Hi everyone. First of all, I want to say that I've been lurking here for about a month and really appreciate all the advice I've already received from browsing the forum. Thanks for sharing your wisdom - it's great to hear from experienced backpackers. I wouldn't have even known to pay attention to gear weights if I didn't stumbled upon this site and I would have ended up with 40 lbs of gear to carry.

My question is about pack fitting. I fall within a half inch of fitting either the small or medium for the GoLite Quest, according to my mom's measurement. I bought both online to try, stuffed them both with my gear (packed them the same way each time with 25 lbs), and walked around with them on to see which fits better. I've traded back and forth several times on each and I can't really tell for certain which feels better. But I'm sure I would be able to tell after hours on the trail.

The hip pads on both fall on my hip bone, and the shoulder straps on both curve over the top of my shoulder towards my back, but more so on the small.

The small does feel more compact on my back and a bit more stable. The bottom of the pack rests on the small of my back, but I have to tighten the load lifter straps as far as they will go to get a good fit.

The medium feels a little more wobbly, especially around my shoulders, and when tightening the lifter straps enough to feel stable, the shoulder straps actually come up off my shoulders much more than on the small. The pack bottom rests on my bottom, just below the small of my back.

I'm wondering if the small fits better. It is a comfortable, snug fit. Is this what I want or will it feel too confining or restrictive after wearing it all day?

Thanks for your help.

The load lifter straps should be at about a 45 degree angle, and the shoulder straps should connect to the pack about 2 inches below the top of your shoulder if the pack fits perfectly.

Try bouncing up and down when the pack is loaded. It will highlight any uncomfortable-ness.

Also, consider how your pack requirements might change a year down the road. Instead of 20 or 25 pounds of load, suppose it changes to be more or less. Which one will adapt to the new load?

--B.G.--

Hi Mary

In which case maybe either would be OK for you. Why not?

But as OP have suggested, you should also consider what sort of volumes you might want to carry. My wife prefers a large pack so she can carry stuff uncompressed - including French bread and Brie cheese when we are in Europe. So small is not always perfect.

Cheers

It's hard to predict. I cannot stand any weight on my shoulders, so will go with the larger fit every time. I also had problems with the Quest because all the weight from the hipbelt was on my lower back. Gave me bad sciatica!! So I also look for something that transfers as much weight to my hips as I can, to keep it off my lower back. But every one truly is different. You may also find that with heavier loads or longer trips, the pack slips down a bit, making what seemed to be perfect shoulder straps now too short and putting more weight on your shoulders. then again, you may not have this problem. You might have to flip a coin!

The load lifter angle recommendations vary with the size of the pack. For a 30-40L pack the load lifters should be at shoulder height or 10-15 degrees higher. The pack frame will simply not be tall enough.

For 60L and over it should be roughly 35-45 degrees.

Thanks everybody, lots of things to think about! I'm going to go back to trying them on with a new perspective, take a look at the angle of the lifter straps, and jump around a little to see how they feel again.

I may also take a hike around the neighborhood now that it's dark outside (so people don't see me walking around with a big pack on and think I'm weird lol).

I'm kinda hoping the medium will work because it does give just an itsy bit more space.

Hey-
First things, the lower part of the pack shouldn't be sitting in two different areas. Your iliac crest should serve as the foundation for your fit every time; the center of the hipbelt should be on the highest point of your iliac crest/hipbone regardless of the pack frame size. If you put the pack on that way, it will always sit in the same spot. If you put the medium pack on that way and the shoulder straps are too far above your shoulders, or they don't wrap that 1 to 2 inches around your shoulders, then the medium is too large for you. From what you're describing, I'd say the small is probably the better fit.

"The medium feels a little more wobbly, especially around my shoulders, and when tightening the lifter straps enough to feel stable, the shoulder straps actually come up off my shoulders much more than on the small."

I too am at the cusp between 2 sizes and experienced what you describe above. My experience is that means the shoulder straps are too loose when the lifters were tightened. I would try loosening the lifters all the way then tighten the shoulder straps nice an snug then tighten the lifters. This last step should lift the shoulder strap slightly to take the weight off and transfer it to your hips. If you still get too much shoulder strap lift then you may need the next smaller size.

I follow other posters advice and loosen all my straps at least the first time for a particular load. This is especially important for the hip stabilizers. I get the best fit, comfort, and least lower back issues when I snug them last. Lots of folks don't bother with all these steps and they don't have issues. Good for them. I'm more fussy and probably more fragile as well.

Edited by roblee on 02/02/2010 08:54:21 MST.

It was a long time ago that I carried a backpack. Recently I came upon the chance to do a trip with a overnight hike. I measured my torso 19" and started looking at packs. Soft frame, internal and external. I hike while walking the dog for 3-8 miles giving me a good chance to check the fit. After six packs I decided on a size just above my torso measurement for the comfort and extra space. I carry 23 pounds. I did not like the should strap curving over top of my shoulders and I like a hip belt without padding but wraps completely around my waist and doesn't require retightening. I pretty much agree with all the above fitting advise and my friends think I am crazy for trying somany different packs but I am picky and now happy.

Edited by carlbecker on 02/02/2010 09:09:21 MST.

Hi all,

Thanks for your help. I'm going with the small.

As others above have suggested you may have to just work this thing out over time if you don’t get it on the first try. When I first started backpacking I went with all the recommendations for pack fitting. After a few packs and many uncomfortable hikes I found that I actually like to wear mine where the hipbelt is 1” – 2” below the recommended spot on the iliac crest. When I was wearing my packs in the recommended spot 2 things were happening:
1. I have no hips (my iliac crest doesn’t stick out) so the packs kept slipping down no matter how tight I got the hip belt.
2. With how tight I had to get the hipbelt to try and keep the pack centered on the iliac crest the amount of pressure on my lower abdomen was to the point where it became painful after a short while. I suspect the way my iliac crest and abdomen are situated is not “normal”.

So at any rate, I just wrote all this up to say that if you aren’t comfortable with your first choice then you might need to find a good fit via trial and error. Different people have different unique body types, and the recommended fitting procedure is just a guideline that isn’t necessarily going to work for everyone.

Also, packs are kinda like shoes in my opinion. You need to try on different models from different manufacturers, and you may find that some fit you better than others. For example, the Granite Gear Vapor Trail is highly touted, and it’s a nice pack…I had one. The problem is that it just didn’t fit me, nor does the Osprey Aether 60. In contrast, the ULA Circuit about fits me like a glove.