by Scott McCrea » Nov 19, 2005 9:07 am
Previous NSS Discussion Board thread about Swaygo Packs continued...
#42
01-13-2005, 05:49 PM
mgmills
Moderator
Location: Sewanee TN
Posts: 242
Quote: Originally Posted by coferj
Easiest thing for me is to clip the top 'biner to something on me...ankle, belt, whatever....drag it through...But I may not have seen some of the passages that you are talking about, either.
I used to cave with a guy who always tethered his pack in a crawl. He clipped the tether to his belt and the tether was long enough so the pack dragged behind his feet. It never worked well for me - I always found the pack (or tether) snagging on projections from the wall, rocks in the floor, etc. I spent more time untangling it than making forward progression. Also the tether method isn't recommended in "fragile areas" as you don't have control of the pack.
I also tried the ankle clip method but the weight caused my leg to cramp up in longer crawls. (People who cave with me know I carry a heavy pack because I want to be prepared). Also it it gets stuck/wedged and no one is behind you getting it unstuck can be tricky.
If I can't wear my pack on my back I push it ahead of me.
__________________
Martha Mills
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#43
01-13-2005, 05:54 PM
Scott McCrea
Dig in...
Location: Asheville, NC, USA
Posts: 287
Quote: Originally Posted by reece
the only problem i have with the swaygo, as i see it, is it's very difficult to wear as a side pack. some of us do lots of caving where a pack on your back, no matter how streamlined, just won't work.
Hi Matthew,
You're right. They suck as a side-pack. We have heard from quite a few side-pack wearers that have switched tho. I'm curious if you have actually tried a pack in a cave. If not, we have some demo packs you are welcome to try.
Scott McCrea
SWAYGO
NSS 40839
Flittermouse Grotto
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#44
01-13-2005, 06:01 PM
Scott McCrea
Dig in...
Location: Asheville, NC, USA
Posts: 287
Quote: Originally Posted by mgmills
I used to cave with a guy who always tethered his pack in a crawl. He clipped the tether to his belt and the tether was long enough so the pack dragged behind his feet. It never worked well for me - I always found the pack (or tether) snagging on projections from the wall, rocks in the floor, etc. I spent more time untangling it than making forward progression. Also the tether method isn't recommended in "fragile areas" as you don't have control of the pack.
I also tried the ankle clip method but the weight caused my leg to cramp up in longer crawls. (People who cave with me know I carry a heavy pack because I want to be prepared). Also it it gets stuck/wedged and no one is behind you getting it unstuck can be tricky.
If I can't wear my pack on my back I push it ahead of me.
Hi Martha, This is another concern that quite a few people have expressed. We find that extending the 'Quick Strap' and clipping it to your 'crotch' (the bottom of your zipper or velcro opening), works well. The pack ends up right between your feet, so it's easy to nudge it one way or the other if necessary. But... since the packs are so sleek and devoid danglies, loops, etc, they rarely get hung up. This also makes it easier to push.
Scott McCrea
SWAYGO
NSS 40839
Flittermouse Grotto
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#45
01-13-2005, 07:02 PM
coferj
nOOb
Location: Montgomery, AL
Posts: 52
Quote: Originally Posted by Scott McCrea
Hi Matthew, You're right. They suck as a side-pack. We have heard from quite a few side-pack wearers that have switched tho. I'm curious if you have actually tried a pack in a cave. If not, we have some demo packs you are welcome to try.
Wish I would have known this, then I would have known to get the middle size instead of the small one...No biggie, though...still love it!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#47
01-19-2005, 04:33 PM
reece
Matthew Reece
Location: Great Basin National Park
Posts: 19
Quote: Originally Posted by coferj
Easiest thing for me is to clip the top 'biner to something on me...ankle, belt, whatever....drag it through...But I may not have seen some of the passages that you are talking about, either.
yeah. dragging, pushing, they're options, but when you're crawling 70-80% of a cave trip, it just sucks, and makes you more tired, because the pack will hang up on EVERYTHING.
