You're Wearing Your Backpack WRONG, by Tayson Whittaker on YouTube. 4 min 29 s.
- Video length
- 4 min 29 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Loosen the hip belt, shoulder straps, load lifters and sternum strap before you put the pack on. Load it with the gear or weight you plan to carry.
Lift the pack onto your back and fasten the hip belt so the padded section sits over the top of your hip bones, not around your waist.
Tighten the hip belt until it feels snug and the pack stays put when you wiggle your hips. Most of the weight should now sit on your hips.
Pull the shoulder straps down and back until they curve over your shoulders with no gap, then stop before they press hard.
Pull the load lifters, the small straps at the top of the shoulder straps, until they sit at roughly a 45 degree angle.
On a framed pack, use the load lifters to pull the top of the pack closer to your shoulders so it does not lean away from you.
Fasten the sternum strap across your chest at about collarbone height and tighten it just enough to keep the straps from sliding outward.
Walk around for a few minutes, then readjust the hip belt and shoulder straps. Loosen and retighten the hip belt if it digs in.
Tips and common mistakes
Aim to carry most of the pack weight on your hips, with the shoulder straps mostly keeping the pack steady.
Leave the sternum strap loose enough to breathe easily and take full breaths on climbs.
Lift a heavy pack from a bench or rock with bent knees instead of swinging it up from the ground.
If the pack sways or the hip belt rides up, loosen the shoulder straps first and retighten the hip belt.
Questions
Where exactly should the hip belt sit?
Over the top of your hip bones, the hard ridge you can feel at the sides of your pelvis. If it sits on your waist, the pack will slide down and the weight will hang from your shoulders.
How tight should the shoulder straps be?
Snug enough to touch your shoulders along their length, with no gap at the top. They should not dig in or carry the full load, since the hip belt does that job.
What if my small daypack has no load lifters?
Many daypacks skip them. Set the hip belt and shoulder straps as described and use the sternum strap for stability.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
