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Hiking Backpack Adjustment
First buy a backpack that can
be adjusted for your torso length and also hold the items you intend to be
carrying. Determine your torso length by measuring
from the base of your neck, or seventh vertebrae, down to your waist. The
shoulder straps should attach to the pack a tiny bit below your shoulders,
not above or to low below the shoulders.
Now load your backpack with all
the gear and supplies that you’ll be using, or some sort of realistic load.
Put your sleeping bag at the bottom of the pack so that nothing heavy is
pressing or bouncing against your lower back. Put the heaviest items close to the back
and centered in the pack. Make sure heavy items are secure and not flopping
around. Place your smaller items near the top where they can be easily
accessible on the trail.
Next loosen the hip stabilizer
straps, hip belt and shoulder straps before putting on the backpack. Slip
one arm through the shoulder strap, then reach back with that arm and move
the bottom of your pack to position it in the center of your back,
while leaning forward slip the other arm through.
With pack on, slip the shoulder
straps over your shoulders and secure the hip belt with the buckle in the
center of your waist, tighten snug. The hip belt should lie over the
hipbones and not above over the stomach because it may constrict your
stomach. The hip belt should carry most of the load.
Now draw down on your top
shoulder straps until they are just snug, but not overly tight, unless
you're climbing up or down a very steep incline. There should
be no pinching on the armpits or excessive pressure that could cut off
circulation. You might have to adjust the lower shoulder straps too. Next tighten the hip stabilizer straps so that the pack is
snug against your lower back. Next position the sternum strap to a
comfortable location that is not overly tight.
The backpack should be snug
against your body and balanced so that the weight is distributed evenly over the
shoulders and hips. A pack being too lose may cause unwanted pressure to be
focused on a particular part of the body.
Each backpack and person is
different. Internal frame or external frame. So you will have to play around
with your adjustments to see which one will work best for you that fits your
particular body type and type of pack.
Just remember
that comfort is very important especially on long hikes. There's no need to
have unnecessary discomfort or risk possible injury. It's a good idea to
take some short hikes before your adventure to get used to the weight of the
pack and to make sure it is adjusted properly. You'll learn very quickly not
to overload your pack too, so choose your gear wisely.
The average
hiker with a backpack can hike around 2 miles in an hour. An aggressive
hiker can do 2.5 to 3 mph. The average backpack usually weighs around 40lbs.
Some of the items include tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, food, medical
kit, food preparation gear, rain poncho, flash light, water proof matches,
water bottles and a water purifier to name a few. The average hiker usually
carries around a half gallon or 2 quarts of water
which weighs 4.17 lbs., which is good for about 4 hours of hiking, so knowing where to replenish your water on
longer hikes or multi day
hikes is very important.
Recommended Outdoor Gear
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