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Hip Packs

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I have something similar in the Mountainsmith Day Pack which has only about half the volume. I figured I could have used it on last year's CI (I was staying in hostales so no need for bedding or towels - my Altus could have been slung underneath) but found that, fully loaded, it tended to "peel away" from my back. I could have used the supplied shoulder strap diagonally to hold it in or the optional "strapettes" in effect giving me a 13 litre rucksack (I've used the pack+strapettes successfully on overnighters) but decided, in the end, to got for a conventional 40l pack.

The pack and strapettes ends up like this:



There is somebody who is/was on the Forum who ultralites - down to a 12l lumbar pack - successfully. He's got his own web-site dedicated to it too. I'll delve and come back for an edit if I find it.

PS - you're right, that is expensive for what it is.
 
THIS is the site I was thinking of - he does go in for extremely minimalist gear though
 
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With a well fitting back pack there should be barely, if any weight on the shoulder. It should all be on the hips. Buen Camino
 
Your referring to Tim Evans, who is something of a mythical deity in distance hiking. He carries next to nothing by ordinary standards. He relies upon restocking extensively but - if you can match his level of commitment and forego many (most!) conveniences, it can clealry be done!
 
IMHO, these packs are excellent. They ride on your hips, as should be the case for all packs.

HOWEVER, they only hold enough for a day hike, or perhaps overnight for an extreme, really extreme, minimalist hiker. Again, and IMHO these hip packs are only suitable if you are using mochila transport.

Having said that, there is a subset of pilgrims who do try to walk a Camino with minimal gear and extra clothing. I allow that for a small person, it MIGHT be possible during warmer summer months. But for the majority of us, this is not enough capacity.

It MIGHT be possible to combine this with a chest or belly bag, see:

Z-packs "4-in-one," (www.zpacks.com) or
Vertical Mountain's "Pack Avant Ultra," (www. vertical mountain.com)

There are other similar front packs. But these are the two best, I've yet found after years of trial and error.

The Z-Packs bag is about 3 liters capacity. The Pack Avant Ultra is about 15 liters, has two bottle pouches and a large insulated sleeve for a 1.5 liter bottle on top. Both have flexible mounting options.

Hope this helps.
 
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I have never seen these packs before, but I am intrigued!
 
He also only stays in private rooms where bedding and towels are provided, so he doesn't need to carry sleeping gear or a towel. Or soap or shampoo, as those are supplied in most cases.
 
The Osprey Duro 15L might be a great minimalist pack for the Camino - but no room for souvenirs!
 
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The Mountainsmith pack you show is called a lumbar pack because it's designed to sit on your hips and ride in the lumbar region of your back. I've had one of them for many years and use it quite often on day hikes. I have the "strapettes," which help to prevent the upper part of the pack from sagging away from your back when it's full. One of the features I like is the ability to remove the strapettes and fold the hip belts into a velcroed pocket. Used with the single diagonal strap, it makes a nice messenger-style ditty bag for non-hiking travels. It stows nicely under an airline seat. However, IMO it's a bit small to consider for the Camino unless you're having a larger bag transported every day.
 
Okay, so I picked one of the Mountainsmith packs up and also got the strapettes because I found them on sale. I think this is a great little daypack and possibly something for biking or even motorcycling. I am surprised they did not put pockets on both sides, but I had some extra shock cord and rigged something up!
 
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