Adjusting our Backpacks

[mwiles]

Hello all,

Hoping someone can give a little direction on the potential adjustments that we need to make to our gear. My daughter and I are both long time, avid day hikers but new to overnight backpacking. In fact, we're taking our first trip - 3 days in Zion over Labor Day weekend with some friends who have a lot of experience over the years.

Yesterday was our first hiking trip with the packs. We loaded them up with most of our gear and took them for a 7 mile hike, about 1000' AEG. My pack is an Osprey Aether 60 and it was loaded with 27 pounds of gear. My daughter's pack is an Osprey Ariel 65 and she had it loaded with 22 pounds of gear. She's not one to complain, but she complained significantly after our hike about how much the pack was hurting the front side of her shoulders. We loosened the load lifters a bit and she said that helped some. But it didn't help completely. We had the packs fitted at REI when we bought them, so I think we have the right size - any ideas on what to look for and what the issue might be?

I had somewhat of the same issue....my trapezius muscles in my shoulders/neck had the weight sitting on them and it started to become uncomfortable by the end of the hike. Do I just need to adjust the torso length? Or do I just need to suck it up and stop whining? ;)

We'll make another trip to REI to try and get it straightened out over the coming weekend. Really looking forward to the trip and so is she...and I'd hate to have her fun cut down by a pack that causes her pain.

Thanks,

Mike

[FOTG]

@mwiles

Or do I just need to suck it up and stop whining

I would suggest that for most people on HAZ ;) however, I will try to provide some substantive advice in this case..

I would say its a matter of trial and error and finding the spots that work for you. New packs have a small break in period and being your first time with real weight on your back, I would say a little soreness is natural and even expected..give it another shot make sure you are using all of the adjusters. For example, the ones that can be reached that seem to hang of top of shoulder straps under ears those are tremendous for taking a little weight off shoulders, always have those some what cinched..

Your other considerations, are you packing correctly? there is a ton of info out there and varying opinions to consider...

Finally, for me the waist seems to be the key have that waist belt snug to the point that you can feel it take some of that unwanted weight off shoulders..although,too tight digs into the hips for some, so again trial and error..remember you want that weight being carried by your legs and it dispersed to legs not shoulders..

I have never been unhappy with an Osprey pack good luck give it time and play around a little research online gear testers etc..

[Jim]

Make sure it is fitted properly. As a female with wider hips, having her waist support a bulk of the weight seems like it should not be an issue.

I have an Gregory Palisades 80, which I purchased in 2008. The belt strap attaches to the pack with a plastic part, and that broke in early 2012. I think it was always too large, despite being told it fitted properly by a sales person.

[chumley]

Practice/training is an important factor. You suddenly put 20-30lbs on your body that it's not used to carrying. The nicest, fattest, plushest straps and belts will help distribute that weight, but it will still take all those contact points a little bit of training to get used to it. Even with a great pack, you have to build up some tolerance for carrying extra weight. Just like a new pair of $250 boots can hurt your feet if you take them right out and hike 20 miles.

On a multi-day trip, I will often adjust my weight load from one day to the next to change the distribution a little bit. I also tend to adjust the straps a little over the course of a day to shift a little from shoulders to waist and visa versa.

Also, if you manage to keep your pack weight to 28lbs for a 3-day trip, you have done an impressive job packing! For some reason, even when I try to keep it under 30, it always ends up at 35+. (And that's not including the beer!)

Good luck on your trip. Please post a triplog and some photos here on HAZ when you get back!

[mwiles]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. As for my problem with the pack...I do think it's just a matter of adjusting to the additional weight, perhaps adjusting the torso length on the pack slightly. I feel about like I expected that I should feel today after hauling it around yesterday.

As for my daughter, she tightened up the waist belt to take off the weight from her shoulders to the point that she had it too tight, hurting her hips. I haven't had a chance to talk to her today and see how she's feeling.

The trip to Zion will be awesome. we've talked about backpacking for a few years now....and the opportunity and time has come. I expect the packs will gain a few pounds between now and then - but not appreciably so. We were nearly fully loaded up.

