Stupid Hurts

Court’s guide to properly fitting a large backpack:

Before you pack, remember take 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 and put it on the floor with the part that lies against your back down towards the floor.

Then let the hip straps all the way out. Roll the bag over and let the shoulder straps all the way out, then the sternum straps out, if there are 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, and put the bag on your shoulders. First buckle the hip belt and tighten it so the hip belt is resting on your hip bones. The top will be hanging away from your body, but that is fine for now. We want your hips to support most of the weight of the bag because they are much stronger than your shoulders so focus on getting the hip belt adjusted first.

Now that the hip belt is mostly adjusted and sitting on those two bones that stick out from your hips, adjust the bottom shoulder straps pull them snug but not so tight you can’t hook two fingers underneath them. You want to have to loosen the straps to take the bag back off each time. Now tighten the top shoulder adjusters if you have them. This should pull the bag closer to your body and make it stand closer to straight up and down, you don’t want the top leaning back because it throws your balance off and will cause you to fall.

Now readjust your hip belt so it still carrying most of the weight this is important.

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

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

The final rule of thumb is loosen the straps when you take it off. And when you tighten your straps bottom to top. Thats why I could wear my pack all day with all this stuff in it

Good luck, and it gets much faster with practice.

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