How to buy the right size backpack
You can spend big bucks on a Big Backpack, but if it doesn’t fit right, you absolutely won’t be comfortable. So how do you know what size pack will fit the best. Lets start by dispelling the first myth about backpack sizing. It doesn’t matter how tall you are. Just because you’re 6′ 2″ does not mean you automatically need a large or tall pack. Your torso length, not your height, determines your pack size.
Here’s how to measure your Torso Length: Have a friend locate the bony bump at the base of your neck, this is where the slope of your shoulder meets your neck. Technically speaking for you anatomy nerds, this is your 7th cervical (or C7) vertebra. Tilt your head forward to help locate it. Place your hands on your hips so you can feel your iliac crest, which serves as the “shelf” of your pelvic girdle. The iliac crest is the first hard thing you feel when you run your fingers down from the sides of your ribcage. Position your hands so your thumbs are reaching behind you. Using a flexible tape measure, your friend should start at your c7 and measure downward along your spine to the point where the tape crosses the “latitude line” drawn between your thumbs. This distance is your torso length.
Use your torso length measurement to find your best pack size. Generally, most manufacturers size their pack frames as follows:
Extra Small: Fits torsos up to 15-1/2″
Small: 16″ to 17-1/2″
Medium/Regular: 18″ to 19-1/2″
Large/Tall: 20″ and up
Since some pack manufacturers offer interchangeable hipbelts, you should also measure your hip size. Take the tape measure and wrap it around the top of your hips, on the the “latitude line” where you can feel your iliac crest — those two pointy bones just above the front pockets on your pants. A properly positioned hipbelt will straddle your iliac crest, about an inch above and below that line.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:14 am
Great information, fitting the right pack is so important. I look forward to reading your pack reviews !