17 Aug 2021 By Admin .
Backpacks come in all sizes, colors, fabrics, and shapes and help you to express your own personal sense of style. And when used properly, they're incredibly handy. The backpack is a common choice of bag for the working professional, the student and those who like to travel.
Planning to buy a new pack for backpacking? There are three main areas where you’ll need to make choices.
- Backpack capacity: The size of the pack you’ll need is tied to the length of your trip and how much weight and bulk you want to carry.
- Backpack features: These are the refinements that affect how the pack works for you.
- Backpack fit: Torso length—not your height—matters most.
- Internal-frame backpacks: The majority of packs sold at REI today are body-hugging, internal-frame packs where the structure is hidden inside the back panel. They are designed to keep a hiker stable on uneven, off-kilter terrain and may incorporate a variety of load-support technologies that all function to transfer the load to the wearer’s hips.
- External-frame backpacks: With an external-frame pack, you can see the structure that supports the load: aluminum (usually) hardware on the outside. Because the frame extends beyond the pack bag, a backpack like this may be an appropriate choice if you’re carrying a heavy, irregular load (like an oversize tent or inflatable kayak). External-frame packs also offer good ventilation and lots of gear organization options.
- Frameless backpacks: Ultra-light devotees who like to hike fast and light might choose a frameless pack or a climbing pack where the frame is removable for weight savings. But packs without a frame are much more uncomfortable under heavy loads.
Some packs feature a suspended mesh back panel to combat the sweaty-back syndrome you tend to get with internal-frame packs that ride against your body. Also called a “tension-mesh suspension,” this is a trampoline-like design where the frame-supported pack bag rides a few inches away from your back, which instead rests against the highly breathable mesh. Other packs will have ventilation channels (sometimes called “chimneys”) in the back panel to solve the same issue.
Top-loading openings are pretty standard. Since items near the bottom and sides are the toughest to get to, smart packers will store overnight gear there and stuff they need for hiking or throughout the day closer to the top. Some packs, however, have panel access, so you can unzip the main pack bag without unloading it from the top. Keep in mind that additional features like this tend to add both ounces and dollars.
Some people like lots, and some people prefer a more streamlined pack. When evaluating pockets, consider the size and placement of each. For instance, elasticized side pockets lie flat when empty, but stretch out to hold a water bottle, tent poles or other loose objects. They can often be reached when wearing the pack. Hip belt pockets accommodate small items you want while hiking like a phone, snacks, lip balm or sunscreen. Shovel pockets are basically flaps stitched onto the front of a pack bag with a buckle closure at the top. Originally intended to hold a snow shovel, they now pop up on many 3-season packs, serving as stash spots for a map, jacket or other loose, lightweight items.
The top lid pocket (sometimes called a pack’s “brain”) is also a matter of preference. Some folks like a single opening for things like sunglasses and a headlamp, while others prefer a top lid with multiple compartments.
Some packs are designed with a removal daypack that is perfect for shorter trips from camp like summit bids or supply runs during a thru-hike. This removable daypack is often designed in the top lid or reservoir pocket of the overnight pack: It detaches from the main pack and converts into a hip belt pack or lightweight backpack.
This is a zippered stash spot near the bottom of a pack bag. It’s a useful feature if you don’t want to use a stuff sack for your sleeping bag or if you want to be able to pull your sleeping bag out of the backpack without unloading other gear. Though it’s designed to carry a sleeping bag, this space can hold other stuff that you’d like to access easily.
If you’re using a lightweight pack with a fairly minimalistic hip belt and lumbar pad, you can suffer sore spots on your hips, lower back or shoulders. If this is the case for you, consider using a cushier hip belt.
If you frequently travel with an ice axe or trekking poles, look for tool loops that allow you to attach them to the exterior of the pack. (Rare is the pack that does not offer at least a pair of tool loops.) You might also look for the following:
- Daisy chain: This is a length of webbing stitched to the outside of a pack that provides multiple gear loops for attaching a helmet, tools, wet gear or anything that didn’t fit inside the main pack bag.
- Reinforced crampon patch: This burlier piece of fabric prevents crampon points from gouging holes in the pack bag.
- Extra gear loops: Gear loops on the hip belt or low on the pack body are useful for clipping extra gear, especially oversize items like skis.