and in some places (wind & jewel caves, sd) a side pack is required (i.e. back packs are not allowed)
--
these are not the opinions of Great Basin NP, or the NPS. Just mine.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#48
01-19-2005, 05:15 PM
Clodhopper
Crawler
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 67
Hehehe....Just got mine in the mail today I got the medium size, if, for no other reason than another guy i cave with has the small so we can tell them apart....that and i'm a big guy...so it's matches my stature... Sorry to add nothing of substance...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#49
01-19-2005, 06:15 PM
coferj
nOOb
Location: Montgomery, AL
Posts: 52
Quote: Originally Posted by Clodhopper
Hehehe....Just got mine in the mail today I got the medium size, if, for no other reason than another guy i cave with has the small so we can tell them apart....that and i'm a big guy...so it's matches my stature... Sorry to add nothing of substance...
I'm with ya...if'n I get vertical, definitely going to have to invest in the bigger model...small is great for short horizontal trips, but I don't carry too much gear in those.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#50
01-20-2005, 03:32 AM
Vader
Independent
Location: Westminster, Colorado
Posts: 74
Swaygo push pack
It has been interesting to read all the reviews on the Push pack. I should get mine in the mail in a few days. It is the small one, but I figure if I want to carry verticle gear, I will put it in a second bag like I allways do. Looking forward to many years of good use.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#51
01-20-2005, 06:31 PM
Wayne Harrison
Colorado Caver #18689
Location: Pine, Colorado
Posts: 38
There's a good two-page article on Swago packs in the current issue of NSS News.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#52
01-20-2005, 06:47 PM
Squirrel Girl
Location: South Riding, VA
Posts: 174
Wayne, If you go back 3 pages to the first message in this thread, you'll see that the thread was started to get data to include in the NSS News article. But SWAYGO packs are interesting enough that some of us kept posting anyway.
Barbara Anne am Ende
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#53
01-20-2005, 07:06 PM
Scott McCrea
Dig in...
Location: Asheville, NC, USA
Posts: 287
BYW, it is Swaygo with a "Y". Swaygo is the company. Swago is the cave.
Scott McCrea
SWAYGO
NSS 40839
Flittermouse Grotto
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#54
02-03-2005, 03:14 PM
WintreLJ1402
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 27
I was measuring myself against the parameters of the bags and um, wow, they seem really big! I am a 5'5 girl. I was leaning toward the PIT, but won't it be too big on me? Using a measuring stick I'm about 9" across and my back is about 18". :-o Any suggestions?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#55
02-03-2005, 04:26 PM
Squirrel Girl
Go "Beyond the Deep"
Location: South Riding, VA
Posts: 174
Quote: Originally Posted by Scott McCrea
BYW, it is Swaygo with a "Y". Swaygo is the company. Swago is the cave.
Scott you are gonna be fighting a losing battle with that! Kind of like trying to disuade people from calling me "Barb."
I'm a big gal--5'11" and broad shouldered. I have zero trouble with the biggest SwaYgo pack.
Barbara Anne am Ende
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#56
02-03-2005, 04:56 PM
Wayne Harrison
Colorado Caver #18689
Location: Pine, Colorado
Posts: 38
Quote: Originally Posted by lava
You think it's scary to put water into collapsible bottles, try urine! It's always in the back of your mind, the whole trip.
I used a nalgene collapsable with a wide mouth cantene for a pee bottle and have never had a problem with it in my SWAYGO pack.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#58
02-03-2005, 05:00 PM
Scott McCrea
Dig in...
Location: Asheville, NC, USA
Posts: 287
Quote: Originally Posted by WintreLJ1402
I was measuring myself against the parameters of the bags and um, wow, they seem really big! I am a 5'5 girl. I was leaning toward the PIT, but won't it be too big on me? Using a measuring stick I'm about 9" across and my back is about 18". :-o Any suggestions?
Remember that the dimensions on the web site are for a empty, open, flat pack. When it is loaded and rolled shut, the measurements change.
Scott McCrea
SWAYGO
NSS 40839
Flittermouse Grotto