Home >> Hobbies >> Other Hobbies

Adjusting Frameless Backpacks to Fit

The two most important hiking assets are arguably your hiking shoes and your backpack. Hiking backpacks come in many sizes, shapes and colors. Which backpack you should choose depends on what type of hiking you plan to do. For hikers who pack light and don̵7;t need to bring very much with them on trips, a frameless backpack does the job nicely. As its name suggests, a frameless backpack has no frame and is therefore ultralight. However, frameless packs cannot carry more than 30 lbs.

Backpack Content
- Frameless backpacks do not come with added support between the contents of the pack and your back. Make your own support by carefully packing your frameless backpack. Perhaps the most common way to do this is to put your sleeping pad against your back. If you are going for a day hike, pack the inside of your bag so that a soft but somewhat firm item rests against your back. Poor choices for this section of your frameless backpack include small and hard or jagged items like cans of food and silverware, as well as large and hard items like laptop computers.
Shoulder Straps
- The shoulder straps of frameless backpacks are typically well-padded for a comfortable fit, but no amount of padding can soften the pain of a poorly fitted backpack. Loosen all the straps on the backpack before putting it on. Once the pack is on, tighten the fit of the shoulder straps so that your backpack lies directly on your back. Be careful not to tighten the straps so much that you can̵7;t move your arms; leave some room between the bottom of the straps and your armpits for freedom of movement.
Hip Belt
- Nearly all frameless hiking backpacks come with hip belts. A hip belt functions as a stabilizer; it should fit snugly around your hips. Position the hip belt over your hip bones and snap it shut. Pull the straps tighter or looser so that the belt fits snugly but not too tightly around your hips. The belt should not be so tight that you can̵7;t put your finger between it and your body, but it should not be much looser than that.
Other Straps
- A frameless backpack usually comes with an assortment of straps to keep the pack well in place during any kind of hike. Adjust load-lifter straps, located near your collarbones, so they are tight enough to pull some of the backpack̵7;s load off your shoulders. The sternum strap crosses your chest and should be buckled and tightened to a comfortable degree. Stabilizer straps work with the hip belt to steady the backpack̵7;s load and should also be adjusted to a comfortable fit. The general rule with any other straps on hiking backpacks is to achieve a comfortable fit without going too tight or too loose.
Final Adjustments
- Double-check all of your straps before embarking on a hiking trip. Walk around for a few steps. Swing your arms, raise your legs up high and jog. As long as your backpack stays comfortably nestled at your back without bouncing around too much, cutting off your circulation or limb movements or falling off your back, consider your frameless backpack properly adjusted and head off. If not, continue to adjust the straps as necessary.

Other Hobbies