Hi,
Pacemaker fitted and I have a new lease on life 
I can get back to things I used to enjoy and one of them was running / walking with a daypack and backpack. My heart is fine but the strap goes over the top of the pacemaker and I was wondering if that caused any bruising or irritation. I don't think it should damage the pacemaker but don't want it to move.
Thanks in advance.
Will
Hi, a good question. I have an ICD implant March 2024 which is a little bulkier. I do Parkrun's and I use a wide shoulder fabric hydration pack vest with multiple pockets to keep my ICE information, phone etc. similar to above picture. I also went backpacking last summer and plan to go again. I used a 65 litre pack with all my gear including tent etc without problems. This was because I couldn't drive at the time after the implant. Being 72 and not having backpacked since I was 16 I looked for good products with a recommendation and thought Duke of Edinburgh award! Winfield's Camping have a great online website and specialise in DofE. Vango make great backpacks and mine is excellent. I managed 6hr hikes fully laden okay. I'm sure day packs will be fine. I also have 15l and 25l packs#chinkoflight
Brilliant, thank you, that's great to hear
I have a very similar hydration vest and sized backpacks so it will be nice I can use them again in events
They usually suggest you wait until your properly healed before using a backpack , but as Chinkoflight says after that it is fine as long as you find one with well padded thicker straps to prevent irritation.
I have a pacemaker fitted and work in Outdoor Education carrying a rucksack most days.
I use an Osprey rucksack that sits slightly wider on my shoulder, I do find it irritates the area over the pacemaker occasionally and have adapted a seatbelt pad to fit on the rucksack strap.
These seatbelt pads are available on Amazon.
Very reassuring you're able to wear a rucksack most days I'll get some events booked in
The advantage of the Vango rucksack is it has a one pull strap to adjust for back length. This means you can sit most of the load on the large well padded waist/hip strap once on and minimise the load on the shoulder area. Others possibly have a similar system.
That's really useful info - thank you. Have you found juddering movements (walking down hill) are uncomfortable?
Not particularly, the strap adjustments and load impact was really good. I've backpacked on the Isle of Wight and the South Coast between Lymington and Swanage. I was limiting my walks to around 25k max a day. I was feeling weary at the end of the day! Bearing in mind I was only three months or so on from a lead revision. And 6 weeks in CCU coming out in March so had lost a lot of fitness. I am thinking about summer again and plan to do some walks with my loaded pack in prep for any ambitions in summer. In my dreams I want to do some wild camping but may have to settle for some of the Ridgeway with planned stops and a bail out strategy!😂
Brilliant, thanks, I have a 75km navigation competition coming up in June. It's flat and I know the route so can do it in a hydration vest. Might be a good idea to make sure it doesn't rub/irritate or it will be a long day out.
From a fellow kiwi in N Z. Hardly likrly to move bro. Ive had minr in situ for nearly 4 years now and ive had AV node ablation couple of months back. Im starting to het somewhere now at the gym. All tje best. Colin in Kerikeri NZ.
Advice after a pacemaker
living with a new pacemaker
What's life like with a pacemaker?
bouldering and rock climbing with a pacemaker
