View Full Version : Sternum strap - yes or no?
hikerjohnd
02-26-2005, 09:27
I have been wondering about the necessity of my sternum strap. On my external pack, it was the first hing to go, but now I am moving to an internal frame and am reluctant to remove it. While hiking, I find the strap restrictive, and sometimes it is difficult to breathe with it on (no matter how loose). I believe some of it is psychological, but not all. How many of you use a sternum strap? How many don't? Can it be useful in certain situations (to the point I should leave mine attached)? Thanks for the input! :sun
SGT Rock
02-26-2005, 09:29
Mine is still on, but I don't always use it.
Lone Wolf
02-26-2005, 09:30
Never have, never will. Just another bell or whistle.
SGT Rock
02-26-2005, 09:33
Never have, never will. Just another bell or whistle.
Just like a Nalgene bottle:p
Lone Wolf
02-26-2005, 09:35
Or a hammock. They're only good for the back yard while relaxing and drinking beer after mowing the lawn. Certainly not functional for backpacking. :p
SGT Rock
02-26-2005, 09:37
OK, ya got me there. I do love to lay out in a hammock and drink beer.:sun:
I have been wondering about the necessity of my sternum strap. On my external pack, it was the first hing to go, but now I am moving to an internal frame and am reluctant to remove it. While hiking, I find the strap restrictive, and sometimes it is difficult to breathe with it on (no matter how loose). I believe some of it is psychological, but not all. How many of you use a sternum strap? How many don't? Can it be useful in certain situations (to the point I should leave mine attached)? Thanks for the input! :sun
Are you sure the strap isn't riding too high on your chest? It should be crossing about mid-sternum. If it's closer to the top of the sternum, by your throat, it's too high and you will have difficulty breathing. I like the sternum strap. Adds a little more stability to my external.
Footslogger
02-26-2005, 11:31
I use one all the time and adjust it during the day as I hike to reposition the shoulder straps. Without that strap my shoulder straps ride outward and I'm constantly rounding my shoulders or grasping them and pulling them inward.
'Slogger
The Weasel
02-26-2005, 11:39
Necessary with packweight over 35. Useful with packweight over 20. Unnecessary below that.
The Weasel
kentucky
02-26-2005, 11:42
yes most the time ,I seem to use it because it helps my p ack ride tighter especially going down hill,if Im just strutting on flat land I usually undo it. kentucky!
Lumberjack
02-26-2005, 12:16
sometimes I use it and sometimes I dont.... depends on how the pack is riding ect..
I found the sternum strap crucial to a good fit. But then men don't have quite the same geometry as we do. :D :D
I like mine to kep my shoulders more comfy... I change it alot thru the day.. I also use it to hang my hat on...which is very convenient:banana
The Cheat
02-26-2005, 16:17
I found the sternum strap crucial to a good fit. But then men don't have quite the same geometry as we do. :D :D
Geometry? If that were true I would have done alot better in geometry. Anyway, I thought calculus dealt with curves. Or was that trigonometry?
Lone Wolf
02-26-2005, 16:20
Mouse meant algeBRA.
I found the sternum strap crucial to a good fit. But then men don't have quite the same geometry as we do. :D :D
True. I think that using a sternum strap or not is related to how well the shoulder straps fit your body. If you have wide shoulders, or maybe narrow shoulders, it can make a difference.
I like it because it makes the pack feel even more of a part of me. The snugger (is that a word?) my pack fits without being too tight the more it feels like hiking instead of lugging a pack around. But then again, I think climbing harnesses are comfortable too. :bse
I found in the more involved rock climbing that I wanted my pack cinched tight to my back like it was part of me, something that pretty much required a well-adjusted sternum strap. I even kept it on all the way through Mahoosuc Notch, squirming through the underground passages.
i dont use mine,i removed it:sun neo
C-Stepper
02-27-2005, 10:06
I have 2 packs, a "men's" pack (gg vapor trail) and a "women's" pack (mountainsmith chimera). I periodically unbuckle my sternum strap just for a change, but if it's unbuckled while I'm twisting around trail obstacles, my load can shift and I'll be sitting on my butt, at best. Another woman FOR the strap.
tlbj6142
02-27-2005, 10:21
The only reason you really need one is because the shoulder straps don't fit correctly on your body (another problem with 2-3 sizes fits many approach to pack fitting). Once you get a perfect shoulder strap fit, sternum straps are not needed.
