I was watching some U-tubes about Cody Lundin. In one of them I noticed that he went into the desert with some trainees and carried what looks like a meassenger-style bag. I wondered : Isn't a backpack more comfortable ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALUTDJlhKb8

Before posting the question here I imagined osme of you asking : the guy doesn't wear shoes and you are wondering about him not using a backpack ???

LOL... But really, do you see something I might have missed ? If he is doing what aboriginies (sp?) folks did , I think they did have home-made backpacks in those days.

Both "messenger" style and "backpack" style load carriers have a respectable antiquity, and are used in slightly different ways, much as today. Heavier loads tend to be carried on backpacks.

Cody is welcome to do things his way; his way is often not my way.

The thing I don't like about 1 strap bags is that they are unbalanced and make bending over a more thoughtful endeavour. I don't mind them for everyday urban life (my purse only has one strap) but won't use them again for off-roading.

In his book "When All Hell Breaks Loose" he makes a few differnet homemade packs, and did so on the show as well. I suspect he'd crank it up a notch if his was carrying more than EDC.

From Cody's book, 98.6 Degrees, The art of keeping your ass alive, page 134. "I carry my survival kit in a large capacity fanny pack...I don't like things hanging from my shoulders, so I rarely use backpacks."

Why doesn't Cody use a backpack? He doesn't like Food,though he isn't exactly skinny either is he? He seems to favor grubs,worms,& assorted vegetation & He's a fairly Big guy,see the post of our Sheriff Blast,posing for a picture next to him.Seeing that,one could ask the horizons,"Are there any grubs,worms,& prickly pears left in Arizona?I know I couldn't walk a mile in his shoes,lol!

Cody is not vegetarian. He eats meat all the time on the shows, plus there are recipes for mouse and rat in his books.

Who says he is veggie? Grubs and worms would be animal,not vegetable. Although not part of the normal western diet, they are quite nutritious (so I am told).

otzi ( the iceman ), one of the oldest mummies ever discovered - he lived about 5,000 years ago, continues to be studied. and more discoveries are made with each advance in science.
he had a backpack, as well as many other items that were his survival items. go here: otzi's equipment
surprisingly, some things haven't changed that much in 5,000 years.

I can hazard a guess: A messenger bag will make you much less sweaty than a regular backpack. Which probably is a huge plus in a desert environment. (Although I've never been to a desert I do know the sticky feeling of carrying a backpack in hot weather).

Personally, I wouldn't carry anything heavy and bulky in a messenger bag. YMMW. But I can understand why anyone would want to avoid carrying backpacks (unless the load/bulk makes it unavoidable).

I have carried a backpack in desert conditions - very often. The amount of sweating depends upon the individual pack. Some are very well ventilated and quite comfortable in hot weather. Of course, deserts are not always hot; they can be quite cold.

As far as I am concerned, the greater efficiency and better body balance of a well fitted backpack is more beneficial than whatever discomfort might result from perspiration.