When selecting a new backpack you have to consider a number of factors that will affect its fit and performance. Much like your hiking boots having an ill fitting pack, or the wrong pack for the job, will result in a sore back, sore feet, and in extreme cases possible injury. Unlike a boot that doesn't fit well, the wrong pack will beat you death in a matter of minutes on the trail. I've seen strong healthy people brought to their knees in less than two miles, simply because they didn't do some homework before purchasing or selecting their pack.

The first thing to figure out is just what you will be using your pack for. Backpacks fall into three basic categories. The first of these are daypacks. These are used for short trips, where carrying a lot of gear or a lot of weight isn't a big issue. The next category is assault packs. An assault pack is used when climbing a mountain as a day trip; so you'll need extra capacity for all that gear. It can also be used on a weekend trip, or if you practice lightweight backpacking. The final category is called a full pack. These packs have lots of room to carry a lot of gear. These are used on longer treks, for distance hiking, or if you're carrying gear for a couple of people, say a child or an inexperienced friend on their first trip.

The next thing that separates packs is the type of frame, or if even has a frame. A burlap bag with two strings on it could be forced into being a backpack, but it isn't going to be very comfortable. The strings will dig into your shoulder and the weight of the sack will beat against you as you take each step. The frame allows a suspension to be placed on a pack, which allows the weight to be distributed, and supports your gear. Frames can be external or internal. An external frame simply means the frame is on the outside where you can see it. An internal frame means that the frame is integrated into the shell of the pack. Daypacks and some assault packs may not have frames at all.

Internal frame packs have become extremely popular. They allow the weight to be carried closer to your body, which helps with your balance, and offer more adjustments. External frame packs are still considered the best choice if you're going to carry a heavy load. The larger more complex frame bears the weight better and you have limitless attachment points for putting more gear on the outside of your pack.

If you're looking for a daypack or a frameless assault pack then the process is pretty simple for sizing up your pack. You should choose a pack with wide comfortable shoulder straps. Some straps are referred to as being, "cobra cut," that is wide at the shoulders and then tapering down. These allow the weight to be better distributed. The pack should have a waist belt that goes around your waist. This may seem simple but if you have a large torso (more on this latter) it may be difficult to find a pack that actually does that. The waist belt keeps the pack on your back, and helps prevent it from beating on your back with each step. Some daypacks have sternum straps. This is a strap located around your mid-chest. This helps keep the shoulder straps on your shoulders. Men find them very helpful, but women may find the tension across their chest uncomfortable.

When sizing up an assault pack or a full pack that has a frame, the first thing you need to do is measure your torso. This is very critical to get the best fit possible out of your pack because your overall height has very little to do with the frame size of your pack. You will need a friend to assist you and a cloth tape measure. First put a finger on the back of your neck and tilt your head back. You're looking for a bony point on your spine at the base of your neck and it is easier to find if you tilt your head back. Next, stand up straight and grab on to your hips, right at the hipbones, not at your waist or around your stomach. You should be able to feel the bones. Put your hands on your hips so that your thumbs are pointing towards each other behind your back. Now have your friend measure the distance from the bony point on your spine to the invisible line your thumbs are making. That is your torso length. Most people fall in a range between 14 and 21 inches.

The next thing you need to figure out is if you are small, medium or large framed. This is pretty easy to do. Take your thumb and forefinger and place them around your wrist. If your fingers touch easily, then you are small framed. If your fingers don't touch, but just barely, then you are medium framed. If your fingers don't touch at all and couldn't even if you squeezed as hard as you could, your large framed.

Equipped with all this information you are now ready to select a pack. In helping you decide on whether you should get a daypack, an assault pack, or a full pack, you need to look at the capacity of the pack you are interested in. If your planning to carry the essentials of day hiking for simple treks, then a pack that has 1,500 cubic inches or less capacity would be ideal. You might start running into problems if you get less than 750 cubic inches of capacity if part of your day hiking gear is warmer winter clothes or a rain suit.

If you're planning to do weekend trips or lightweight backpacking then you should look for a pack with 1,750 to 3,000 cubic inches of capacity. This will offer enough storage space to carry your gear for a couple of days, or if your gear consists of ice axes, ropes, and other mountaineering gear get you up the side of a mountain for an extended day. Another reason to consider a small assault pack is if you plan to do extended desert hiking. Water is very heavy, about nine pounds per gallon. If you're going on a long trek you may be carrying nine, fourteen, or even eighteen pounds of water. A frame is going to help you carry that weight.

If you plan to go on long trips of a week or more, or will be carrying gear for a couple of people, like a child or an inexperienced friend, then you will probably want the capacity of a full pack. Full packs range from 3,000 up to 6,000 cubic inches, or even more. They will have lots of room, lots of outside pockets, and lots of places to hang your gear. When looking at full packs if your plans don't include technical climbing you should seriously consider one with an external frame.

