What's Your Body Type

Just The Back and Hips

The first step in choosing the proper backpack for your adventuring purposes is to ensure that you are purchasing a pack of the proper size in reference to your body. In order to get started, you need to measure the length from the 7th cervical vertebra, or C7, located at the base of the neck, to the top of your hips.

Although you do not have to purchase a pack that is exactly the same as your torso length, it is highly important that you get as close to it as possible. In general, extra small packs fit torsos up to 15.5 inches, small packs fit 16 to 17.5 inch torsos, medium packs fit 18 to 19.5 inches and large packs fit torsos of 20 inches or more.

Measuring the hips is very important because that is what carries most of the weight of the pack when used properly with a hip belt. This allows the weight to sit on the 'shelf' of the hip, relieving pressure from the back and shoulders.

To obtain your hip size, measure from your naval, or belly button, directly around the sides at the highest point of the hip bones. When you have the belt positioned and sized correctly, it should sit with half over the pointy part of the hip bone, and half under it.

The proper sizing of a backpack ensures that your adventures will be safe and comfortable in the aspects of carrying a backpack. Sizing is the same for both external and internal frame backpacks.