability.

    1. Agree. Just need to find a good one and see how it does. Going up Thursday to a store that carries a good range of gear, and may have a couple of people familiar with my type of situation. We will see. Thanks!

      1. Osprey.
        Both shoulders rebuilt (partial new knee as well). Staying active, hiking, riding – probably about your age.
        Second the comment about getting one that is adjustable / your size, and carries most weight on your hips. The Osprey Aether 85 AG is good for 60lbs / about a week. That and well broken in hikers, GTG.

        1. Thank you! Going to be checking out the Osprey line this Thursday. Do appreciate the input from a fellow cyborg. 🙂

      2. A while back I did the Memorial Day Ruck with a beat-up old Kelty Redwing 3100 LE from the early 2000s. There were soldiers rucking along side me that were younger than that pack. It was only carrying about 25 pounds of food (29 pounds total), but I’d had upwards of 45 pounds of sand in it while “training”. That let me get the configuration dialed in, and I barely fiddled with the pack at all for the first 10 miles. Then I stopped to change socks, strapped it back on and did the last 8.

        I also used the same pack on a weekend backpacking trip, carrying about 60 pounds plus water, walking off-trail at around 10k feet in the rockies. Not and awesome pack, but it made it. It lacks technical things like “lifting straps” that make life a lot easier when running heavier loads.

        They don’t make the 3100 anymore, and it might be a bit small for a several week trip. However there are a plethora of the 50 liter model on oBay https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Kelty+Redwing+50, some used, but that just makes them cheaper.

        I finally replaced mine after 20 years of intermittent use, because the water bottle/wand pocket blew out on one side.

        I replaced it with a “used” Marine Corps Ruck off oBay (https://www.ebay.com/itm/306497538389?_skw=marine+corps+rucksack) that had no use as far as I could tell. I got a heck of a deal on it as it included everything–radio pouch, top pouch, and the attached day pack. It’s a heck of a system, and it has *very* padded shoulders and hip belt…but it’s pretty militant, and I’d hesitate to use it outside the country. Inside the country, well, I’d be armed and anyone who’s got an issue can make their own choices.

        I also have a Eagle Creek Grand Voyager in 90 liter. It’s got a good hip belt, and is adustable for body length. It’s also not made anymore, but there’s one on oBay at a price that if mine wasn’t still in pretty good shape, I’d buy it just because: https://www.ebay.com/itm/226912392408?_skw=Eagle+Creek+Grand+Voyage

        This one has a zip off day pack, and has cover to zip over the backpack straps when you check it as luggage.

        Yes, I’m a bag slut. I have a higher bag count than some porn stars have body counts. Well, maybe not *that* many, but I admit I *might* have a problem.

        Anyway, another “secret” is that most of the sorts of packs they sell today have an “internal frame” that is pretty much just two aluminium stays. If you find a decent backpacking store, or someone who knows what they are doing, they can remove the stays (usually pretty easily) and then bend them to the curve of your back. This lets the pack hug your back and fit into the lumbar curve, putting weight on the hips even without the hip belt.

  2. REI is a good place to start if you get a knowledgeable salesperson. That said, my son got a Gregory back pack and strongly suggested them for our Italy trip. Great pack, functional with plenty of storage (including sealed section for dirty clothes). Online you can chat with them for ideas. Looked hard at Osprey, went with Gregory. Have a great adventure.

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