A hiking backpack is like a bicycle, with the right adjustments, you go further with less effort. So we agree, knowing how to adjust your hiking pack is paramount when hiking. 😎
When we first started hiking, it wasn’t easy to adjust our pack. With all these straps hanging everywhere, we never know what to do…😰
Either we tighten them too much and finally, it makes us uncomfortable to hike. Or we don’t tighten them enough, but there, it’s the back that is not happy. Or we don’t even know that they are adjustments and we don’t touch them.👐
What settings can be found on a hiking bag?
To get our bearings, we’ll use this bag as an example. One of many bags you can order here if you need one. 💫
There are also bags with fewer settings on the same site, so if you choose a bag, get it based on your needs.😀
The straps
The first adjustment you will find on a bag is the shoulder straps. This is a common element to all of the de backpacks. This type of adjustment allows us to adjust the height of the bag on our back.👌
This is a crucial element, since the height of your bag has a direct impact on the strength needed by your back to carry it.
For more details on the impact of the weight of your bag, you can read the following article we wrote.
The lumbar strap
The next element that we find in common on all backpacks is the waist strap, also called the lumbar strap. As the name suggests, this strap allows you to adjust your backpack to your lumbar level. 🙌
This adjustment is also essential, because it allows to unload your shoulders and your back of a part of the load of your bag.
This strap will allow two things, the first interest, it is to create a kind of stop at the level of your hips. Thus, it will allow to transfer directly the major part of your effort to your pelvis
Indeed, contrary to what many think, you carry a hiking pack thanks to your pelvis, so we will see later how to get the best out of this setting.🤓
The second interest of this strap is that it will bring stability to your bag and as we saw in the article quoted above regarding weight, fixing your bag reduces the effort needed to keep it in place. 👊
The chest strap
Then we have the chest strap. This one allows to bring an additional stability, to maintain your bag as close as possible to your back but also to define the zone of friction of your straps on your shoulders.
Two things to say about this strap: it’s more of a comfort setting for your shoulders, and its adjustment depends a lot on how you feel 😌
Interesting point, but with a minor impact, is that it also helps to distribute some of the weight on your shoulders.
Reminders of charges
To continue, we have the “load reminder” straps. These are located at the very top of your shoulder straps.👆
As their name suggests, they allow you to bring the load of your backpack closer to your back. With this last adjustment, we complete the panel available to bring your bag as close as possible to your back.
The height adjustment
Finally, some hiking bags have a height adjustment. This is an adjustment that, as the name suggests, allows you to set the height of your bag on your back. 🎒
Compression straps
You can also find straps on the side of your bag to compress its contents.
The more compact your contents are, the easier it will be to carry them. Indeed, it will naturally be closer to your back.
In addition, your bag will be slightly less bulky and will have a lower wind grip.💨
Guide: How to correctly adjust your hiking backpack?
When it comes to adjusting your hiking bag, it’s like many things in life, there is a preferred method.
Make the settings in order
We imagine you want to make the settings for the first time. 🙃
First step
Before anything else, put your empty bag on your back and check the height, which you can adjust via an adjustment on the back of your bag (if there is one).👌
Second step
Now the serious stuff starts. First, loosen all the straps you haven’t already adjusted: shoulder straps, belly strap, load reminders…🙅
Third step
Put your backpack on your back and the first adjustment that will interest us will be your lumbar or ventral strap
To adjust it properly, it must rest on your pelvic bones or hip bones. If you’ve done your adjustments right, it will feel like the entire weight of your pack is resting on your pelvis. Normally, your back and shoulders won’t have much to carry.😌
Fourth step
If at your shoulders you don’t have any peaks or particular tension, your straps are well adjusted. Normally, you can run a finger under your shoulder strap at your shoulders without straining 😀
Fifth step
The next adjustment will be the load back. This should be done so that the weight of the top of your bag is directed towards your shoulders and not outwards.
Ces réglages sont bien faits si vous sentez que votre sac est bien maintenu et qu’il ne balance pas vers l’arrière.😯
Sixth step
Finally, you can adjust your chest with the strap at your disposal. It’s a comfort adjustment, adjustable to your liking while hiking. 👍
This setting determines how much your shoulder straps rub against your shoulders. After a while of hiking, changing this setting may be a good idea.👌
Special case for adjusting your hiking bag: load reminders on the way up or down
If you feel like it, you can adjust your load reminders based on the terrain you are hiking on.🏔
Indeed, if you are on a rising ground, you can loosen them. This avoids putting too much weight on your shoulders which are already pointing towards the ground.
On the other hand, on a downhill slope, stability is important, so tightening the load recalls can be interesting to benefit from a gain in stability.
Adjusting your hiking bag also means changing the settings at will depending on the terrain you encounter.🤓
How do you know if your hiking bag is properly adjusted?
If your pack is properly adjusted, you will carry almost all the load through your pelvis. And that’s the most important thing to remember. You don’t want to put too much strain on your back. 🤗
If you feel that your back is too much solicited it can be a question of adjustment, but also of weight or even bag size not adapted👐
As far as weight is concerned, feel free to check out our article dedicated to the subject here.
The balance sheet
Adjusting your hiking bag properly is very important to hike in good conditions. It will guarantee you to avoid back or shoulder pain during your hike and most importantly, it will allow you to fully enjoy your moment of escape.👌
Once what the adjustments of your bag is done, they will not move too much afterwards. So make sure you do them right once and you can keep them for a long time. If you need to, don’t hesitate to go to a hiking store with your bag to get help from experts. Even though weight is a key factor in adjusting your bag, it will only be an eventual adjustment that you can easily make, as you will already have a good foundation.😎