10
Adjusting Your Pack on the Trail
For maximum comfort, it is imperative that you follow this ritual each
time you put the pack on.
Before picking up the pack, make sure that the hipbelt trim straps and
shoulder-pad lift straps are loose. Now put the pack on making sure to lift the
pack by the haul loop and not the shoulder pads. Center the hipbelt over your
hip crests and tighten it, then tighten the main shoulder straps. Next — this is
important — tighten the hipbelt trim straps by pulling forward and up. Re-
tighten the main shoulder straps, then snug the shoulder-pad lift straps a
moderate amount. The sliding buckle where the shoulder-pad lift strap exits the
shoulder pad should be at the top of your shoulder. Position the sternum strap
in a comfortable location on your upper chest (approximately 1
1
⁄
2
” to 2
1
⁄
2
”
below top of sternum) and tighten it lightly.
As a final suspension adjustment, try this “tweak” to improve the shoulder
pad fit. Once all the hipbelt and shoulder straps are snug,
slightly
loosen the main
shoulder straps, which will transfer more weight to your hips. It will also cause the
pack to fall away from your back. To solve this,
do not
tighten the shoulder-pad lift
straps; instead, retighten the sternum strap. This pulls the pack closer to your back
without putting more weight on your shoulders. It also allows the shoulder pads to
ride closer to the center of your body, which reduces pressure on the relatively
weak outer portion of your shoulders and redistributes the load to your ribcage.
When the pack is properly adjusted, the majority of the pack’s weight
should ride on your hips, with the remainder distributed between your shoul-
ders and your back. You can vary that ratio, however, by adjusting the hipbelt,
main shoulder straps, shoulder-pad lift straps and sternum strap. To shift more
weight to your shoulders, for example, loosen the hipbelt slightly. Changing the
ratio periodically during the day, particularly with a very heavy load, helps pre-
vent fatigue and pressure points.
