Camping Gear: Choosing the Right Camping Backpack
If you're not an experienced camper, you may well think that a backpack is just a bag. But if you go on a serious trek or camping trip, you will soon find out the difference if you don't have a well fitting pack.
In 1994 a man went trekking in the Appalachians, and far from having a wonderful time, he went home bleeding and sore because of the pack, which eventually damaged his hips because it was an improper fit. The same hiker returned ten years later and finally achieved his fantastic experience, covering 960 miles with superior equipment.
This demonstrates the importance of a good pack. Here are some tips for choosing the right one for you:
When people go on a camping or hiking trip, they have different needs: some people prefer to take only the most basic items, others prefer to have a lot more with them. Your backpack choice will depend on how much you want to take with you.
Camping shops will usually be able to supply you with information about the capacity of their packs, so do simple calculations before you go, to give you a rough idea of the capacity you require, basing your estimation on the longest trip you are likely to use the pack for.
Most importantly, your pack should be comfortable. Any backpack should allow you to carry the greatest weight for least effort and inconvenience.
The greatest comfort is achieved when the pack distributes the weight efficiently, and the most effective way to test this is to actually try the pack out. Ask the camping store if they have weights you can put in the pack, to test how it stands the weight, put it on and consider carefully the comfort and weight distribution.
Your hips should carry around 70% of the weight, the remainder being carried on your shoulders; this is because your hips are more stable. You also need to move around with the pack on your back and check that your movement is not restricted by the shoulder straps, and that they are not uncomfortable.
A sternum strap, which should sit below the collarbone, helps to stabilize your pack, and is a good idea. Most packs will have hipbelts as well, and these should also not restrict your movement or breathing.
New designs and technology in backpacks are coming out all the time, and the only way to know for sure if they will suit you is to give them a good try out.
Backpacks come with internal or external frames. External frames are easier to load up, and so they are good for beginners, especially on easier trails. They do however restrict movement somewhat because they are stiffer. Internal frames are harder to pack, but fit closer to the body, which makes them more maneuverable, and less likely to restrict movement. This makes them more suitable for the harder trails.
You should also consider whether the pack suits any accessories or attachments you may want to add or adapt to the outside, and whether it works with any weather sheets you want to wear for weather protection.
Conclusion
If you want to have a good trek, you should have a good pack, which will greatly improve your enjoyment, so choose carefully.