I have been wondering about the necessity of my sternum strap. On my external pack, it was the first hing to go, but now I am moving to an internal frame and am reluctant to remove it. While hiking, I find the strap restrictive, and sometimes it is difficult to breathe with it on (no matter how loose). I believe some of it is psychological, ...............................etc,etc,etc........ ...
visit the PSYCO ward, get help & strap it on...& hit the trail!
hehehehehe
Mr. Clean
02-27-2005, 18:13
While I don't use it all the time, I find that I end up walking with hunched shoulders to keep the pack straps from falling and eventually get a pain in the shoulders.
RhusRadicans
02-27-2005, 18:34
I find the strap useful for going up hills ( pulls the pack up higher on my back so weight is more forward). I never use it down hills because I want to let the pack rest more on my butt then. I find it useful for adjusting where on my shoulders the straps rest -- moving around periodically makes things easier on my shoulders. That means i use it less in the morning and more in the afternoon. Not using poles means when don't have the sternum strap fastened I can grab the ends with my hands and rest my arms -- also adjust the pack's ride on my back for just a short distance.Not comfortable to wear fastened for long periods of time.
Nameless
03-01-2005, 06:48
Another girl for sternum straps...
Also have had two back surgeries, and my shoulders arent quite even, so i cannot pack without one, one of my sholder straps never wants to stay on. (one sholder is slightly curved down, not visably noticable, but very noticable when trying to keep bra or backpack straps on)
Pink
art to linda
03-01-2005, 07:52
This girl has never been able to keep shoulder straps of any kind up... within minutes the darn things are sliding down. That sternum stap takes care of that :D
I use a sternum strap mainly to keep my shoulder straps from hanging to far out on my shoulders. My chest is quite a bit larger in proportion than the rest of me and I think that is my problem. I would prefer not to need one, but it provides for stability in my case.
Spirit Walker
03-01-2005, 16:38
I can't stand them - wrong placement for me. I always cut them off because they are just dead weight.
I have used a modified day pack for years without the strap and am trying out the Golite Infinity this year…it’s been dangling along on my 1st “test” hikes…looks like I’ll be cutting it off.
Bad Ass Turtle
03-01-2005, 17:55
Yep, I'm a woman for the strap as well. Makes me feel like I'm serious about hiking. Like buckling up a seat belt. :jump
Brushy Sage
03-01-2005, 21:53
I use it with at times with my Kelty backpack whenever it feels "right," whatever that is. Even the little day pack I use to carry my school books (hiking to Spanish class) has a sternum strap, and I use that one also.
Budster the Great
03-01-2005, 22:58
My Gossamer Gear G4 doesn't have a sternum strap per se, but it does have loops on each shoulder strap at that height to let me improvise one.
I keep a toy caribiner clipped into one of the loops, but I clip it to the other loop only on steep or rough terrain, or when I run.
I answered yes to the poll because I do find it really helpful in those situations.
I use one even on my hydration pack while Mt biking or day hiking, max wt of hydration pack about 5 Lbs, so I don't see where weight has anything to do with it. Like Footsloger says its a comfort thing, otherwise the darn pack keeps trying to slide off my sholders.
Personal choice yes, but perhaps those that use them not are using them wrong.
Doctari.
fiddlehead
05-25-2005, 22:38
.. I also use it to hang my hat on...which is very convenient:banana[/QUOTE]
AAAAAhhhhhhhh! Someone's finally found a use for the sterum strap! but then, who needs a hat on the AT?
thats the first thing i remove and discard from a new pack,but most ultra light packs dont have them anyway,:cool: neo
jonesat11
05-26-2005, 08:05
While hiking the sternum strap is useful for me. Very useful, that is debatable. Let's say that they is useful. I like to connect them when the going gets ruff and disconnect them when things are easy. Sometimes when hiking I don't know if they are on or off. Good subject!
Cookerhiker
05-26-2005, 09:46
...for affixing my camera so that it's handy for quick photos without the necessity of taking off the pack. Especially helps for wildlife e.g. snakes from my last two hikes. And sometimes, I also use it to transport my small binoculars. The only downside is potential damage to the camera if I fall face-down.
As you can see from the poll, the vast majority of the backpackers here think a sternum strap is useful.
I'm into packing light and saving weight and eliminating any item "not worth the weight." A sternum strap is very, very light however, and can really make a difference in comfort for most people.
My pack averaged just over 20 lbs on the trail, and I ended up adding one to my G4 pack. I think they are especially useful when using hiking poles.
