Ostomy and rucksack

by **jhp1004** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 1:14 am

I got an ileostomy a year ago. Now I'm ready for hiking again, but the waistbelt on my rucksack is pressing exactly on the ostomy. If any one on SP know about the problem, and how to solve it, please let me know. Jorgen, Copenhagen.

by **Marcsoltan** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 1:26 am

jhp1004 wrote:I got an ileostomy a year ago. Now I'm ready for hiking again, but the waistbelt on my rucksack is pressing exactly on the ostomy. If any one on SP know about the problem, and how to solve it, please let me know. Jorgen, Copenhagen.

The only thing you can do is to adjust the shoulder straps, tighter or looser, such that the waistband would fall below or above the problem spot.

by **jhp1004** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 1:43 am

Thank you Marc but I already tried that :-)

The waistbelt has to be exactly on my hip if I'm carrying the sack for a whole day in 1-2 weeks. The sack is to heavy to let the shoulders carry all or most of the load. I have tried all stores in Copenhagen selling out door gear, but there is no help to get. I can't be the first in history with both ostomy and rucksack having this problem, so I hope finding some who solved the problem. But thanks again for your answer. Jorgen

by **Woodswalker** » Sun Jun 15, 2014 9:37 pm

You could try getting some sort of padding and cutting a hole in it to fit over the ostomy. Then put the pad between the ostomy and the pack belt. The hole would prevent contact between the ostomy and the belt. It would be the same principle as cutting a hole in moleskin for a blister. Perhaps memory foam would work as the padding material. Good luck.

by **Marcsoltan** » Mon Jun 16, 2014 1:00 am

jhp1004 wrote:Thank you Marc but I already tried that The waistbelt has to be exactly on my hip if I'm carrying the sack for a whole day in 1-2 weeks. The sack is to heavy to let the shoulders carry all or most of the load. I have tried all stores in Copenhagen selling out door gear, but there is no help to get. I can't be the first in history with both ostomy and rucksack having this problem, so I hope finding some who solved the problem. But thanks again for your answer. Jorgen

I don't know wether or not your pack has a sternum strap! That's the strap that goes across your chest. In all of the packs that I use for day hiking I never use the waistband. The shoulder straps and the sternum straps are enough to keep the pack close to my back. But, for larger, heavier packs you are still going to need a waistband. The idea presented by Woodswalker for cutting a hole in a piece of foam and placing it under the belt is worth a try. Actually it sounds pretty good to me.

by **Buz Groshong** » Mon Jun 16, 2014 4:10 pm

On a trip a few years back, I ran across a guy who had a replacement hip and had difficulty carrying a backpack, but still wanted to get out hiking and camping. He had built a rig that was sort of like a trailer that he pulled with his gear on it. It had an aluminum tube frame with, I think, a single wheel, and connected to shoulder straps. The wheel probably took half of the weight, which made it work for him. Maybe something similar would work for you.

by **chugach mtn boy** » Mon Jun 16, 2014 4:39 pm

You could experiment with a tumpline. They have fallen out of fashion, but they worked well enough for those who learned to use them in days gone by. They can still be purchased: http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/patagonia-tumpline?p=11685-0

by **Jesus Malverde** » Mon Jun 16, 2014 4:42 pm

Buz Groshong wrote: Maybe something similar would work for you.

http://littlegreentracs.typepad.com/my_ ... lleys.html
http://www.monowalker.com/hiking_trailer.html

by **Buz Groshong** » Mon Jun 16, 2014 8:50 pm

Jesus Malverde wrote:
Buz Groshong wrote: Maybe something similar would work for you.

http://littlegreentracs.typepad.com/my_ ... lleys.html
http://www.monowalker.com/hiking_trailer.html

The unit that I saw had a pack platform that was parallel with the ground, which made it fairly long. It rested on the shoulders, so the guy could use trekking poles. Of course, it probably took him quite a while to build it - one that you can just buy already built has its advantages. We were on a good trail in the Middle Cloud Peak Wilderness; on a rough trail, one that is angled down should do better.

by **jhp1004** » Mon Jun 16, 2014 9:32 pm

I really appreciate the good effort and well ment answers all of you gave me until now. But I don't think that either a sort of rig nor the tumpline will work for me. I will be carrying app 12-14 kilos 6-8 hours a day, for up to 2 weeks. We are trekking from hut to hut, and some days we go climbing via ferrata, usually without the heavy rucksack, but I still carry it with water, extra warm clothes, raincoat and some lunch. And when the climbing is over, I of course have to carry the ferrata gear on my back. But all the time I need the rucksack to be sitting firmly on both hips and shoulders.