Mike

[outdoor_lover]

As stated above, you are going to experience Shoulder soreness until you get used to the Packs and the Weight...And as stated above, you need to make sure that you're loading your Pack correctly...heavier items at the bottom so the weight is concentrated on your Hips instead of weight near the Top, trying to pull your Pack away from your Shoulders at the Top...The other thing is to make sure that when you put your Pack on, you tighten your Straps in a particular order so that the Weight stays on your Hips...Waistbelt gets tightened first, then the Straps under your Arms (sorry don't remember what they're called) and then, the Load Lifters up top should be the last thing that gets adjusted or tightened...Hope that helps, but I think a lot of it is just about getting used to the Pack and the Weight...I had trouble with that in the beginning too, but with more conditioning, load management and using the correct Strap sequence, you should be fine....You will also find that as you Hike along throughout the Day, you may have to retighten/adjust the Straps as they tend to loosen up and in doing so, shift the load off of your Hips....

[Al_HikesAZ]

Did you buy the packs at a local store? If so, load the packs up, go back to the store, and find someone knowledgeable who can help you.
A training tip: When I am doing local training hikes with my pack to get ready for a trip, instead of loading the pack with my gear, I will throw in some gear and two full MSR Dromedary 4 liter cache bags (which weigh about 9lbs). Then if I get tired on the training hike I can either drink some extra water or dump the water to lighten my pack.

[chumley]

Did you buy the packs at a local store? If so, load the packs up, go back to the store, and find someone knowledgeable who can help you.

Did you read his post at all?

We had the packs fitted at REI when we bought them,

We'll make another trip to REI to try and get it straightened out over the coming weekend.

[writelots]

Practice/training is an important factor. You suddenly put 20-30lbs on your body that it's not used to carrying. The nicest, fattest, plushest straps and belts will help distribute that weight, but it will still take all those contact points a little bit of training to get used to it. Even with a great pack, you have to build up some tolerance for carrying extra weight. Just like a new pair of $250 boots can hurt your feet if you take them right out and hike 20 miles.

Chumley's really got it... There is a lot of adjusting to do, and you can find ways to lessen the discomfort, but a part of it is also adjusting your body to carry the pack. You begin to realize when you've been backpacking a while that you carry your shoulders differently and even have a different stride with a pack on.

That being said, to make your first trip more bearable (and reduce whining, which is a life-long effort for some of us ***ahem, Tibber***) - put your pack on and walk as far as you can until it becomes uncomfortable, then determine exactly where. First, double check that the torso length adjustment is about right (provided you have one). You should be able to slide a finger or two between the strap and the topmost point of the shoulder when the pack is on and you're at rest. You're really trying to get the weight on the front of your shoulders. If this seems to be the case, then loosen all of the straps almost all the way (waist, sternum, shoulder strap adjusters and load lifters). Tighten the back in this order: waist (uncomfortably tight), shoulders (just until you feel tension begin on the front shoulder), sternum (snug but NOT tight) and then tug the load lifters until you feel the weight shift forward onto the hips. I sometimes have to go through the sequence 3-4 times when I'm helping someone with a first-time pack use - usually at intervals of between a mile and two miles. Once they get the feeling for how it rides uphill, downhill and on the flats, then they start self-adjusting them.

Sad thing is, it' never magic, particularly for women (who are notorious for subtle changes in shape week to week or even day to day). I even have 2 different waistbelts for my packs - one for those days when the bloating is more like dromedary crossing the Sahara... You just keep tugging and pulling, remembering that your pack is a part of you!

Enjoy the pumpkin out of Zion! I'm jealous!

[tibber]

which is a life-long effort for some of us ***ahem, Tibber***)

heh, I resemble that remark

[big_load]

My pack is an Osprey Aether 60 and it was loaded with 27 pounds of gear. My daughter's pack is an Osprey Ariel 65 and she had it loaded with 22 pounds of gear. She's not one to complain, but she complained significantly after our hike about how much the pack was hurting the front side of her shoulders. We loosened the load lifters a bit and she said that helped some. But it didn't help completely. We had the packs fitted at REI when we bought them, so I think we have the right size - any ideas on what to look for and what the issue might be?

Loosening the load lifters usually helps with the front side of the shoulders. I'm prone to the same thing, and I keep mine pretty loose compared to most people. Loosening the shoulder straps helps, too. I would check that the torso is adjusted short enough for the hips to take most of the weight, and that the hip belt is the right size to do so comfortably.

my trapezius muscles in my shoulders/neck had the weight sitting on them and it started to become uncomfortable by the end of the hike. Do I just need to adjust the torso length?

