HOW TO FIT A RUCKSACK:

1) Get the hipbelt in the right place. The majority of the weight from a   rucksack should be transmitted via the hipbelt, straight onto your hips – one way to view modern rucksacks is as humungous bumbags, with shoulder straps to stop them falling over. The hipbelt should be fastened firmly (not crushingly tightly) onto your hip-bone with no sideways movement; it should not be around your waist.

2) Adjust the shoulder straps. Once the hipbelt is comfortably sat on your hips, the next step is to tighten the shoulder straps (having first ensured that any load adjusters are fully loosened) so the pack pulls into your back; don’t over-tighten them though, or you may lift the hipbelt off your hips. Swing your arms and you shouldn’t feel constricted.

3) Tweak the back length. Many rucksacks (especially larger ones) have adjustable back systems on them; you may need to alter the back length to achieve a precise fit. As a rough guide, when the back is set to the correct length, the angle described between the pack and the shoulder straps should be about 30 degrees.

4) Tension the load-adjusters. These should be taught (to stabilise the top of the pack), but not tight; too tight and they tend to lift the shoulder straps off your shoulders. If they are correctly tightened the pack will remain stable against your back and move with your body.

5) Tension any other load-stabilising straps. Many modern rucksacks include other straps to stabilise the load; the commonest run between the base of the rucksack and the hipbelt. These should be tensioned, to stabilise the load.

6) Adjust and do up the chest strap. This is done vertically and horizontally on most 25-litre packs and above. It should sit on the pectoral muscles on men and just above the bust on women. Correctly fitted it will pull the shoulder straps slightly together to prevent chafing around the shoulders/armpits and makes for an easier and more comfortable carry.

7) Finally, when walking ensure any compression and lid straps are pulled in tightly to stop your pack contents moving around too much

GETTING THE PERFECT FIT

Once you have identified the type and size of rucksack you need the next stage is to get the correct fit. This is the single most important thing about any rucksack and will make all the difference between a fantastic trip and a painful one!

It is very important to test out the rucksack yourself before you take it out into the hills. What works for one person is by no means guaranteed to work for another. However most of the larger packs are easily adjusted to fit your shape and back length with Karrimor’s excellent Self-Adjusting back system.

You will get a better picture of how the pack will carry if you actually load it up with some weight; this ensures you will notice if there are any trouble areas. A heavy pack will obviously weigh you down but definitely shouldn’t make you feel as though you are being bent double. The vast majority of the weight should be on your hips rather than your shoulders so the first important area to look at is the hipbelt.

The hipbelt should sit directly on your hips with the padding centred over your hipbones so there are no sore spots. The fastening should also be easy to use and adjust as needed. Many larger rucksacks also have a lumbar pad, which should sit snugly in the small of your back to keep your posture correct. Once this feels comfy it is time to move on to the back length and shoulder straps.

The length of the back should be adjusted so that the shoulder straps curve snugly around your shoulders without pinching. The length of the back is very important so it is worth taking the time to make sure that this is correct and the hipbelt isn’t being pulled up off your hips by a too-short back length. You should also watch out for shoulder straps being worn too tight as this can cause chafing under the arms and restriction of movement, although most contoured shoulder straps help to reduce this.

You should try walking around with the weighted pack to see how it feels moving and play with all the adjustments until the pack feels stable and comfortable on your back. Just remember that if it isn’t right now, it will just get worse out on the trail! Karrimor’s self-adjusting back system should make this process relatively simple for you to do.

WOMEN’S FIT RUCKSACKS

I also have some models available in specific women’s fit and they vary in many important ways from standard unisex versions. Generally the main differences are a shorter back length, narrower and closer shoulder straps and a more shaped hipbelt to account for differences in anatomy. These differences can be very subtle but are very noticeable in terms of comfort levels for female users! The fitting of a ladies rucksack is slightly different to the men’s range, it should sit slightly higher on the hips but not so high you cannot breathe.

Therefore, generally speaking men will fit a male specific rucksack more comfortably, whilst women will fit a female specific rucksack more comfortably. Having said that, don’t automatically rule out the ‘wrong’ sex of rucksack e.g. narrow-shouldered or shorter men often fit a ‘female’ rucksack better, whilst very tall women can often be better off with a ‘male’ rucksack and this is particularly true with Karrimor’s self-adjusting back system which can adjust to various back lengths.

PACKING TIPS

How you pack your rucksack will affect your comfort when wearing the pack.

The basic law of packing is to make sure that the heaviest, densest items of gear are closest to your back, and therefore your own centre of gravity to maximise stability. Another golden rule is to ensure items you may need during your journey (like water bottles, jacket or hats & gloves) are easy to hand. Store them in the side pockets or close to the top of the main compartment.