Backpack Adjustments for Hikers

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Backpack Adjustments for Hikers

With the warm weather finally wanting to stick around for more than a few days, it is the perfect time to head to the mountains to hike, camp, and backpack. We are so lucky living here in the Pacific Northwest, as there are countless hikes and trails in every direction. However, having a well-fitted backpack can really make or break a beautiful hike or enjoyable camping experience. Listed here are some tips that local outfitters encourage backpackers to remember in appropriately adjusting their gear.

 

Fit to Your Torso

Yes, that’s right, fit to your torso, not to your height. Regardless of how long your limbs are, you still want to fit the backpack to your own torso. This can be measured from the base of the neck, to the top of the pelvis. More specifically, if you allow your head to relax bending forward, you can reach back and feel a bony prominence on the back of your neck. This is C7, the largest and last cervical vertebra of the spine. This is the top marker of the torso. Next, place your thumbs on the top of your pelvis, where people often find dimples in their low back. This, very fancily called the posterior superior iliac spine (or PSIS), is where you want to measure to, and is the second marker.

Fit to Your Hips

As most of the weight of the backpack is placed upon the hips, you want to be sure that there is a hipbelt, and that it fits well to your body. If there is no good hip support, the weight of your load will be placed more on the shoulders and the low back, and can very quickly kill the joy of amazing surrounding scenery. This can be determined by using a measuring tape around the top of your hips (yes, that same fancy PSIS marker we found in Step 1). Do note that this is not your waistband measurement, and it will vary from your pant size.

Fit to Your Body

Ultimately, you are going to know what is the most comfortable position for you. Try this at home! Take the time to realize what works and what doesn’t. If you’re backpacking and carrying a lot of weight, load up your pack and test it. Many backpacks are now designed for carrying a lot of weight, and have various straps to assist the body to distribute that weight well. Shoulder straps, load-lifter straps, a sternum strap, and hip-belt can all be helpful adjusting the pack to your body. We have heard too many stories of people with shoulder or back pain, severe chafing, or increasing risk of injury because other parts of your body are required to compensate to stabilize the weight of the pack.

 

To learn more about fitting your backpack, REI, Eastern Mountain Sports, Sierra Trading Post are just a few of the many incredible local resources who gather their information from the millions of people they outfit and support in their outdoor adventures. Or bring yours into one of our clinics and we would love to help you out. Happy hiking this summer!

 

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