Now that you have selected what size capacity you ready to look at suspensions and frames, and they come in a wide variety of styles. The suspension is the network of shoulder and hip belts that allows you to carry the pack. Some packs have a fully adjustable suspension, like the Kelty Guide 5700 packs our editors use. The location of the shoulder straps and hip belt can be adjusted to accommodate people in the full range of 14 to 21 inches of torso size. Other packs have frames and suspensions specific to certain size ranges. They may come in small, with a typical range being 14 to 16 inches, medium with a range of 17 to 19 inches, and large with a range of 20 inches or more. Some may also have two ranges. If you're outside of the normal range with a very small or very large torso, you're not out of luck. You won't have as many choices but they are a number of packs designed for unusual torso sizes. If your torso is particularly small, there are a number of packs that have frames and suspensions designed for children, but are still up to the serious challenge of going into the outdoors.

The critical thing is to find out what torso size the pack you are considering is designed for. Get a pack that is too large for your torso, and the hip belt won't be able to bear any weight and the pack will beat on you as you walk. Get one too small and the shoulder belts will cut into you and the pack will pull at your back.

The next consideration is adjusting your suspension. This should be done in the store before you take the pack home. A good store will have pillows filled with weights to put a load on the pack, to simulate how it will feel. The most important thing is the hip belt. Notice on a daypack we called it a waist belt, on a pack with a frame we call it a hip belt. The belt should be resting on those hipbones that you were looking for when you were measuring your torso. With the belt on your hips, the weight of the pack can be transferred to that part of your body, and your ability to carry weight over a long distance will be greatly increased. Miss the hips by being too high and the weight will be on your stomach. Miss the hips by being too low and the belt will fit loosely on you so your shoulders will end up doing all the work. The hip belt should also fit snuggly around your waist, so that the pack isn't bouncing or moving.

The shoulder belts should fit comfortably on your shoulders. They should sit on the softer area that is about at the middle of your collarbone. A shoulder belt too close to your neck will be annoying and cause muscle strain. To far outward and the shoulders won't be carrying the weight, and they could slip off. If you use the sternum strap use it to aid in keeping the shoulder belts where they belong. The sternum strap shouldn't be up around your neck and it shouldn't feel like it is crushing or strangling you. The belts shouldn't be too tight; if they are they will cut into your armpits. If they are too loose the pack will bounce around on your back.

If all of this seems to confusing don't worry. Most major metropolitan areas will have stores with employees well versed in sizing a pack. It really isn't as hard as it seems. If you are buying a pack over the internet be sure they have a return and exchange policy, and have a more experience friend help you adjust the suspension when it arrives at your home. Put a load on your pack and try it out before you hit the trail. Anyone who has gone out with a poorly sized pack will tell you, it is not a fun experience. However if your pack is sized properly to your frame, and is the right pack for the job, even an average person in good shape can carry 70, 80 or even 100 pounds while out on the trail. It is just one more thing that will help you enjoy the great outdoor places.

How To Pack A Pack

Most hikers and campers have experienced the frustration of stopping on the trail and needing the one item that is buried at the bottom of your pack.  Although you can't have everything at your fingertips all the time, a little bit of planning can go a long way when you hit the trail.

When packing your pack the first thing you should put in it is the last thing you will take out, typically that is your sleeping bag.  To save room put your sleeping bag in a compression sack.  If you're leaving for an extended period of time or are going into damp conditions consider getting a waterproof compression sack.  If your budget doesn't allow it, a heavy-duty trash bag can also do the trick.  Most backpacks with the exception of daypacks come with a separate section to store your sleeping bag on the inside of your pack and deep within.  If you have extra room in this compartment, store your change of clothes and/or bed clothes.  Just make sure that your rain gear, a warmer layer of clothes and an extra pair of socks are easily accessed from somewhere else in the pack.

The next bit of gear to stow is your tent or bivy sack.  Some packs have a vertical compartment that you can store a tent in.  If yours is equipped that way then you have the ideal place.  If not you have a couple of choices.  Some packs have straps where you can attach your tent on the outside.  You also may want to consider stuffing your tent in a compartment in your pack and strapping the poles to the outside.  Make sure your poles are in a stuff sack and well secured.  Those pesky tent stakes that always seem to disappear should be placed in a sack with your tent.  Consider carrying a couple extra stakes with you.

Next is your bedroll.  If your bedroll is closed cell or open cell foam, simply rolling it up and stowing it on one of the outside straps is probably your best bet.  If your bedroll is inflatable, be sure to store it in a tough stuff sack to keep branches or rocky edges from puncturing your pad, and leaving you sleeping on the hard ground at 2:00 in the morning.

