Lumbar pack instead of backpack. Has anyone done it?

[digitalgerry]

In planning to walk the Portuguese route in May/June. However I don’t want to take the standard backpack.

I’ve found this Lumbar pack video and wondered if anyone has done it? I’ll also have a small day bag 5-Litres for a water camel but that’s my intention. Any thoughts. Feedback from those who have done it??

 

[trecile]

Here's another thread discussing that video and lumbar packs:

Post in thread '1,000 Miles in a Lumbar Pack: Ultralight Camino de Santiago Packing List'

Apr 11, 2024

There was a member here who walked Caminos and other routes with a custom lumbar pack.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/super-light-camino-gear.41075/

• trecile

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Here's are a couple of older threads about walking with a custom lumbar pack:

Thread 'Super Light Camino Gear'

Jun 1, 2016

After finishing the Via de la Plata Camino route May 8th, 2016 I decided to create a web site to record my ideas about walking trips, including the use of super lightweight gear. I have walked over 6000 km in the last 5 years carrying less than 4kg. I see people on the Camino routes carrying way to much stuff and wanted to pass along my ideas and experiences to show you can be warm and comfortable with a very small amount of gear. The web site is www.roadwalking.com. I would love to get feedback from anyone who checks it out. Thanks.

• TimothyE
• Replies: 67
• Camino de Santiago Forum: 🥾 Equipment and Clothes

• 
• 

Thread 'Caminos with 3 kilos'

Jul 19, 2017

Recently I've been reading on these forums about the issue of dealing with heavy packs, and the possibility of having them carried for you. One obvious solution to this problem is to carry a LOT less weight to begin with.

I've been carrying 3 kg or less on over 8000 km of walking trips since 2011, so it IS possible to go super light. The key is to switch from a backpack to a lumbar pack (waist pack). This eliminates the tendency to fill up a huge pack with stuff you don't really need. It's a good idea to remember that Camino walks are not wilderness treks.

Going light doesn't mean...

• TimothyE
• Replies: 20
• Camino de Santiago Forum: 🥾 Equipment and Clothes

• 

 

[henrythedog]

Long long ago when I was briefly in the British Army the common personal load-carrying kit if you ditched the big bag was a belt-kit of ‘58 pattern webbing; made of the most inflexible yet water-absorbent material they could find. Full and dry with ammunition my belt kit must have weighed well over 10kg.

The only thing that made it vaguely comfortable was the ‘yolk’ - basically super-strong braces, which transferred the majority of the weight to the shoulders.

So; yes, it can be done.

But I wouldn’t.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Long long ago when I was briefly in the British Army the common personal load-carrying kit if you ditched the big bag was a belt-kit of ‘58 pattern webbing; made of the most inflexible yet water-absorbent material they could find. Full and dry with ammunition my belt kit must have weighed well over 10kg.

The only thing that made it vaguely comfortable was the ‘yolk’ - basically super-strong braces, which transferred the majority of the weight to the shoulders.

So; yes, it can be done.

But I wouldn’t.

Hmmmm, yes: comparing an ancient artifact weighing 10 plus kilos to a modern lightweight product that fully packed comes in at under 3 kgs.
Not exactly relevant experience is it!

@digitalgerry , as you know the 'Days we spend' video you reference is made by Shawn, not sure if you are aware but @DaysWeSpend are actually forum members. You could perhaps ask them any specific questions you have. Although I have to say that Shawn's videos are pretty comprehensive.

Shawn makes the point that he uses it because he doesn't like something on his shoulders or back. His water bottles are slung from the lumbar Pack. If you're going to carry a shoulder pack anyway, I think you're negating the whole point of a lumbar Pack.
In which case I would simply upgrade to a comfortable small pack which can carry everything.

That said, if you do decide to walk with a lumber pack it would be extremely helpful if you would post about your experience.

 

[SYates]

@lovingkindness might have some further insight.
BC SY

 

[Barbara]

Could always take a pack animal.

 

[henrythedog]

Hmmmm, yes: comparing an ancient artifact weighing 10 plus kilos to a modern lightweight product that fully packed comes in at under 3 kgs.
Not exactly relevant experience is it!

Yes, fair enough. Whatever point I was trying to make at dark o’clock this morning isn’t especially obvious.

The original video linked-to is comprehensive and does stress the compromises made to get down to a load which is feasible in a lumbar pack. I do think that the contents (or lack of) are more of a consideration than what you use to carry them.

Personally, I’d find 3kg in a lumbar pack less comfortable than the same in a minimalist rucksack or cross-body bag.

Some of the more lightweight-focussed on here have assembled loads not much heavier, but with greater functionality - although often by investing in very high quality lightweight kit.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Some of the more lightweight-focussed on here have assembled loads not much heavier, but with greater functionality - although often by investing in very high quality lightweight kit.

Very true. Although I would add that my own summer Camino base weight is only 3.4 kilos, without any compromising, lightweight Gear, or specialist equipment.

My shoulder season pack list is a completely different story.

Personally, I’d find 3kg in a lumbar pack less comfortable than the same in a minimalist rucksack

Ditto. I've literally only tried one for a five kilometer stroll, just didn't work for me.

