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2 lumbar packs - OK idea?

Leigh Macklin

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances {2016}, Portugese {2017}, CdN {2019},
Heya folks,

Due to successful treatment using surgery and radiation, I have some skin that simply CANNOT tolerate straps from my favorite backpacks. On my past 3 caminos I used a Gregory Z30, but only carried 20L max at a time. My preference is to carry my stuff. However ... I could walk with my Gregory Miwok 12L (least painful) and send the rest ahead if necessary.

What do you think about wearing a 13 L and a 6 L lumbar pack at the same time?

Thanks for any insights.
 
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Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Hola

I have no experience with lumbar packs so I cannot give you any other advice than to try it out.
In the end it is only you who can feel if it is okay - take a few walks to get a feel of it.

I hope this helps.
Lettinggo
 
No problem using a lumbar 13L or larger. A wide belt style with pack having points of attachment above and below for larger light items ( jacket ), add front pouch or two for small daily items, add water bottle holster. Avoid double belting, hanging a pack 'out back' creates annoying cantilever pressure.
I will spend all day using a lumbar pack, feeling more agile and less fatigued than using a shoulder pack of the same cargo weight.
The season you Camino is a bulk item factor that may necessitate a shoulder 30L, late fall and winter, in which case your Gregory has a wide belt that you can tighten up to carry the bulk, loosen off the shoulder straps, fabricate a 'tump line' to stabilize, add belt holster pouch and water bottle ( this system should be pre-Camino tested and adjusted ).
There are some interesting military lumbar packs out there.
 
Camino Cleanup Program & Retreat
Join the Camino cleanup. Logroño to Burgos May 2025 & Astorga to OCebreiro in June
My question is - have you been properly fitted for a backpack? I ask because many don't get fitted and don't have a properly fitted backpack which leads to pain. I good backpack should have a hip belt and chest strap and if fitted properly - almost all of the weight should be on your hips. You should NOT have shoulder strain/pain or excessive back pain if your backpack is well fitted. So - I suggest going to a good outdoor sports store and have them properly fitted for a backpack. And try it on and walk around the store with 10-15 pounds of weight in it and see how it feels.

If you have been properly fitted and it still is a problem - I would get the bigger lumbar pack and fill it and walk around with it and see how it works. And try it again with double packs if you would like. I would imagine the second pack wouldn't sit quite right though and might create more pain from not being properly situated. But still worth a try.

Worst case - you can send your pack ahead depending on route.
 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Probably not.

From my distant memory of ‘aggressive camping’ in the army, any substantial load on the belt was alleviated by a ‘yolk’; a set of braces really. That transfers the weight to the shoulders, which is not what you want.

On my first Camino one of my ‘day for day’ companions, thankfully downwind due to personal hygiene issues, shipped his bag and carried his daily needs in his hand in a supermarket carrier-bag, so there’s a solution out there for you somewhere.
 
Not sure if the guy himself was on the forum or the link was just posted here... Anyways, there are examples of people using just a lumbar pack for their camino:

Road Walking - Guide to walking roads cross country with lightweight gear

Guide to long distance road walking including navigating and lightweight gear selection
www.roadwalking.com

(and yes, the packing style is pretty extreme...)
 
He is a member here, but hasn't posted in years. Here's one of his posts: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/super-light-camino-gear.41075/
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Bob from L.A. ! said:
Go on YouTube and check out the Me2-Strapless backpack.
Worth a look
Click to expand...
I was intrigued, so I found the website, which also has the video on it. Unfortunately, I don't see anyplace to buy one.

No Shoulder Straps

The ME-2 Pack is a backpack like no other. It provides an ultimate level of comfort by eliminating downward stress on your neck, shoulders, and upper back. By using a unique belt system and a custom carbon fiber frame, it provides ergonomic support that s
www.noshoulderstraps.com
 
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