Next is your cooking gear.  If you don't plan to have hot meals while on the trail, consider storing your cooking gear and stove in one of the larger outside pockets your pack may have, but one that is out of reach.  A word of caution about fuel, make sure your fuel supply is well stowed and away from your tent, bedding, and most important your food supply, especially if the supply is liquid like white gas or alcohol.  White gas leaking can ruin the material of a tent, spoil food stores, and take the loft out of a sleeping bag.  If your hiking in very cold conditions and your using compressed gas canisters, consider rolling one in your sleeping bag to help keep it warm during the day.

Next is your food.  You should store it in two separate sections.  For meals you may be preparing when you setup camp, a more out of the way flap or sack is an ideal location.  For the snacks you will be eating on the trail, and that lunch you want to make on the run, keep it in a pocket you can reach around in, or even better a bag of gorp in the coat pocket for a pick-me-up without stopping.  If your hiking in bear country consider storing your food in your bear sack.  It will be a lot less work if you don't have to transfer your food stuff every time you set up camp.

If your pack is equipped with a removable daypack or fanny pack, store your essentials for survival, knife, flashlight, waterproof matches, survival candle, compass, emergency blanket, water purification tablets, survival whistle, first aid kit, and emergency rain gear in it.  This way if you want to setup base camp and take a side hike in the afternoon, you can grab your daypack, some food, water, and map, and be ready to hit the trail.

What about your odds and ends like bug repellent, camera, notepad, travel alarm clock (who takes a clock camping) the deck of cards and those spare socks?  Find a free spot in one of the easily accessed side pockets and stuff them in there.  Make sure critical needs like rain gear, warmer clothes, sun screen, bug repellant, water and food can be easily accessed without taking your pack off.  This is especially true of your water supply, as a water bottle in your pack is not going to keep you well hydrated on the trail.

On the subject of water bottles, store your water bottles in plastic bags.  The cheap bags you get at the grocery store work fine.  As you hike during the day water bottles stored in your pack can weep from condensation, soaking your gear (learned this one the hard way at Yellowstone National Park one year).

If you're doing specialized camping say in the winter time, most packs have loops for ice axes and other accessory gear.  Make sure that warm gear is easily accessible as well as the stove.  Sure it takes some time to fire it up every few hours and then wait a while for it to cool, but your body will appreciate the warm liquid during your breaks.

Avoid packing small items by themselves in larger compartments.  Movement and gravity will make that pocket knife move to the bottom of the pocket it is stowed in.

Make sure you balance your load.  Don't have too much extra weight on one side or the other.  If you are carrying heavy or bulky objects make sure they are closer to your back and your natural center of gravity.  Pack your load top heavy and you will be staring at the ground all day.  Pack your load bottom heavy and your shoulder straps will dig into you.  Load too heavy to the left or right, and the imbalanced load will hurt your shoulders, hips and feet.  A properly loaded pack should fee natural on the back, and you should be able to stand erect without too much pressure on your neck, shoulders, back, or hips.  If you're going to be doing a lot of scrambling over rough terrain, consider loading your pack slightly bottom heavy.  This lowers your center of gravity and improves your balance, while taking away some of your ability to bear a load.

To make life on the trail easier try to setup a system you can remember and pack your pack the same way each time.  By finding a setup that works best for you and sticking with it you will remember where things are quickly in the field.  Practice preparing your pack at home.  Perfecting your sleeping bag rolling technique and squeezing it into a compression sack should not be done in the pouring rain out on the trail.  Likewise load balancing should not be perfected two hours into a hike with sore shoulders and a throbbing hip.

If you're hiking with a group and you have similar equipment consider using identical packing techniques.  This will aid in finding something faster in someone else's pack.  You haven't lived until you've ripped through your buddies pack looking for the one critical item that seems to always be in the "other" pocket.  This can be critical in the event of an emergency.

If you store your gear in compression sacks consider color-coding them.  Compression sacks and stuff sacks come in a wide variety of colors, and some dry bags are even clear so you can see what is in them.  If you have a color coding scheme you can easily get to what your looking for - all you have to remember was what was in that small green one.

Make sure that some essential equipment like a knife and waterproof matches are kept in at least two locations, one on your person.  In the unlikely event a small pocket sized survival kit and a power bar can make you a lot more comfortable.

Also make sure you have three sources of light.  We typically recommend a flashlight, a small backpacking lantern if you want to carry the weight and extra fuel, some chemical light sticks, and survival candles as a final alternative.  Make sure you have spare batteries, light bulbs and a repair kit for your lantern.

Take some time out and create a logical system that works best for you.  By doing this you will save time, effort, and frustration, when out on the trail.

Taking Pounds Off Your Pack