During the day, I like to make slight adjustments to my pack to change how it rides. A sternum strap is great to reduce strain on your shoulders, especially with heavier packs. They're not for everyone, but they ARE for most of us.
...for affixing my camera so that it's handy for quick photos without the necessity of taking off the pack. Especially helps for wildlife e.g. snakes from my last two hikes. And sometimes, I also use it to transport my small binoculars. The only downside is potential damage to the camera if I fall face-down.
My camera goes in a small pouch that is attached to my shoulder straps. Easy to access when ever I want to take a photograph.
I like them. I think they are good for rough ground. On the flats I'll often unbuckle them and move my shoulder straps out toward the ends of my shoulders for a change. Seems like if I change stuff around frequently, I can keep the pack on longer without getting as tired.
Interesting poll...
I need a sternum strap because I'm not symmetrical! My right shoulder strap will stay on without the sternum strap, but my left shoulder strap slides off. The sternum strap stops this. Am I the only one with this problem?
Almost There
01-31-2006, 09:53
The sternum strap it appears is good if you have smaller shoulders(women like them) other than that it's a great place to hang my sunglasses when I don't need them. Used to use it all the time, but last few hikes I haven't and I don't miss it.
I also use a sternum strap with my Travois...for really big loads ;)
I use it......but the dam thing crushes my breasts
QHShowoman
01-31-2006, 15:46
Another woman for the sternum strap, here. All my packs have sternum straps -- even my daypacks -- and I don't know how I ever got along without one. (I should also add that I am also "well endowed" in the chest area.)
When I travel for work, my daypack can often weigh close to 30 lbs and I've found that the sternum strap really helps to delay/often eliminate shoulder fatigue. When I cinch up the sternum strap, it makes an IMMEDIATE difference in how my load is distrubted and eases up on the shoulders.
Rain Man
01-31-2006, 15:52
Sternum straps are said to help those whose arms swell and get numb from hiking, in cases where the shoulder strap restricts blood flow down the artery to the arm.
Personally, I like a sternum strap, plus I hang stuff from it. HANDY!
Rain:sunMan
.
icemanat95
01-31-2006, 16:13
As packweight increases, they are increasingly useful. Lighter packs don't need them, thus many of the ultralighters find that they don't need them. I like to protect the bloodflow to my arms even though I have severely chopped my packweight back over the years.
Depending on terrain, heat, effort, etc, I like to adjust how my pack is sitting. I like the sternum strap because it changes where my shoulder straps are sitting and keeps any sore spots away.
I actually think it's more important on a pack without a hipbelt because there's that much more weight on your shoulders. Even with my Breeze carrying 18 lbs, I think a sternum strap is invaluable.
I use it......but the dam thing crushes my breasts
Have you tried moving the strap up or down?
I don't use a sternum strap because I feel like it's constricting my breathing. I have however, in the past, used it to hang my camera from so it was easy to get to. Also, I put almost no weight at all on my shoulder straps, and instead load it all onto my hips.
Tried everything.....just a nessesary evil. Let's just say that I wasen't "built" for this sport
MoBeach42
02-01-2006, 20:07
Necessary with packweight over 35. Useful with packweight over 20. Unnecessary below that.
That's pretty much the conclusion that I came to. I realized once I had traded down to my little frameless pack I didn't even use it anymore.
vipahman
02-06-2006, 18:25
If you are moving fast enough for your pack to have some minor swing, a sternum strap helps stabilize the pack and reduce the swing. I use it for rockhopping in streams, fast smooth downhills, etc. to increase stability. YMMV.
vlippieee
02-11-2006, 22:00
oh you mean the boob strap? it functions to hold the pack close to the body as well as give us ladies some lovely cleavage hehehe
astrogirl
02-11-2006, 23:07
I like mine to kep my shoulders more comfy... I change it alot thru the day.. I also use it to hang my hat on...which is very convenient:banana
Ditto that and Footslogger's comment.
I really need the thing. I need it so much that I went for the sternum strap option on my G5 Hyperlight pack. Without it, I get messed up shoulders and wind up gobbling Vitamin I.
So, it really varies frm person to person, apparently. :rolleyes:
Toolshed
02-12-2006, 00:18
I use 2 Sternum straps on my Lowe Alpine Contour Iv, but one on all my other packs. I amn a big guy though, I use to be a weightlifter, body builder and still have pretty broad shoulders. I like it that I can tighten them up and loosen the shoulder straps a little as well as the load lifter straps. I can also stick an umbrella handle down both straps and balance the top of it on my pack