Woodswalkers idea with a sort of memory foam with a hole in the middle might be good. I will definitely work with the idea. It gave me also an idea of a ring of light metal going around the ostomy-bag, and (this would be much easier for me to explain in danish) the waistbelt straps connected to the right and left sides of the metal ring......does that make sense?

I hope to go to the Dolomites of Italy this summer.......

and if I find a solution to the problem I will post it on SP

Jorgen

by **jhp1004** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 12:01 pm

Yury wrote:
jhp1004 wrote:I will be carrying app 12-14 kilos 6-8 hours a day, for up to 2 weeks. We are trekking from hut to hut, and some days we go climbing via ferrata, usually without the heavy rucksack, but I still carry it with water, extra warm clothes, raincoat and some lunch. And when the climbing is over, I of course have to carry the ferrata gear on my back. But all the time I need the rucksack to be sitting firmly on both hips and shoulders.
"12-14 kilos 6-8 hours a day, for up to 2 weeks." Is doable without a heap belt.
You just need to stop for ~5 minutes every 30 minutes.

Have you already tried hiking without a heap belt?

Actually I considered doing so, but I'm not sure it will work out fine for me. Some paths are of very bad condition, and I can't see myself boulderhopping with a "loose" heap belt. But I never tried. No matter how it turns out for me this summer, I will try it. Thank you for the adwise.
I have some ideas in my head now, thanks to all of you, that I will try. I think it ends up with a costum made lightweightmetal some-sort-of-bridge crossing the ostomy.

by **Jesus Malverde** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 10:09 pm

jhp1004,

I realize this may be an odd response, but since the tread is idea shooting here goes. If not applicable, please forgive.

I recently saw a documenty called Crazy White Foreigner (Farang Ba) that documents an American boxer fighting in the amatuer boxing circut in Thailand.
The boxer wears an ileostomy bag and the boxer (Craig Wilson) spends several minutes showing in closeup detail how he preps the area on his body for potential direct punches. The point? Perhaps there may be some information in this part of the documentary that might make any potential or unintentional hip belt trauma more bearable. Just a thought.

On Netflix
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/70067556?s ... tocomplete
On Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Farang-Ba-John-Su ... B000IFRRS0

On an unrelated note, this documentary is totally inspiring in so many ways. Craig Wilson is a really extraordinary and humble man (as well as being a talented boxer). He's in his mid-forties and takes on guys in their twenties in the ring. We all could learn a lesson from him.

Respectfully,
JM

by **nartreb** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 6:38 pm

A hip belt really shouldn't be pressing on the front of your abdomen, but it certainly will if you try putting a lot of padding directly around your stoma. The ring idea should work to transfer the tension around the stoma, and you may not need any padding for the ring.

Here's another crazy idea: a sort of fishing pole projecting forward from your right hip. A stiff rod, only a couple inches long, firmly attached to the hip pad in such a way that it points forward. Pass the belt through a ring on the end, so the belt detours away from your stoma. May have to add a little padding (reinforced with something a bit stiff) at the front of your right hip so the pack won't bounce in the space created.

Yeah, the ring idea sounds a lot simpler.

by **MoapaPk** » Tue Jul 01, 2014 7:17 pm

http://ostomyoutdoors.com/category/hiki ... ckpacking/

You might contact her and ask what she did. It may be easier for a woman, since she can get a short pack that sits on the top of her hips.

Ostomy and rucksack

Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Re: Ostomy and rucksack

Who is online