Soft pads for backpack shoulder straps
Soft pads for DIY integration into thin thermal tops to provide comfort to the shoulders while carrying a backpack.
Background
After a recent extended 5-day backpacking alpine walk I returned home with blister damage to both my shoulders. Presumably, my backpack straps had rubbed during some long, sunny and hot days of walking while carrying plenty of water. This was the first time, in my life, that pack straps had gone beyond discomfort and had broken my skin.
I should also confess that my backpack was an Osprey 65L backpack with a hip band and chest strap. My particular physiology has meant that I can not comfortably utilise the load-bearing function of the hip band (for more than about 2 minutes). Similarly, I can’t comfortably use the chest strap that is provided between the two shoulder straps.
This all means that my shoulders must bear most of the load and the intentionally curved-shaped shoulder straps do not hold their correct curved shape or stay flat, without the chest strap deployed. “No blame on the pack, as I have for all my long life, carried my packs this incorrect way to optimise my own comfort.
Another contributing factor to the shoulder skin damage could be that I usually wear only thin thermals or compression wear as my base layer. Usually, this layer is my only layer for most of the active pack carrying time. This attire is the same for fishing trips, bushwalks or backpacking ski trips. The top incorporates fleece glovey-things that I sewn onto each sleeve for warmth, sun protection and even protracted cooling when soaked with water on hot days.
With strenuous activity, I stay sweat-free and at a good temperature. The total cover is also a strategy to avoid adding to my current skin cancer issues (solar keratosis) which is a consequence of enjoying outdoor activities over a long lifetime. In a previous post, I bang on about the suitability of this light adventure clothing.
Just in case you think I am some type of lycra-active-wear cowboy, this light clothing can always be supplemented, at a moment’s notice, with warm pull-up fleece leggings that are part of my gaiters, extra base layers, puffer jacket and essential wet weather gear that is always carried in my normally bulky day-pack or overnight-pack.
Fitting soft pads for backpack shoulder straps
To address the issue of a thin fabric cover over my shoulders, I contemplated making some additional pads for my backpack straps, but no matter what the idea was, it always seemed to be clunky and not particularly targeted at the wear zone where protection is most needed. “I am sure that some of you would be old enough to remember some of the dreadful DIY felt pads that people put on their pack straps when straps were made of green hide or similar.”
My old thermal top was well…….. worn and threadbare from too many adventures and bad packing technique and was probably contributing to my straps causing rubbing injuries. I commissioned a new thermal top with my usual customised fleece glovey-things on the ends of the sleeves.
So thinking outside of the square, I thought that fitting soft pads inside the new top seemed like a good idea and being hidden they would not be mistaken for a high-rank ‘shoulder mark. It seemed even better if I could attach them with inexpensive and flexible fabric glues that I now use for a range of repairs and making of adventure gear.
The soft pads. I made two rectangular pads out of a double layer of fleece from a discarded red jacket. The two layers were casually stitched together with zig-zag stitching. The fleece pads were sized to cover the full width of my shoulders where protection from the pack straps would be needed. This meant that I could easily adjust the loading zone on my shoulder straps effortlessly to various parts of my shoulder while walking. “I would have the shoulder comfort of wearing two fleece jackets, but without the weight, bulk and the excess insulation.”
Glue attachment of the soft pads. The pads were glued onto the inside of the shoulders of my new thermal top. I quickly and generously applied glue to the perimeter of the pad and placed the pad in position inside the shoulders of the top. This transferred glue to the top and then the pad was removed to allow the glue to become tacky. When the glue was starting to go tacky, I pressed the pads in place again.
Soft pad custom fitting. I quickly put the modified top on and pressed the pads down onto my shoulders several times as the glue cured. While curing and shaping the pad to my shoulders the glue had a strong cooling effect on my skin as the ester or ketone solvent rapidly evaporated from the glue. “My body was supplying the heat for the solvent evaporation.”
After the glue cured fully, the garment fitted well and the pads were suitably inconspicuous. On my next walk, with six other people, no one even noticed the soft pads. “Perhaps that was because they were focused too much on my old crappy backpack without the complexity of hip belts and chest straps.”
Conclusion
Fashion. As I set off on my latest walk, with my new top with invisible integrated soft pads in the shoulders, I modelled my new attire for my ‘Oorrr-Daaaad’ Daughter. She graciously gave the tick of approval to the invisible shoulder padding. However, she insisted that I tuck in and hide the embarrassing glovey-things until I was well out of town. “I promptly obeyed.”
Functionality. The soft pads in my thermal top were a great success. Adjustment of the backpack straps along my shoulders was smooth and easy. I returned from a four-day backpacking walk with tired shoulders, as expected. However, there was no reoccurrence of skin damage to my shoulders and I would have been ready for more days of backpacking.
Tim
