This week - how to fit a pack and tweak it to work for you.
This week's Kit Tip – a Wednesday one no less – is about pack fitting and how to optimise a pack to work most efficiently for you.
Back Length
Your first step is to get the right size or back length adjustment for you. The crucial factor isn't your overall height, but the length of your torso. You could be six foot tall, but with disporportionately long legs and a short trunk, so simply assuming because you're tall, you need a long pack, isn't necessarily correct.
Ospey, for example, produces many models in a choice of lengths and your best option here is to go to a retailer and take expert advice. Alternatively, get a friend to measure your torso length from the top of your hipbones to the knobbly bit at the base of your neck and use that as a guide.
With an adjustable back length, you need to optimise the pack to fit you. Load it up with a decent weight and follow the manufacturer's instructions. With the pack adjusted correctly, the bulk of the weight with larger packs should be transferred through the hip-belt rather than the shoulder straps
Lowe Alpine's packs are colour coded to match your back measurement with others you may need to experiment to get the right fit.
Tweaking
Top tensioner straps allow you to pull the pack in towards your shoulders for better stability or, when loosened, let the pack sit further away which will be airier but less stable. Don't overtighten or you may increase pressure on chest and shoulders.
Lower tensioner straps pull the bottom of the pack in and again improve stability by decreasing pack movement. Finally, the sternum or chest strap holds the shoulder straps in position. Don't overtighten as it can be uncomfortable and even interfere with deep breathing.
There are no 'correct' answers with strap adjustment, you may prefer to loosen stuff off for ascents and tighten straps for downhills to keep things stable, it depends on what works for you.
Bending
Finally, some packs use alloy staves or pads or framesheets incorporating bendable rods or staves. You can often experiment by bending these to fit the contrours of your back more closely – a sort of 'S' shape often works well with the stave curving in to the small of your back, out over your shoulder blades then in again at the top.
Customisable Belts
Finally, some brands – notably Osprey – offer interchangeable and/or heat mouldable harnesses and hip-belts for optimum fit. Your best bet with these is simpy to find a specialist outdoors shop where you can get expert advice and try different options for size.
It's always worth checking pack brand web sites for more detailed information relating specifically to your particular make and model of pack.
