Vent: This 'barely worn' hiking backpack I thrifted for trail therapy has straps that dig in like nothing else.

My quest for affordable mental wellness gear backfired when a simple walk turned into a shoulder-aching ordeal.

3 comments

3 Comments

My buddy Greg bought a similar pack from a garage sale last spring. He said the chest strap was so tight it felt like a vice after just twenty minutes on the trail. He ended up donating it back and just using an old school bag instead, lol.

the_ray1mo ago

Greg's story reminds me of a pack I had where the sternum strap buckle was broken, so it kept sliding down and choking me. I tried to fix it with a carabiner, but that just made it pinch my collarbone. Ended up cutting the strap off entirely and the pack was never quite right after that. Some gear just can't be saved.

paigewright1mo ago

Was it the chest strap for you too? I had the same problem with a thrifted pack where no matter how I adjusted it, the straps just cut right into my shoulders. I ended up with sore spots for days after one short hike.