Your technique is leveraging the same principle as the tumpline: putting the load mostly directly over the spine. Although I have no doubt this technique is wo

Your technique is leveraging the same principle as the tumpline: putting the load mostly directly over the spine. Although I have no doubt this technique is working well for you, there are other factors making the approach in this article better for the long haul. The shouldering technique has the log sit up higher and has farther to fall: a more precarious positioning for carrying something valuable a long distance. Also, the tumpline keeps the hands free. As to shouldering begin "debilitating", they may have been doing one of 2 other techniques when carrying over the shoulders that made it "debilitating": * placing it on one shoulder each (asymetrical loading) * strapping it to the shoulders much like a backpack Even if they were using the same technique, whether something can be comfortably carried in the position you describe depends on several factors: * the size of the person * the size of the musculature that it rests on * the size of the object * your spine and neck positioning On the last point, most people today have habitually stuck their neck forward: this would favor your technique and be more likely to cause neck pain with the tumpline.