Where The Feet Go...

Matters Quite A Bit

Knowing what kind of terrain you will be navigating is essential to choosing the proper type of backpack for your adventure. A backpack adds weight to and changes the adventurer’s center of gravity. It also changes how the blood flows through the body and air around the body.

If you are going to be walking on rough, rocky, uneven, or on terrain with drop-offs, you will want to carry a pack that has an internal frame. This keeps the weight closer to your body, brining your center of gravity closer to spinal column allowing you to maneuver on uneven and rough terrain with greater agility than with what an external frame allows.

Internal frame backpacks also usually have padding that aids in the prevention and reduction of bruising and soreness caused by a bouncing pack on uneven terrain.

For smooth, rolling, or flat terrain, you could also use an external frame backpack. The wider, more absolute strides make carrying an external frame easier than on uneven terrain. Since the pack sits off the back, a lot of side to side movement can cause the pack to swing back and forth, fatiguing the hips and back much more quickly.

On our site, we currently only offer internal frame backpacks while we work with other distributers such as Datsusara that offer unique external framed backpacks with various options. Datsusara makes their backpacks from naturally anti-microbial hemp fiber. Visit REI's website to view their large selection of external frame backpacks.