One caution is necessary in selecting this type of packing apparatus.
The shoulder straps must lead from a common center near the front and
top of the pack and they may then attach as usual to each lower corner.
The advantage in this single point suspension is this--if the straps hug
close to the neck of the packer there is not the down drag or tire which
would be the case were the straps nearer the points of the shoulders.
The pack harness is good for transporting an outfit provided one does
not have to open the pack on the trail much--a procedure taking up too
much time. In making up such a pack the blanket and shelter are made
into a compact elongated bundle. The loose articles of camp duffle, mess
kit, food bags, and extras are shoved into a specially made sack of
light waterproof stuff of say twelve by thirty-six inch dimensions and
with a tight-fitting top. The two bundles are placed side by side and
the pack straps secured about them. The pack harness with the tump line
combination is the best style to use if one prefers not to use one of
the pack sacks.
The pack basket of wicker can be at once eliminated as it is too clumsy
and bulky for our purpose and further it is not waterproof. It however
fits very nicely into lithographs of supposedly ideal camp scenes. Being
nonexpandable it limits the bulk of outfit. It is nevertheless popular
with a certain class of New England outdoor men.
THE BELMORE BROWNE PACK STRAP
An ingenious packing apparatus has been perfected by Belmore Browne of
the Parker-Browne Mt. McKinley Expedition of 1910. It consists of a
padded canvas yoke which fits over the breast and shoulders of the
wearer and the yoke ends connect by small stout ropes to the pack much
the same as with a regulation tump line. The size of the pack regulates
the length of the lash rope.
This pack strap is made very simply after
[Illustration: BELMORE BROWNE PACK STRAP
Method of using pack strap and tump
line
Diagram of strap]
the accompanying diagram. The length of the breast strap depends upon
the breadth of the chest of the wearer. It is composed of a piece of ten
ounce canvas of say twelve inch length and eight inches wide which is
folded lengthwise making it twelve by four inches and is padded by felt
or cotton. To either end of this is attached the shoulder straps
consisting of double thicknesses of ten ounce canvas thirty-six by six
inches and folded lengthwise and cut to taper from the yoke end. To its
smaller end is attached a small stout rope of the length desired for the
pack you will carry. The first twelve inches of the shoulder straps only
are padded. The rope is lashed about the pack and the loose ends B and D
are secured in the holes A and C near the arm pits.
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