That sounds a lot like too much weight on the shoulders and not enough on the hips. Torso adjustment could help, and also checking the hip belt size.

Those packs should easily handle the weight you were carrying, if fitted properly. I wouldn't even expect to require much time to adapt, especially if you're used to carrying a daypack. How much weight did you carry in the store, and for how long? When I buy a pack, I like to test the maximum I expect to carry for about two hours. It's amazing how a pack that felt pretty good for the first half hour will unmask itself after a few more.

[mwiles]

Loosening the load lifters usually helps with the front side of the shoulders. I'm prone to the same thing, and I keep mine pretty loose compared to most people. Loosening the shoulder straps helps, too. I would check that the torso is adjusted short enough for the hips to take most of the weight, and that the hip belt is the right size to do so comfortably.

my trapezius muscles in my shoulders/neck had the weight sitting on them and it started to become uncomfortable by the end of the hike. Do I just need to adjust the torso length?

That sounds a lot like too much weight on the shoulders and not enough on the hips. Torso adjustment could help, and also checking the hip belt size.

Those packs should easily handle the weight you were carrying, if fitted properly. I wouldn't even expect to require much time to adapt, especially if you're used to carrying a daypack. How much weight did you carry in the store, and for how long? When I buy a pack, I like to test the maximum I expect to carry for about two hours. It's amazing how a pack that felt pretty good for the first half hour will unmask itself after a few more.

We had the packs on in the store with 35 pounds for about an hour. Typically our day packs run 8 to 10 pounds so the increase to 23/28 pounds wasn't all that bad. I suspected it was just a matter of some adjustment and thought I'd get some insight from the more experienced here. We'll put another day hike in with the packs before we head to Zion and get the packs adjusted a little better.

Thanks to everyone for all the responses today. I'll post pictures and a full report when we get back from Zion.

Mike

[Al_HikesAZ]

...Did you read his post at all?

We had the packs fitted at REI when we bought them,

We'll make another trip to REI to try and get it straightened out over the coming weekend.

I read from the start of the thread shown on my screen. Looks like that was from a more recent update after I upgraded to Windows8 on this computer. Not sure what happened.
some of us old-timers can't keep up with all of Joe's updates.

but at least the most recent update doesn't show me off the coast of Africa when I leave AZ Joe knows what I mean!
So Be Nice
Get off my Lawn!!!

[Nighthiker]

Load your pack and head for the local high school and walk the track also include walking up and down the bleachers, great way to check and test out your gear

[azbackpackr]

I don't have time to read all the suggestions. Have been a backpacker off and on for 43 years. Don't listen to men's suggestions in particular. Men are wonderful creatures but they are built differently than women (and vive la différence!!)

You must not have any weight on the shoulders, for a woman. All weight goes onto the hips. Tighten the belt and then tighten it again, and then tighten it again. Make sure the weight is ALL on the hips. It is possible the pack doesn't fit properly, also. I sure don't like all the extra padding on some of these packs, sure is uncomfortable. I particularly hate the harness type that has a yoke that fits around behind the neck. Boy oh boy is that awful! Horrible design for a woman. Straps should come right out of the top of the pack with no yoke thing that wraps around the back of the neck.

[Tough_Boots]

I don't have time to read all the suggestions.

I bet you do.

[big_load]

Don't listen to men's suggestions in particular. Men are wonderful creatures but they are built differently than women (and vive la différence!!)

Yeah, but what would you say if I suggested the same thing you did? (I really do pretty much as you suggested, but I'm thinking of making myself miserable so your advice can stand unaltered).

[azbackpackr]

Don't listen to men's suggestions in particular. Men are wonderful creatures but they are built differently than women (and vive la différence!!)

Yeah, but what would you say if I suggested the same thing you did? (I really do pretty much as you suggested, but I'm thinking of making myself miserable so your advice can stand unaltered).

That's okay. Jim_H told me he puts his hip belt super tight as well, and that's why the belt broke! And I have seen that, of course, but have also seen a lot of guys who carry a lot of the weight on the shoulders.

But if you want to you can go ahead and make yourself miserable, just for fun...

[big_load]

But if you want to you can go ahead and make yourself miserable, just for fun...

Thanks, I hate to miss an opportunity!

[Jim]

But if you want to you can go ahead and make yourself miserable, just for fun...

Thanks, I hate to miss an opportunity!

Have you considered a conversation with me?