I've just stumbled across this brilliant infographic over at Brian's Backpacking Blog, created by the folks at REI.
When I bought my pack I had been suffering from quite severe and recurrent lower back pain, so choosing the right one was essential. At the time I remember being surprised how hard it was to find solid information on the subject. It's all summed up very well here. Not to mention beautifully presented.
I'm not looking for another pack but I still need to pay more attention to the way I load the one I've got. I'll be referring to this for my next trip.
[REI via Brian's Backpacking Blog]
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Excellent article and infographic. Will be printing it off and sticking it in the wall in our camping shop for customers to use when fitting their backpacks. Thanks!
Thanks for visiting, Dan.
Love the info on packing and adjusting the pack. Only problem is, once I’ve measured my torso, how do I select a pack size if I’m not lucky enough to be buying an REI pack, does torso size match the distance from shoulder strap to hipbelt?
Good point, Peter. If you can get to a shop such as Paddy Pallin or Backpacking Light, they’re very good at fitting packs. I’d suggest you give that a try.
Cheers
Neil
Great information.
Cheers John… It was definitely a good find! Wish I could claim credit for making it, but I’m not that clever.