How to Adjust a Backpack to Your Body

Here is list of basic necessities of what you’ll need to do to make your pack fit you perfectly. 

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Measure your torso. 
This measurement will expedite the process of ruling out packs that are too tall or short. You’ll need a soft tape measure and someone to help. 

• Bend your head down and hold the end of the tape measure at the base of your neck. 
• The person measuring should keep the tape measure close to your back to get an accurate reading. 
• The end of the tape measure will go down to the ‘Iliac Crest’. This is essentially the top of your hip bones. Place your palms on your hip bones and with your thumbs, search for where the hip bone meets your back. 

Once you have the right pack size, make sure you’re trying it on with some weight in it. It is difficult to get a reading on comfort if the pack is completely empty. Make sure all the straps are loose. 

There are four main straps to concentrate on:
Hip
Shoulder
Load Lifter
Sternum

Hip:

• Once the pack is on your back, bend over slightly and fasten and tighten the hip straps. Your hips will carry 70% of the weight of the pack so make sure these are secure. Once you are standing up straight, the top of the hip straps so rise slight over the top of your hip bone. 

Shoulder:

• These keep the weight forward and closer to your back. Pull down tight on the shoulder straps. Shoulder strap width should not be too wide or they will pinch, too thin and the weight will not be distributed comfortably. There should be no space between the shoulder straps and the shoulder.

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Load Lifters

Load Lifters:

• These are located at the top of the backpack. The strap connecting the shoulder harness to the body of the pack should be at a 45 degree angel. These straps are what take the weight off the shoulders and put it comfortably on the hips. 

Sternum Straps:

• Connects the two shoulder harness together across the check. This strap keeps the shoulder straps from sliding too far off your shoulders. It is optional but can be very useful. 

Once all these straps are tight, try releasing the shoulder straps slightly and feel the weight fall onto the hips. 
This process should be done each time you put on your pack for optimal comfort and performance. 
Happy Hiking!

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