Packs with lower back support

Question

I've wanted to go backpacking for a long time now, and my dad does too, however he tried on a pack today and he said it was very painful.

You see, my dad has extreme back problems. He had an accident when he was a kid and a doctor made it even worse. Most of the pain is in his lower back area.

So my question is, are there any packs out there with lower back support? Because my dad told me he can't do it (go backpacking), and I don't want him to give up hope. If anybody has had experience with these types of packs, please let me know. Thanks a bunch.

Answer 1

I would ask someone at a good outdoor store if they had anything.  A lot of times people working in those stores have experience backpacking and you might find someone who has a similar problem.  It's possible that your dad's pack wasn't adjusted correctly and that caused the pain.  I assume he tried a framed backpack with a hipbelt?  all backpacking backpacks do, because no one's shoulders are made to take 35 + pounds.  I'd start by fiddling around with different brands and see if someone can help fit your dad.  Did your dad put weight inside the pack, or did the pack itself hurt his back?  If your dad loaded the pack then lifted it and put it on himself, that is enough to hurt anyone, let alone someone with such a bad injury.  I fell off a horse two years ago and hurt my lower back.  anyways as long as i use an internal frame with a hipbelt tight enough and if I fit everything correctly and get somebody to help me put the backpack on I can carry it without pain.    anyways, i guess I'd start by asking people who work in the store because they can normally give you the best info on what they carry and sometimes a proper adjustment can go a long way.  it's really great that you're trying to help your dad out, and I'm sure there's a way.

Answer 2

I really admire a person who takes his/her (which ever comes first)

parents feelings into consideration so I give you a star. I don't know about store bought ones, I make my own, I tan the hides of the animals I catch & make my own packs. if you would like to know how to make one e-mail me at: [e-mail]  

Answer 3

I think he's outta luck because the whole premise of a pack is to put the weight on the lower back and hips...Sorry to discourage you.

Answer 4

You didn't mention your plans nor location, but strapping a pack to your back isn't the only way to get outdoors. with careful planning it may be possible to reduce or eliminate the amount of weight your father has to carry. The simplest solution is to stick to car camping and do day hikes. You'd be surprised how far you can go and how much you can see in one day without the encumbrance of a full backpack.

Personally, my wife and I are lightweight backpackers and I don't make her carry more than 10 pounds of gear, including her backpack, food, water, etc.. While I carry somewhere near 20 lbs. I've seriously reduced our pack weight by making my own backpacking quilts instead of sleeping bags, and carrying 1lb frameless backpacks without hipbelts, among many other cuts. These techniques may be beyond your current interest, but you can still choose a 2 or 3 lb backpack with padded hip belt rather than a huge frame pack that weighs upwards of 5-8 lbs.

I don't have such problems myself but many hikers with back and other problems switch to lightweight hiking as they get older in order to lessen the strain. Some people also find using one or two trekking poles helps ease some of the strain of certain problems.

Another thing to consider is that backpacking may exacerbate whatever problem your father has and he should seriously get a full check up from his doctor and find out if there's any reason he shouldn't be hiking. You don't want to get 10 miles out there to find he's in too much pain to move or has developed a life-threatening condition.

Other options I forgot to mention earlier include something like the Yosemite High Sierra Camps, which are campgrounds in the Yosemite NP wilderness spaced to allow hikers to leave their tents and sleeping bags at home and hike from camp to camp in the Sierra. I'm not sure if they serve meals or how that works. http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accomodation...

There are similar cabins, yurts, and camps in other places in the US and elsewhere.

Besides that, there are guided backpacking tours where they hike and someone else drives your gear to the campsite, and there are rentable pack horses in some areas, and there are services that will horse pack you or just your gear up to a location and pick you or it up when you want to leave. http://www.leavittmeadows.com/

(Click on the left for service options: Backpack Drop, Spot Pack, Base Camp, Extended Trip, etc.)

You could rent or buy a couple pack llamas or alpacas or even goats. http://members.aol.com/azpackgoat/custom...

Answer 5

I have carried many packs in the past 20 years. Overall, I always thought Mountainsmith packs had excellent back support. I've tried several styles of their packs over many years and was always impressed by they way they fit the lower back and the way they dispersed the weight over the hips. Even for an internal frame pack, it was excellent. I used to have lower back problems myself, so a good pack that fit well was important. Osprey packs are also very good at weight distribution. I've tried several of these and found them to be very comfortable as well. Personally, I carry a Dana Design pack (circa 1999) and chose that pack for it's beefyness. I sacrificed a bit of back support, but I've never had any problems with the pack as far as my lower back is concerned. It's successor company, Mystery Ranch makes similar packs, all of which have excellent support as well, however, they are heavy. Lightweight backpacking is the way to go nowadays. The only problem is that the packs are designed for people who are atheletic and in good shape already. They lack the suspension a heavier pack has, but they are not designed to carry heavy loads in the first place.

I think if you take your dad to the gear store, look at some packs that have good suspension, and throw in some weight he'll find it rests better than the ultralight pack did. Then, buy lots of ultralight gear to lighten the load.