How to choose a suitable backpack

Without a doubt, the backpack is an essential equipment for every outdoor event to carry your world with you. Experts believe that when it comes to choosing the right backpack, a good rule of thumb is: “Buy smart and pack light.” There is a wide variety available in the market ranging from the most expensive to the cheapest, from the lightest to the lightest and from the most modern to the most basic. Therefore, choosing a suitable backpack for your outdoor activity can become a really daunting and challenging task. Most of us don’t know what exactly is a proper backpack.

Well, a proper backpack is one that sits comfortably on your shoulders and back and makes you comfortable to carry your load for long and short trips alike. To select the right backpack, you need to consider many things, such as comfort, load distribution on the spine, important features and functionality you need in your backpack, and finally, budget. Among other things, comfort should be your first priority, because you are buying a backpack for comfortable travel. So, to make a good selection, decide which feature is important to you, how long your trip is, what is the actual weight you want to carry, etc.

There is literally a wide variety available in the market to choose from such as crush resistant backpack, frameless backpack, internal and external backpack, lumbar and torso backpacks, lightweight, single strap and double strap backpacks, baby backpacks and children, hydration, etc. Remember, everyone is different, so try them out to see which one suits you best. Before answering these questions, some important elements should be considered, such as the purpose of your trip, the length of your trip along with the capacity you will need and the features you demand in a backpack.

First of all, remember the golden rule of backpacking “shop smart and pack light”. That means you should buy the right backpack according to your needs and pack it light with only essential things. A suitable backpack is one that is the right size to fit your torso. It is the first and most important step for the safe use of the backpack. If you can bring one of your friends with you while shopping for any backpack then that is fine, otherwise ask the seller to help you measure your backpack correctly.

The next important point may be to buy adjustable backpacks. Today the market is full of good quality adjustable backpacks. No doubt adjustable back systems are great, but they’ll cost you a bit more than your standard bulk pack. In fact, adjustable backpacks will allow you to adjust the height and weight of the backpack to the perfect position on your back. You can set it up yourself or ask your friend or salesperson to fit and position your backpack on your back by sliding it up and down until comfortable. So when you feel it’s okay, you block it.

The next thing is to choose the correct frame size. Remember that any backpack is useless (regardless of its good height and the quality of the backpack) unless it has the correct frame size for your body and shape. Gone are the days when people thought that ‘one size fits all’, far from the truth. Experts firmly believe that your torso size and your overall height are two completely separate measurements when it comes to backpacks. In fact, Wayne Gregory was the first backpack designer to seriously think about the importance of the correct frame size to fit your torso.

According to him, the correct size of your frame can be found by measuring your torso from the seventh vertebra down the spine to the point in the lower back that is horizontally at the level of the tops of the hip bones. . To find this point, use your fingers to trace the hipbone up until you feel the point where the top edge of the hipbones curve inward on the side of the hip, creating a kind of shelf. This measurement is the length of the torso, especially useful to consider those backpacks with a non-adjustable back system. In fact, this system is used throughout the outdoor industry today to measure exact body size and determine the correct frame size.

Similarly, another important consideration is the proper fit of the belt knowing your correct size. In simpler words, the hip belt is designed for the hips and not the waist. Therefore, the hip belt should rest on the hipbone, not on the waist, because if it is on the waist, it will carry too much weight on the shoulder. In the same way, if it is too low, it will surely interfere with your walking. Frankly, both are undesirable. Ideally, with a full pack on, the top edge of the belt should pass an inch above the top of your hipbone. Lastly, you should also pay attention to the shoulder straps. These days many good quality backpacks are available in the market with adjustable shoulder straps. Backpacks with self-adjusting shoulder straps are considered the best backpacks, because in these backpacks the shoulder straps can be rotated to fit individual neck and shoulder shapes.

Well folks, these were just a few considerations in choosing a suitable backpack for your hike or trek. His backpack contains all his things surviving in a desert, so he always tries to select a good and comfortable backpack. The sole reason behind selecting an expensive backpack is comfort, so when shopping for any backpack, do some research to find the right backpack for you.

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