The Tumpline, Fast Relief For Your Shoulders by Ancil Nance I was looking through my Boy Scout Handbook for Boys and ran across an old idea that may be of use for those who hike a long ways and find that their shoulders tire from the weight of the paraglider bag, which usually is not designed for long hauls.
The tumpline is a simple loop that goes under the pack and across the top of your head to take some of the weight off your shoulders. As you can see from the drawings, it is not a complicated affair. Parts for making one can be purchased at REI, or other outdoor equipment stores. What is needed is 6 to 10 feet of one inch wide webbing, a triglide buckle for adjusting and joining one inch wide webbing, and some sort of padding for the head. The least expensive way would be to use an old sock or a section of headband tube for the padding. For ten more bucks you can get an equipment sling which has a super bit of padding.
The inexpensive model: loop of webbing, triglide buckle, section of headband. Keep it in a pack pocket if you are likely to take a long hike. It works just as the diagram from the 1953 Handbook for Boys shows: just slip on your pack, drop the loop under the bottom of the pack and over the top of your head, adjust to fit.
This shows the padded equipment sling connected to an appropriate length of one inch webbing with the triglide adjustment buckle. This idea is an old one used by backpackers since the dawn of big animal hunting, and this implementation is only one of many. If you come up with improvements, send a photo and a report to amend this page. Try this method for short periods only. If your neck muscles are weak you may want to improve their strength. Your neck may not be used to carrying extra weight unless you consistantly wear large hats or have a fat head. |
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These
photos illustrate how to make your own tumpline:
