Design of pack

[Russ Irwin]

MaryAnn,

>Hello veteran hikers.  My problem in recent years are my fragile shoulders.
>Surgeries and therapy keep them working but I'm looking for a backpack that
>might be designed to put weight on the hips, with the shoulder straps there
>only to maintain the balance of the pack. Any ideas?

You want a backpack with "load lifters". They can be used to transfer the weight back and forth from
your shoulders to your hips. The problem is that it's hard to find load lifters in lightweight
backpacks. I settled on a "Khamsin 38" which only weighs 2.5 lbs. After practicing with it I was
amazed at how the load lifters work. While walking, I can easily transfer as much weight from my
shoulders to my hips as I want (and back again), using the pull straps. Also, with the chest strap,
I can adjust just where on my shoulders the weight is.

Russ