Lumbar packs?

[Bob Hurley]

Have any of use used one of these? It looks like it would be either wonderful or hideous, I can't tell which.

Here's one from Marmot:
http://www.marmot.com/products/product.php?cat=packs&subcat=16&style_id=F2267

 

[Goose]

Not used one with straps,unless you include military webbing kidney pouches,but I use a bumbag(fanypack?) similar to the excursion size on that site. I find it really useful for water and for emptying pockets into when climbing etc. sort of like an urban possibles pouch too when taking kids to theme parks and stuff.

 

[Stuart]

kifaru make some of the best lumber packs I have ever seen

www.kifaru.net

 

[Hoodoo]

I know Cody Lundin favors a lumbar pack but I've never been fond of them. I wear a belt pouch quite frequently and that's a good plenty around my waist. I just feel more comfortable with a good day pack. I think it's more a personal thing than anything. They both haul gear.

This little kelty redtail with 1600 cubic inches will haul more than I want to carry on a day hike and with the side mesh pockets, I can carry two water bottles and have easy access to water as I hike. I usually wear a small belt pack as well, to keep a field guide handy.

I've never really heard a good explanation of the advantages of the lumbar pack over the backpack. Lundin just said (IIRC) he doesn't like carry a pack. Maybe others here can provide more information about lumbar packs.

 

[Moine]

Hi,

I'm using lumbar packs on day hikes. I've got a maxpedition Proteus, and I like it. Here's my humble take on those packs :

1 - A backpack, when properly adjusted, has 95% of it's weight supported by the HIPS. So a backpack, to me, is nothing more than a lumbar pack with a back panel and shoulder straps for stability. The shoulders have no weight on them (unless you like it that way...).

2 - If you carry too much, the pack slips down a little. They're ok for up to... 8 pounds, maybe 10. Over that, you better get a small backpack.

3 - They let your back breathe on hot days/fast outings.

4 - They don't let you carry too much gear.

5 - They let you move much more freely, especially under brush and logs where a backpack often gets stuck.

Cheers,

David

 

[Bob Hurley]

5 - They let you move much more freely, especially under brush and logs where a backpack often gets stuck.

Cheers,

David

That's why I'm thinking about one as a day pack, I travel in some very brushy country full of rhodedendron, laurel, and briars as well as low limbs. Getting that pack profile down much lower would make things work a lot better for me, I suspect.

 

[Minotaur]

Ref: the highlander.

Is not one of the main advantages of lumber packs, that you can rotate them to the back out of the way and then bring them forward to use? If I needed to carry that much stuff for something one of the daysacs or rucsacs would get used.

My Regatta Advance 25 is tiny but does the job and is currently my Bushcraft choice. If I could get it in a 50 or 60 litre with maybe some side straps but no pockets, it would become my journey carry.

I use a couple of small "what I would call bumbags" now but am slowly going towards belt carried pouches.

A rucsac's weight might go thought the hips but a daypac is all on the shoulders. None of my daypacks hip straps are anywhere near my hips, they seem to serve as hold down straps to stop a full pack bouncing around..

 

[Hoodoo]

Ref: the highlander.
A rucsac's weight might go thought the hips but a daypac is all on the shoulders. None of my daypacks hip straps are anywhere near my hips, they seem to serve as hold down straps to stop a full pack bouncing around..

Same here.

 

[Moine]

Same here.

You guys should choose your day packs more carefully

Cheers,

David

 

[Hoodoo]

I dunno. When I see a person dayhiking that has so much gear they need a hip belt, then I figure they must be a pretty raw rookie. If I have to carry that much weight, I'm grabbing a bigger pack. My day pack fully loaded with water weighs around 13 lbs. With that I could easily stay out a couple nights without much effort and there's plenty of survival gear if I get really lost.

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

Kit is sold a lot like the old military philosphy of fitting the soldier/sailor to the gear and not visa versa We are a very rare bipedal animal with lots of our systems still catching up to this evolutionary revolution. Look at kids going to school who don't have bookbags. The girls carry their books with both hands in front, like women carrying children. The boys carry books to the side, like hunter/warriors carrying weapons with a free hand to examine the world for danger or resources. I like a light wieght combat harness ( belt, braces, canteen and a few ammo,compass, dressing pouches) as my minimal unit, a daypack for 3 day adventures and a packhorse, voyageur canoe or native bearers singing melodic counterpoint for the rest

 

[Danceswithhelicopters]

I can't speak for Kifaru stuff (yet!) but I do have a great lumbar pack by Mountainsmith who I believe were run by the guy from Kifaru. A very thin but very effective waistbelt and it does limit your gear (Good thing)
It also is a sadly efficient 'Mans handbag' when going travelling.

 

[Moine]

13 pounds... That's about 6kg... Well my day pack is a 3-4kg maxped proteus, but that's without the water (which I carry on my shoulder in an old evian bottle with a paracord sling attached to it). I guess we carry pretty much the same ammount of gear. I carry it on my hips though

Cheers

David

I dunno. When I see a person dayhiking that has so much gear they need a hip belt, then I figure they must be a pretty raw rookie. If I have to carry that much weight, I'm grabbing a bigger pack. My day pack fully loaded with water weighs around 13 lbs. With that I could easily stay out a couple nights without much effort and there's plenty of survival gear if I get really lost.

 

[Bob Hurley]

I found a Jansport (490 cu in) on eBay for $11, just couldn't turn it down at that price. I also bought a larger 950 cu in pack from EMS, pics and description here: http://www.ems.com/products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442574925&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302848898&fromTemplate=navigation%2Fsubcategory.jsp&bmUID=1115508113884

Between the two I should be able to see if the idea is something I like. I'll post my impressions when I get a chance to use both.

 

[Carpe_Diem]

Hi,

I'm using lumbar packs on day hikes. I've got a maxpedition Proteus, and I like it. Here's my humble take on those packs :

I agree with David,

The MAxpedition is an awesome lumbar pack. I particularly like the wide belt rather than narrow ones you see on most lumbar packs. i also like the sedate colours rather than the bright yellows/greens etc.

If that's not being enough, Maxpedition have the Thermite which can also be worn as a shoulder bag if necessary or Strapped to your thigh for wearing lower down the side of your leg. It's essentially civilian gear on steroids!!

jeelan

 

[Moine]

Yup, the pack is just a little too small to store the survival gear AND the water. Another pack is necessary (or a bottle on a sling or whatever)...

Cheers

David

 

[Hoodoo]

13 pounds... That's about 6kg... Well my day pack is a 3-4kg maxped proteus, but that's without the water (which I carry on my shoulder in an old evian bottle with a paracord sling attached to it). I guess we carry pretty much the same ammount of gear. I carry it on my hips though

Cheers

David

I forgot to mention that weight includes my Slik tripod which is 1.5 lbs. The camera is extra, as are binoculars and field guides. I rarely walk into the woods without them. Sometimes the tripod stays, and sometimes I take a bogen tripod which is a LOT heavier but I usually carry that across my shoulder except in the winter when I can use a sled. I almost aways carry a field guide or two in a small belt pack, along with my cell phone and a pistol for varmints.

 

[Bob Hurley]

Both packs are here, and I've played with them a bit. The Jansport looks about right for a day pack; although it doesn't have bottle holders, I can easily get two of the military pilot's 12oz hip flasks in it and it carries well that way. There's room for first aid, food for a day or so, and odds and ends like knives, flashlights, etc. I think I'm going to like it for my purposes. I don't carry that much on day trips.

The EMS full lumbar pack is really nice. I have it loaded with kit for two days/nights including a Nessmuk-style blanket bag and a poncho, and it looks like it will do well. That's about all I'd care to put in it, if I need more I'll use a "regular" pack. I need to find a thinner pants belt, there's a bit more weight in the front than with the hipbelt on a frame pack. I can always tighten the shoulder straps if it starts irritating. It has a lot of different adjustments available, it may take a while for me to learn how to best use it.

I have a blasted head cold so it will be a bit before I get to use either. Bad timing, spring hunting season starts tomorrow and I really expected to be in the woods instead of typing this.

 

[Exploriment]

I have a Kifaru Scout and I absolutely love it.

I've used lots of packs, but it is hands down the most comfortable one I've ever used. As has been said, most day packs don't really have a proper waist belt. Especially for a freak of nature like me. A waist belt is often times an around the rib cage belt. Hence all of that weight is borne by the shoulders. I'm a big strong guy, but anything over 10 kilos and it starts to become a real drag after 10 kilometers.

With the Scout, all the weight is borne by the hips. I have carried 25 kilos and it feels as though I am carrying a fraction of that weight. Mind you it has a lot to do with a really good suspension system, that you dial in to suit you perfectly. I can actually set it up so that as little as possible of the pack is actually touching my back. That sure is nice on a hot summer day. Unlike a regular back pack.

The other thing that is nice about a lumbar pack is if you do any cycling, it sits down low so as not to obstruct your view behind you.

Running with it is also a pleasant surprise. Unlike a traditional pack that bounces around on your spine, my Scout is on my hips, and doesn't move. I dread having to run with a regular pack on, but with the Scout the suck factor is actualy fairly low.

Oh yeah and the waist belt on the Scout is the best of any pack I have ever used. I can wear it with belt and shoulder straps, just shoulder straps, or just waist belt.

Kifaru rocks!

And DwH, you are correct. Patrick Smith of Kifaru, was the founder of Mountainsmith.

Thomas