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Work is over, the air is
fresh and clean, and the
wanderlust
hits you like a Mack
truck. You need to get
out and explore
the natural world around
you. You want to hike
the empty
trails, find the
pristine campsites, and
be able to enjoy
sunsets from your tent
while sipping hot cocoa
and eating your
famous homemade gorp.
All good things, except
you need the
perfect traveling
companion: a good
backpack. So, you
saunter
into the gear store and
*wham* you’re
face to face with a
wall-spanning display of
backpacks in all shapes
and sizes.
Where do you start?
Where should you focus
first? Here’s a
little guide to help you
sort through this myriad
of options.
Backpacks can be put
into three general
categories: daypacks,
technically specific
packs, and backpacking
packs. It is
important to use a
backpack that is well
sized and suited for
your needs. You wouldn’t
want a small daypack for
your
expedition up Mt.
McKinley, just as you
wouldn’t want a huge
expedition pack for your
mellow weekend
adventure. Your
intended use of the
backpack is the first
thing to think about
when deciding what pack
to buy.
Daypacks are pretty
self-explanatory. They
are sized to hold
enough gear for a day
trip. Big shocker, we
know. Water
bottle holders or
Camelbak reservoir
pouches will fill your
hydration needs. Some
daypacks have small
organization pockets
on the front or on the
inside of the pack.
These are great for
keeping all your little
items where you can
easily find them,
and not floating around
the bottom of the pack.
The biggest
thing you will have to
decide while purchasing
a daypack is
what kind of pocket
arrangement you want.
Technically specific
backpacks fall into some
smaller
categories. There are
packs geared towards
skiing,
snowboarding, climbing,
winter use, and even
adventure racing.
These packs have
specific places for all
your gear. Ski
straps, crampon pockets,
and hydration options;
if you want it,
you can probably find it
on one of these packs.
Figure out
what you are looking to
do, check out the packs
in that
category, and see what
you like. Different
materials come into
play in these technical
backpacks. Many
adventure racing packs
are made to be as
lightweight as possible.
Companies use super
lightweight ripstop
nylon, take off any
extraneous buckles and
suspension, and leave
the lightweight packing
up to you. As
long as you don’t
overfill these packs,
your gear will be
supported by the
material of the pack and
not by a heavy
suspension system.
Backpacking packs are
also broken down into a
few categories.
There are huge
expedition packs, packs
you could use for a
weeklong trip, and packs
that are perfect for a
weekend
adventure. Pick the size
that you will use most
often. If you
usually go on weekend
trips, buy a pack in
that size range.
The one longer trip you
take isn’t the reason to
buy a larger
pack. If there is extra
space in your backpack,
you will
probably be tempted to
fill it up, therefore
increasing the
amount of stuff you will
have to lug around. A
60-liter pack
will generally suffice
for a weekend to
weeklong backpacking
trip. A pack this size
requires careful packing
and good
compressible gear, and
will get you through
most of your trips.
Once you have picked a
backpack that is in the
capacity range
you need, you will have
to pick a size to fit
you. Most
backpacking packs come
in small, medium, and
large options.
Now, if you are pretty
tall you may be
thinking, ‘I will
definitely need a larger
pack’. Not necessarily
true. These
packs are sized
according to your torso
length, not your
overall height. Measure
from your iliac crest to
your C7
vertebra. Whoa, hold on!
What is all this
gibberish, you may
ask. Okay. Find the part
on your hip bones that
stick out and
make a little shelf.
That is your iliac
crest. Now, touch
your chin to your chest.
After you enjoy the
slight stretch,
reach behind on your
neck and feel the bump.
That is your C7
vertebra. Measure the
distance between the two
in inches.
Every pack company has
their own
interpretations as to
which
torso length fits which
size pack. Check out the
specs of the
pack you’re looking at
and see where you fit in
the size range.
Ladies, there are many
women’s packs available
too, so make
sure you are sizing
yourself appropriately.
Women’s backpacks
tend to be narrower up
top, a bit wider in the
hips, and are
offered in shorter torso
lengths. A woman’s body
walks
differently than a man’s
– again, big shocker –
so the packs
are made to move with
that motion, not
struggle against it.
Finding your torso
length and what size
pack will fit you is
the most important step
in finding the right
backpacking pack
for you. There are, of
course, many other
options to sift
through to narrow down
your final choice. Is it
a top-loading
pack or does it have a
side access zipper as
well? Zippers
tend to be weaker points
on backpacks, so if you
are stuffing
your pack to the fullest
extent possible, you
should think
about a top-loading
pack. Are there winter
specific features
on the pack? Ski straps,
a crampon pocket, and
ice ax holders
are things to look for
if you plan on using
such tools. Does
the pack have a separate
sleeping bag
compartment? The bottom
section of some packs
zipper off to form a
separate area that
fits a sleeping bag
perfectly. This also is
a great place to
put smelly dirty
clothing if you don’t
want it with the rest of
your stuff. Of course,
extra zippers add extra
weight and
material, so if you are
worried about the weight
of your pack,
a zippered compartment
may not be essential to
the structure of
your backpack. Does the
top of the backpack
remove to become a
fanny pack? This could
be a great feature if
you are planning
a smaller day trip along
your backpacking
adventure, or wanting
to pare down your pack
for a fast and light
summit attempt.
Once you have your
chosen backpack in hand,
load it up and
throw it on. Tighten
your hip belt snugly.
The middle of the
hip belt should be right
on your iliac crest, not
working its
way up to your waist.
The shoulder straps
should be resting on
your shoulders, not
floating above. Loosen
or tighten the
straps under your arms
to make this all work.
This proper
placement of the pack
ensures weight transfer
to your hips, and
reduces the pull on your
shoulders and strain on
your back.
Your pack should follow
and touch all the curves
of your back.
You should not be able
to put a hand on your
lower back and
feel any space between
your back and the pack.
Most backpacks
have lightweight
aluminum stays that run
the length of the
pack. These provide much
of the pack’s support,
and can be
gently bent to fit the
contours of your back
and further
customize your pack’s
fit. If you are looking
at your
backpack and seeing the
bars on the outside of
the pack, you
have your grandfather’s
external frame pack, and
you need to
upgrade to an internal
frame pack as soon as
possible!
If all these steps work,
and your backpack
already feels like
an old friend, then
congratulations! A pack
that properly fits
you will be a pack
that’s actually used.
You may want to check
out pack accessories
such as pack covers and
attachable
pockets, but you’ve
gotten the main thing
done. Now go finish
making that gorp! |
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