View Full Version : Backpack shoulder straps causing bruising
brian039
09-08-2009, 23:48
Has anyone had this problem and found a remedy? I've considered cutting off pieces of my ridgerest and attaching them to my straps but I wanted to get a few opinions first.
unclehud
09-09-2009, 00:13
Are your shoulder straps really tight? Well-designed backpacks can be adjusted so that most of the pack weight is carried on your hips. The shoulder straps are "loosely tightened" to keep the backpack from shifting side-to-side.
(Translation: Hoist the pack so your waist buckle is on your belly button. Tighten your waist strap so hard you can hardly breathe. Let the backpack settle onto your hips. Tighten your shoulder straps just tight enough to keep the backpack from sloshing around when you shift your shoulders or twist your torso. The sternum strap should be a little loose, too; just tight enough to keep the shoulder straps from spreading apart.)
There may also be adjustments at the waist and the shoulders that pull your pack close to the waist strap or shoulder straps. Experiment a little with them.
Bottom line: you shouldn't be carrying the weight of your pack on your shoulders.
Jonnycat
09-09-2009, 00:14
Where is the bruising? In the front, or on top?
If it's on top, you could need to transfer more weight to your hips. You could also have a too-short backpack, or a backpack without sufficient structure to keep the weight off of your shoulders.
I had the problem of bruising in the front, with an REI UL 60, which ocurred because the shoulder straps were too narrow and not padded enough and put most of the weight on the outside edges of the straps, which dug into my clavical. That was the result of a poor design, and that pack went back.
skinewmexico
09-09-2009, 00:40
What they said. Your pack doesn't fit. Let your hips shoulder the load.
Swheeler05
09-09-2009, 00:51
On my section this summer my Osprey Aura bruised my shoulders and collar bones no matter what I did! The straps are SO thin on that pack! I ended up getting one of those padded seatbelt cover thingies, cutting it in half and putting them on my straps and positioning them where the pain was when I got movin. It helped a lot... duct tape all the way around them though, otherwise they'll get soaked!
barefoot
09-09-2009, 11:06
My daughter had literal bruises on her collar bone area after every trip. Finally went back to REI and returned her pack for a different one. They said that her pack didn't fit. I bought some car seat belt pads but they ended up not being wide enough.
skinewmexico
09-09-2009, 11:22
I still believe that if your shoulders get bruised, your pack doesn't fit. Or is loaded wrong. Or both.
Blissful
09-09-2009, 12:44
Make sure the pack fits you correctly and you have it packed correctly. Honestly I get that for the first three days then the "sensation" of bruising goes away as your body adapts.
YoungMoose
09-09-2009, 16:06
its shouldnt be hurting that bad. Try to adjust it better. Just play around with it
brian039
09-09-2009, 20:18
I'll clarify some things. First off, I do tighten my chest strap pretty tight. As far as where I carry my load, I shift the load to the shoulders when I go uphill and to the hips when I go downhill because it really burns my hips if I walk uphill with my hips carrying all the weight. My straps are 2.5 inches wide and seem to have adequate padding though it's the only pack I've ever owned and don't really have anything to compare it to. The bruising that I get is right on my collarbone and is pretty nasty. My pack weight is between 25-30 pounds and I have no idea if my pack is a proper fit or not. It's a Jansport Big Bear 80 and I bought it at Dick's Sporting Goods before I had ever heard of Whiteblaze.
Most likely more padding is needed. I was in the fire service for 31 years and had that problem with an SCBA and an Indian can. (Ask an old smokey if you want to know what that is!) Some guys bruised and some didn't. But then again, an SCBA is heavier than a good pack.
skinewmexico
09-10-2009, 00:03
Loosen the chest strap and let the straps move off your collarbones. And the pain you feel going uphill is probably a conditioning thing. Which is worse, the burning in your hips, or the bruises?
has anyone here ever had their arms go numb when your straps are too tight?
This sometimes happens to me, especially in backpacks that do not have an internal frame. 2 things come to mind, I have broad shoulders (swimming) and I broke my collarbone years ago. It also seems that some backpacks are narrower in the shoulder straps than other ones, also some manufacturers don't readjust the sternum strap on the large packs and it tightens around my throat...
"some manufacturers don't readjust the sternum strap on the large packs and it tightens around my throat..."
I'm looking at you LaFuma and Gregory
Many Walks
09-10-2009, 14:33
Get the lamb's wool seat belt pads at Walmart for $5 a pair in the auto department. They will add padding as you learn to adjust your pack.
Feral Bill
09-10-2009, 17:12
If it doesn't fit
Get rid of it