Climber and outdoor equipment manufacturer Yvon Chouinard started using tumplines in preference to a backpack to solve chronic back pains after seeing how Nepalese porters developed muscles down the sides of their spinal columns.
Yvon Chouinard, an outdoor gear producer, opted for tumplines over a traditional backpack to alleviate chronic back pain following his observation that Nepalese porters developed side-back muscles while carrying loads.