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[at-l] Osprey Aether 60



At 03:47 PM 1/17/2005 -0500, MedusaJ@aol.com wrote:
>At it
>s lightest, with full food, my pack only weighed 19.2, and was under thirty
>even when I got all my winter gear back, so I know it's not weight.  Which
>leaves me with three theories:
>1.  I screwed up my back with the first pack, and now there's something
>irreconcilably wrong with it.
>2.  The Osprey was just as bad for my back, either because it didn't fit, or
>because it wasn't a female pack.
>3.  My back muscles (traps and lats) are too weak.
>
>Did anyone else have a problem with serious back pain on the trail?  I'm
>planning a PCT thru-hike for this summer, and I'm planning to take the 
>Osprey,
>mainly because I have no money to experiment with.  And I have no health
>insurance to see a doctor.  Any advice?  Could it be a lack of back 
>strength?  Or do I
>need a new pack?  And if I do, how do I find one that fits?

Can't help with the fit question but if you suspect it's a problem of back 
strength I suggest that you work on that. Here is a good fact sheet on 
strengthening your back, hips and other core muscles 
<http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_report.cfm?Thread_ID=17&topcategory=Spine>. 
I find that working on core strength improves your balance too. And here's 
one for a downloadable book on eliminating pain 
<http://www.reliefmart.com/pain-book.htm>. It's only $3.95 so it isn't a 
budget buster. Another thing to consider is your sleeping pad. Nothing will 
do my back more damage than a bad night's sleep. Your problem may have 
nothing to do with the pack.