Without a doubt, the backpack is an essential equipment for every outdoor event to take 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 a proper backpack is.

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 a suitable backpack, you must consider many things, such as comfort, load distribution on the spine, important features and functionality that you need in your backpack, and finally, the budget. Among other things, comfort should be your first priority, because you are buying a backpack for a comfortable trip. So, to make a good selection, decide what 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 on 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 backpacker’s golden rule “buy well and pack light”. That means you should buy the right backpack according to your needs and pack it light with only essentials. A proper 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 it’s ok, if not then 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 little more than your standard bulk package. In fact, adjustable backpacks will allow you to adjust the height and weight of the backpack in the perfect position on your back. You can set it yourself or ask your friend or salesperson to adjust and fit your backpack on your back by sliding it up and down until you feel comfortable. So when you feel it’s okay, you block it.

The next thing is to choose the correct frame size. Remember that every backpack is useless (regardless of your good height and the quality of the backpack) unless you have a correct frame size according to your body and shape. Gone are the days when people thought ‘one size fits all’, far from the truth. Experts strongly 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 correctly sizing the frame to fit his torso.

According to him, your correct frame size can be found by measuring your torso from the seventh vertebra down your spine to the point on your lower back that is horizontally level with the tops of your 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 sort 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 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 lap 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 be one 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 shoulders are considered the best backpacks, because in these backpacks the shoulder straps can be rotated to adapt to the individual shapes of the neck and shoulders.

Well friends, these were just some considerations to choose a suitable backpack for your walk or trekking. His backpack contains all his surviving things in a desert, so he always tries to select a good and comfortable backpack. The only 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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