Farmer001
03-09-2013, 08:05 PM
Not sure if anyone has tried this but figure would share. I suffered a shoulder injury so wearing a pack can pose some issues to begin with. Purchased the Dragonfly because of the scarab option and was good 1-2 day pack in my mind. But after wearing for quite a few hikes found weight seemed not stay close to back unless you tighten the crap out of the shoulder straps. The straps are narrower than the MR pack or as well padded but I wanted a pack with a scarab remember. Well today while snowshoing with 45 lbs in the pack was proved to be extremely uncomfortable due to the shoulder and weight seemed to move around a lot. It was a sad day because I realized that my purchase had not worked out as well as I thought and could not even imagine packing a critter on this thing. So as I sat in the Sunshine I looked at the pack and wondered if it had a chest strap would hold the load closer and relieve pressure on the shoulder straps.
So I took the top strap that would secure the load in tight on the back and brought it around to the front and used as a chest strap and "WELL" that changed everything!!! load was tight to the back, secured to the body and pressure reduced "dramatically" off the shoulders. As I walked the pack would settle and I would loosen off some pressure on the shoulder straps and the NEW chest strap settled on lower ribs and load settled nicely on the hips. This 45 lbs seemed effortless to pack and with all the movement of ducking under trees and snowshoing in the bush the pack stuck like glue. So will get a new strap made up as a permanent chest strap and look forward using again. May not work for everyone but figure would pass on
Another tip - snoshoing on the hard morning snow is way easier than the afternoon sun softened oatmeal snow.
Farmer001 :mrgreen:
So I took the top strap that would secure the load in tight on the back and brought it around to the front and used as a chest strap and "WELL" that changed everything!!! load was tight to the back, secured to the body and pressure reduced "dramatically" off the shoulders. As I walked the pack would settle and I would loosen off some pressure on the shoulder straps and the NEW chest strap settled on lower ribs and load settled nicely on the hips. This 45 lbs seemed effortless to pack and with all the movement of ducking under trees and snowshoing in the bush the pack stuck like glue. So will get a new strap made up as a permanent chest strap and look forward using again. May not work for everyone but figure would pass on
Another tip - snoshoing on the hard morning snow is way easier than the afternoon sun softened oatmeal snow.
Farmer001 :mrgreen: