Basic Guide to Backpack Fitting

The Stupidhurts guide to properly fitting any large backpack:

Before any of this, remember “pack half as much stuff as you think you need, and twice as much money!” Your back will thank you.

Here are the general rules for any big bag:

First take the pack off and put it on the floor with the part that lies against your back down towards the floor, straps up.

Then let the hip straps all the way out, let the shoulder straps all the way out, and let the sternum straps out. If there are upper shoulder adjusters at the top of the shoulder straps near your head let those out to.

Now take your shoes off so you are standing flat on the floor, and put the bag on your shoulders. Buckle the hip belt and tighten it so the hip belt rest on your hip bones. The top will be hanging away from your body, but that is fine for now. At the moment we are focusing on your hips, and right now we want your hips to support most of the weight of the bag because they are MUCH stronger than your shoulders.

Now that the hip belt is mostly adjusted and sitting on the two bones that stick out from your hips, adjust the bottom shoulder straps and pull them tight, but not so tight that you can’t get two fingers underneath them. You want to have to loosen the straps to take the bag back off each time you want to take it off. Now tighten the top shoulder adjusters if you have any. This should pull the top of the bag closer to your body and make it stand closer to your center of gravity so that your are standing straight up and down.  You do not want the top of the bag leaning away from you. That throws your balance off, and at some point will cause you to fall.

Once your shoulder straps are settled, readjust the hip belt. It still should be carrying most of the weight of the bag, this is very important.

Now buckle and adjust the sternum strap, you want it to cross your zyphoid process more or less, but not your nipples, they can chafe easily. So an inch or so higher than your nipples, or about two fingers. It should be tight enough that you can get two fingers under the straps while taking a full breath.

Now shake yourself and see if the bag tips,  falls off of you, or swivels excessively. If not than you should be good to adventure.

The final rules are to loosen the bag’s straps every time you take it off. And when you tighten your bag’s straps. Go from bottom to top. That’s why I could wear my pack all day with all this stuff in it.

Good luck, and trust me, it gets much faster with practice.
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