I'm looking for some advice for the best method to adjust the various straps on my rucksac to make it comfortable to wear. The rucksac is a Bergaus Antaeus 65. It has the following straps;
Over the shoulder padded straps
Waist belt
Straps between the the over shoulder padded straps and the top of the rucksac
Chest strap
Apologies if this has already been covered elsewhere, maybe some kind person can post a link to the reply.
You can't necessarily make it 'comfortable' (that depends on what you are used to carrying and how heavy the rucksack is), but this is the normal method:
Put on rucksack with all straps loosened.
Position hip belt on hips so weight is tranferred to hips, and tighten hip/waist belt.
Tighten shoulder straps to pull sack in and take slight weight off hips
Adjust top 'load lifter straps' on top of rucksack to bring top of sack in closer, and take weight off top of sholders slightly.
Adjust chest strap until shoulder straps are in most comfortable position.
However, you will probably find that you need to adjust after wearing the sack for a while, until you find what is comfortable. This can involve lots of tweaking.
Also, as we are all slightly different shapes, as are rucksacks, what works for others may not be quite right for you - e.g. how high on your hips the hip belt is etc.
Most people take most/all the weight on their hips, but others take most on the shoulders - it depends!
Finally, it can also help on longer walks to occassionally transfer weight between shoulders and hips for a few minutes, e.g. for slacken the hip belt for a while to take the load off pressure points on the hips, or slacken the shoulder straps to take the weight off shoulders.
The best method for making the rucksack comfortable though, is to carry less!
Undo the top strap that holds the lid closed, reach in, and remove half the stuff you don't need, then the rest of the stuff you don't need. Then readjust the lid strap. Much more comfortable.
Andrew - daft though suggestion of taking stuff out, it makes a lot of sense.
RobM has the adjustment order spot on - aim is that 75% of the weight is on your hips via hip belt.
But easier still...is carry less.
Max. load should (IMHO)be no more than 20Kg regardless...and some of the ultra-lightweight fanatics get it down to 7Kg ish. I like a bit of comfort/luxury so (for a multi-day) trip use a 55l pack and about 12Kg +/- depending. For a one day - 30l, no more. Even that can be half empty.
The following helps me on the hoof, it may do nothing for you though and prove utterly crap!!!
I loosen the shoulder staps right off, bend forward so your back is flat and tighten the hip belt. (Bending forward means the pack is in a fairly neutral position.)
I then stand up and tighten the shoulder straps to suit - loose equals less weight on the shoulders, tight means more stability. The chest strap can be used to stop the pack hanging too far back if you choose to take the weight off your shoulders or to pull everything in to your body if scrambling.
The other thing to bear in mind is that, alas, it may simply not be possible to make the rucksack totally comfortable. Sometimes rucksacks just don't fit people.
All the same, the business of carrying the weight on the hips, rather than the shoulders, is really important. I've been tired and sore after long walks in all sorts of places over the past twenty years, but never in the shoulders, since a nice fitting woman in a good outdoors shop stressed to me the importance of weight being on the hips.
Often, when I'm walking, if things aren't right, I'll tighten the waistband to get that hipstrap right, and everything will be rosy again.
If after following all the advice above you are still experiencing discomfort then you may want to check for the position of seams, drawcords etc on the clothing you are wearing under the pack straps. Sometimes tugging a jacket hem down to make sure any drawcords or creases clear the waist belt will make all the difference. If there is a seam trapped under the shoulder/chest trap then it may require a change of clothing.
The load lifter straps are crucial in reducing the pressure on your shoulders. I usually tighten the waistbelt, adjust the shoulder straps, tighten the load lifter straps then very slightly loosen the shoulder straps again. By using the load lifter straps it should be perfectly possible to adjust your pack until the shoulder straps don't even touch your shoulders (though you don't need to do this in practice). The whole advantage of an internal frame pack, such as your Berghaus, is that the pack hangs from the frame, not your shoulders.
All the same, the business of carrying the weight on the hips, rather than the shoulders, is really important. I've been tired and sore after long walks in all sorts of places over the past twenty years, but never in the shoulders, since a nice fitting woman in a good outdoors shop stressed to me the importance of weight being on the hips.
Often, when I'm walking, if things aren't right, I'll tighten the waistband to get that hipstrap right, and everything will be rosy again.
Second what Kish said about finding a nice fitting woman !
Actually I'm ambivalent about load sharing between shoulders and hips. If the load is light enough - and especially when I need freedom of movement - I'm perfectly happy to carry on shoulders only, keeping the hip belt straps out of the way. For heavy loads I go the opposite way trying to get as much as I can onto the hips using a good harness system (my large pack's a Macpac Glissade which achieves this nicely). As said it's also nice to be able to vary the fit according to load, incline etc.
Some packs have malleable stays that can be bent to match the shape of your back; if you get this right it can be a revelation. Otherwise, spend time finding a pack that fits you well and, as said above, leave out unnecessary weight.
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