Pacemaker/ICD: How do you deal with backpack straps & seatbelts?

I can think of one, but it might take some experimentation if you're willing to trial it. It requires adding a modest amount of material to the appropriate shoulder pad, maybe 4-10 mm thickness, and/or adding a similar, new, pad to the strap just below your ICD. Except this one might have to be as much as 15-20 mm thick. The idea is to lift the strap, or the pad if it is the culprit, away from the ICD. In fact, IF....it's one of the pads or part of a pad, then remove that using a hobby knife or something. Whatever your mind says is the right thing to do, get whatever is pressing or rubbing your ICD-adjacent tissues up away from there.

There are different types of foam. You don't want mattress or pillow foam. You want, if you can find some, a strip of that stiffer rubbery foam that some sensitive and expensive items are cached in during shipping. I hang on to that stuff because it has uses beyond your package when you receive it. I just made a safety and protective frame for an expensive telescope by gluing strips of that stuff atop a slab of thin plywood that would fit in, and sit in, the bottom of a carry bag for the telescope.

I thought about adding material, but wondered how to attach and awkwardness. Maybe try those single shoulder "sling" packs instead?

What an interesting topic for discussion! It would be very unhelpful to suggest hiking in colder weather only, coats provide padding. @gloaming's idea is very practical, experimenting with foam could be a solution. After all, giving up hiking is not an option. The predicament carries over to car seat belts, ladies' bra straps, and holding babies if you are right handed. I personally dislike backpacks, I prefer a medium sized purse type bag with a long strap, much like a shoulder sling bag. It's large enough to hold a small wallet, camera and cell phone. A skinny 16 ounce bottle of water will fit, too.

I have the same problem with my car's shoulder strap.

@mikebiker What practical tips for dealing with this annoying problem have you discovered?

I had my wife create a pad using denim and a sheet of sturdy but flexible plastic packing material with a cutout over the ICD. This was attached to the shoulder strap with velcro. This worked relatively well. However, now that I am 13months after implant, I find that the shoulder strap doesn't bother too much, especially if I keep the sternum strap between shoulder straps tight enough to pull it further away from the ICD. I also stopped using the pads I had purchased for seat belts. They didn't have a cutout so didn't help that much.

@walkinggirl
I'm thinking about getting a pad to put between my shoulder and the strap.

The pad should be donut shaped. I'll see how crafty I can be.

@dynamited Please note that I asked the moderators to edit the title of this great discussion you started. I believe there will be more interest - these issues affect all of us who have ICD/Pacemakers of a certain style. I hope that was OK - the title they chose definitely says it all!

No obligations. Making it all bearable is the goal.