tump lines

[beachbunny]

when i was a kid on a walk in the himalayas, our porters used tump lines.
with all the great pack tech. now,does anyone here use a tumpline to ease the burden of weight?

 

[cjl2010]

Load lifters

 

[11boo]

I thought those went out many moons ago. My neck hurts just thinking about it.

 

[Wapiti1]

I've only seen them used in Asia and a similar technique in Africa with a long strip of cloth. Not my cup of tea, but I have a pack that is a lot different than what those folks were using.

I do like your opening line: when i was a kid on a walk in the himalayas...........

You don't see that comment very often. That had to have been an experience.

Jeremy

 

[WCB]

Yeah I think modern pack technology makes them basically useless.

 

[Backyard]

I've only seen em used on canoe packs (Duluth Pack) anymore.

 

[Clovis]

My son used traditional leather tumplines to carry heavy canoes and wanigans in Temagami, Canada as a 12-14 year old and that is the old timey way of moving through that country efficiently. He came back able to strap up and carry impressively heavy loads (full size cooler full of ice and beer for example) and said he got used to it quickly and the technique is important. It seems to be a common technology worldwide where folks have a big lift and I wouldn't discount it without actual experience. The old ways aren't always the best, but there really is something to tumplines and what you tend to see are a lot of comments on them from folks who have never seen or used one. That said, even though I have thought of it from time to time, I don't use one on any of my hunting packs, though I have portaged a canoe with one and may actually prefer it to using just the yoke.

 

[Elk97]

While in Nepal I saw guys carry ridiculously heavy loads with just a rice sack over their forehead to support their pack board. Like five cases of beer, a large slab of granite or marble (that took four guys to lift and set on his pack), and large rocks. Very impressive. I've never tried it but I was in awe of those (small) guys.