Shoulder strap suggestions?
 

I'm thinking of switching my Claw strap which came with the Red Oxx Air Boss for another strap that will hopefully feel more comfortable once the bag gets loaded over 20 pounds. I found a suggestion for a Tom Bihn Absolute Comfort shoulder strap. Any others I should look into?

Try the Domke FA-031. Same shoulder pad used by mail carriers.

I love the Tom Bihn Absolute shoulder strap - it's amazing how much lighter the bag feels with this strap! It's quite wide which spreads the weight over your shoulder and it's also springy (the centre part is made of wet-suit material, basically) so the strap absorbs any sudden movement without transferring it all to your shoulder.

It's doubled my weight carrying capacity in a shoulder bag.

Audrey

The one that I've been using for everything for the past decade or so is an Eagle Creek product called the Ultimate Travel Strap (I think). I haven't seen them anywhere in a long time, so I don't know if they're still available. Great padding, nice contour, non-slip texture. I move it from my daily messenger bag I carry to work, to my Briggs & Riley briefcase that I carry for biz trips, to a bigger Air Boss-like carry-on, to just about everything else that I carry on my shoulder.

The straps that come with certain Briggs & Riley bags are really pretty nice too. Not as thick as the one I mostly use, but they have good grip, and a nice little stretch to them which increases the comfort.

I have a boatload of B&R straps and the Claw strap from Red Oxx. Get the Tom Bihn Absolute. Trust me, no comparison. Since putting it on my Sky Train I havent even used the back pack straps.

Ok I just ordered the Tom Bihn strap and will test it out on my upcoming multi-country trip. If only I could shave another 5 pounds off my bag.. That's going to come from electronics and gadgets though.

I like the RedOxx strap so much, I bought extras and give them for gifts.

The straps and Little Roy bags!

I just got the Tom Bihn strap in. And it does make a world of difference vs. the Red Oxx Claw strap with my fully loaded carry-on bag. The wider pad helps spread the load out quite a bit plus it can be shortened more than the Red Oxx strap which is helpful for those of us who aren't carrying it slung across to the other shoulder and don't want the bag riding too low on the hip.

I'm glad you're happy with it!

Audrey

After reading about it here, I too got it. Amazing!!!!! I drug a heavy notebook and gobs of stuff crammed into my computer bag from ATL to FRA to SVO and OVB last week and never once switched shoulders the way I normally do. Great product!

I only wish I was longer. I'm 6-7 and really prefer my bag to hang just below my belt line. That's a long strap I know and Targus bags normally have straps that long. I could not find one at Tom Bihn that was as long as I wanted. Even so, great product!

Another vote for the Tom Bihn Absolute strap attached to an Aeronaut bag...the perfect traveling companions! Forget about ever having to flex your neck again against a painful nylon strap :td:

I'd support the Absolute strap as your choice.

I haven't looked back since buying the Aeronaut with this strap. It goes everywhere!

Shoulder strap that won't slide off shoulder...
 

Between the neck and shoulder is never perfectly horizontal, so no matter which shoulder strap I use -- wide, padded, etc. -- the strap slowly slides down towards the edge of the shoulder. Has anyone seen a shoulder strap which has an auxiliary strap which goes under the armpit of the other shoulder or around the neck of the other shoulder to hold the main strap in place?

I guess another way of describing of what I'm looking for is similar to the under the arm gun holster of police detectives where there is a sleeve or strap that the other arm goes through to hold the holster in place.

Anyone seen a shoulder strap product like that? Having such a shoulder strap frees the hand that the bag is on, and the hand doesn't need to hold the strap to prevent it from sliding down. Of course, I could wear the main strap diagonally, but I sometimes wish to use the strap on the same side as the bag.

Strap and adjustment tips
 

Tangoll, neither of us should double post, but since you started ;)

Otherwise there are a number of shoulder straps that might work in your favor. According to the reviews, this (http://www.upstrap-pro.com/) is the one most photographers (porters of really heavy gear) swear by.

The Briggs Riley strap is excellent, as is the Tenba strap. I own both. Actually, since I bought the BR BB107 I am the lucky owner of two BR straps.

The BR strap is flexible, has a decent anti-slpi padding and has a double concave pad that adapts to the shoulder very well thus providing a good fit.

The Tenba strap on the other hand only has a single concave side but it has more padding towards the exterior to compensate for the slope of the shoulder. The anti-slip material is also very good. Besides that it is the most "Macho-Man" looking strap I know off. :)

Op-tech straps can also be had with anti-slip lining and have a nice flexibility to them. http://www.optechusa.com/product/det...&CATEGORY_ID=4

Of course, the easiest and most effective is to simply carry the bag cross-strapped over the torso. No special strap needed, best weight loading, best against theft, easiest on the shoulder pads of your suits.

If you don't want to wear the strap across the torso make it short so that the bag rides on your hip. You should be able to use the bag as an armrest for the arm that holds the bag. This is a very comfortable position and the weight of the arm will actually give just the right pressure on the strap at the shoulder that it won't slip. Having the bag's top sit lower than your belt line will result in the worst slip and worst load for your back and shoulder.

You need to find the right length where the strap is short enough so the center of the bag sits right at your hip bone but that it is still long enough that you can wear it across the chest if needed. Usually this adjustment means that when you cross-strap the bag will be in the ideal position to sit in the hollow of your back. This is the best position for carrying a heavy load.

Till