 

[hairy]

I tried a reasonably sized lumbar pack which had space for a 1l bottle each side. By the time I'd filled the compartment for a day walk plus the water bottles the belt was too heavy on my stomach.
I just recently found that a company called Mountainsmith do both a 9l and a 12l lumbar pack that as an extra you can buy a harness. This would be comfy, big enough for these minimal pack lists and mostly leave your back uncluttered, although the 12l does seem to come up quite high.
I am tempted

 

[peregrino_tom]

'Live and let live' I say. But if you are an ultralighter, you will find us normal weight people more agreeable if
a) you don't ask us within five minutes of meeting us (or actually ten minutes, or even half an hour) how much our pack weighs, because you are dying to tell us how little yours weighs
b) when you ask to borrow stuff from us (as almost invariably happens) you do so with a little grace, perhaps acknowledging that even ultralite celestials occasionally have mortal needs

 

[Teddie]

In planning to walk the Portuguese route in May/June. However I don’t want to take the standard backpack.

I’ve found this Lumbar pack video and wondered if anyone has done it? I’ll also have a small day bag 5-Litres for a water camel but that’s my intention. Any thoughts. Feedback from those who have done it??

A lumbar pack idea is not impossible, as others have of note. I personally feel less fatigue using lumbar day packs opposed to shoulder gear.

Keep in mind, a perfectly fitted, say 28L with wide belt, will transfer most weight onto the hips....not much different to the kit you propose.

 

[digitalgerry]

I tried a reasonably sized lumbar pack which had space for a 1l bottle each side. By the time I'd filled the compartment for a day walk plus the water bottles the belt was too heavy on my stomach.
I just recently found that a company called Mountainsmith do both a 9l and a 12l lumbar pack that as an extra you can buy a harness. This would be comfy, big enough for these minimal pack lists and mostly leave your back uncluttered, although the 12l does seem to come up quite high.
I am tempted

i have the Mointainsmith 9L it look a good size.

 

[IamGrit]

In planning to walk the Portuguese route in May/June. However I don’t want to take the standard backpack.

I’ve found this Lumbar pack video and wondered if anyone has done it? I’ll also have a small day bag 5-Litres for a water camel but that’s my intention. Any thoughts. Feedback from those who have done it??

I used a similar pack from Mountain Smith on my first portion of the Camino del Norte. Even had the strapettes (like suspender strapes). I did not care for it. I found that it put more strain on my back - lower and between the shoulders.

Next go around I took a 25 litre backpack with a water bladder. I found it much better because of the ability to adjusted weight from hips to shoulders and then back as the throughout the day. I also felt it distributed the weight better.

The lumbar pack is gathering dust in the closet now.

 

[IamGrit]

I tried a reasonably sized lumbar pack which had space for a 1l bottle each side. By the time I'd filled the compartment for a day walk plus the water bottles the belt was too heavy on my stomach.
I just recently found that a company called Mountainsmith do both a 9l and a 12l lumbar pack that as an extra you can buy a harness. This would be comfy, big enough for these minimal pack lists and mostly leave your back uncluttered, although the 12l does seem to come up quite high.
I am tempted

The tried the Mountainsmith Lumbar pack. Well made but I didn't like using it. It found that it didn't distribute the weight very well even with the straplettes. I went back to using a backpack.

 

[SureFtWayEli]

In planning to walk the Portuguese route in May/June. However I don’t want to take the standard backpack.

I’ve found this Lumbar pack video and wondered if anyone has done it? I’ll also have a small day bag 5-Litres for a water camel but that’s my intention. Any thoughts. Feedback from those who have done it??

I think it was last year a pilgrim posted his video using lumbar pack on 3rd Camino planning 4th. Here’s a picture I saved of how he packed it.

 

[JustJack]

The biggest challenge with lumbar packs is that there's no way to carry a sleeping bag, and I wouldn't consider walking a camino without a lightweight sleeping bag. I could easily manage to fit all my other stuff into a lumbar pack, as could many of us, but no sleeping bag is a deal breaker for me.

 

[Anhalter]

The biggest challenge with lumbar packs is that there's no way to carry a sleeping bag, and I wouldn't consider walking a camino without a lightweight sleeping bag. I could easily manage to fit all my other stuff into a lumbar pack, as could many of us, but no sleeping bag is a deal breaker for me.

Careful here... my down sleeping bag compresses down to around 2 liters. My clothing currently just fills a 8 liter drybag and i could leave things out for even less volume. So i would not find it impossible to get everything into a 10L lumbar pack. Maybe fix my jacket on the outside with a strap.
For myself, i like the idea, but don't really see the need for myself. I mean, that back sweat is a bit annoying, but thats about the only downside of my backpack while on the "upside" it gives me a lot more options than a lumbar pack.

 

[JustJack]

Maybe fix my jacket on the outside with a strap.

That's the other thing I don't like about lumbar packs - you invariably need to clip a bunch of stuff to the outside because they aren't big enough. I often see sandals etc flopping around clipped to the outside of the bag.

 

[Mr BWE]

Long long ago when I was briefly in the British Army the common personal load-carrying kit if you ditched the big bag was a belt-kit of ‘58 pattern webbing; made of the most inflexible yet water-absorbent material they could find. Full and dry with ammunition my belt kit must have weighed well over 10kg.

The only thing that made it vaguely comfortable was the ‘yolk’ - basically super-strong braces, which transferred the majority of the weight to the shoulders.

So; yes, it can be done.

But I wouldn’t.

You've brought back some memories there, Henry, with the mention of 58 pattern webbing. As I remember it, the braces-type thing was a "yoke", and well-named too for we were beasts of burden in the Infantry.