HOW TO CHOOSE A BACKPACK
HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU CHOOSE THE BACKPACK THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU:
It takes a backpack to get you there. Modern backpacks, unlike their shoulder-gouging ancestors that you might see hanging in your neighbour’s garage or basement, feature intelligent design concepts that provide surprising comfort and load-carrying efficiency. Such advancements have made the art of self-propelled adventure a much more agreeable pursuit. Internal-frame packs feature a narrow, tower-like profile and integrate their framework inside the pack, behind the shoulder harness. The frame usually consists of “stays,” or flat bars, about an inch wide and 1/8-inch thick. Stays are usually made of aluminum, and pre-curved to conform to your torso.
What Kind of Backpack Should I Get?
- First, determine how you plan to use your backpack:
a. Travel Abroad
b. Backpacking in North America - Unisex or Female-specific design
What Features Should I Look For?
- Hip Belt: Hip Belts should straddle your “iliac crest” -- the two prominent bones on the front of your hips. This is the area that provides the hip belt with a stable, fortified foundation. Hip belts sometimes come in different sizes, or are adjustable to fit women or men, large or small.
- Suspension System: This includes the shoulder straps (padded and contoured), load-lifting straps, a sternum strap and belt-stabilizer straps. The more fine-tuning a pack permits, the better the fit and more comfortable it will be to wear.
- Loading Options: Top loading or Panel loading.
- Other features to consider include: water bottle pockets, daisy chain gear attachment systems, hydration bladder compatible, lockable zippers, sleeping bag compartment, rain cover, removable day pack or fanny pack, compression straps, adjustable harness system.
What Capacity Do I Need? While your needs may vary, here is a general guide for internal capacity:
Up to 50L (3000 ci): = 1 day hike or 1 night
50-60L (3000-4000 ci) = 1 or 2 nights
60L or larger (4000 ci+) = 3 or more nights
Tips: The more compact and lightweight your load, the better. Buy only as large a backpack as you need. Not every manufacturer measures cubic inches the same way; so one company’s measurement of 4,000 cubic inches may differ from another company’s calculation.
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