hen it comes to outdoor gear, women have more choices than ever before. But what makes a pack specific to women? Is it just sized smaller or made with "girl colors"? Fact is, gear manufacturers have realized a need in the market for real gear that meets the demands of active outdoor women. The following clinic explains some of the key differences between men's and women's packs and provides tips for choosing one of your own.
Women's packs are available a wide range of sizes: from extended-backpacking workhorses to sleek hydration packs.
These packs typically have shorter, narrower profiles and curved shoulder straps to fit female physiques comfortably.
Some have interchangeable harnesses and adjustable-angle hip belts for a custom fit.
Learn to pack and put on your pack correctly for comfort over the long haul.
Designed for Women
Most women have narrower shoulders, shorter torsos and more pronounced hips than men. Women's pack models are typically designed with features that accommodate these differences in size and shape. Features found on women's packs include:
Narrower profile A narrow design not only fits the smaller frame size of many women, but it can help with gait as well. Women who tend to sway a bit while walking (a factor of hip shape and alignment) will welcome a narrower, close-fitting pack that doesn't throw them off balance on uneven ground.
Shorter back panel and pack length The padded, formed back panels on women's packs are shorter to fit women's smaller torsos. A pack that hits too far down on your back will be uncomfortable and ride improperly on your hips.
Smaller harness A smaller shoulder harness with straps sewn closer together will help keep them from sliding off the shoulders. Narrower shoulder straps can also help prevent chafing against the underarms and pinching across the chest—problems that many women experience with the wide straps on men's packs.
S-curved shoulder straps Shaped shoulder straps offer a more comfortable fit around the chest. Contoured Auto-Cant™ shoulder straps on some Gregory women's packs rotate to fit a wide range of shoulder and neck angles.
More conical hipbelt Women's pelvic bones have more of an angle than men's, and since the weight of a pack should rest on these bones it follows that getting the shape and fit of the hip belt is crucial. Some women can get away with wearing a men's pack with very little angle to the hipbelt. Others know too well how a men's hipbelt can dig in at its lower edge and not rest against the hips along its upper edge. An ill-fitting hipbelt will tend to put more weight on the shoulder straps which will tire you out much more quickly.
Adjustable hipbelt Gregory packs feature waist belts with an adjustable cant, the angle at which the belt rides on your hips. This is a great feature for women with more pronounced hips as it allows the belt to ride at the proper angle.
Adjustable suspension Some larger overnight packs have adjustable suspensions to allow a good fit in the torso length since women's torsos tend to be a bit shorter than men's. The REI Venus features an adjustable back panel with 4" of adjustment per size. The Osprey Ariel and Luna give you the option of choosing the frame, harness and hip belt separately for a truly custom fit.
Once you've chosen a pack with features that work with your figure, it's important to make sure you load and wear it properly so it's comfortable over the long haul.
When you
load your pack, place
heavier items lowerin the pack against your back. Let your stronger lower body do the work of carrying the load by placing the majority of the weight on your hips. Putting the heaviest weight next to your center or gravity will make the load feel more balanced, not pulling you backwards or downwards.
Make sure your pack's hip belt is positioned on your
hips, not your
waist. It should straddle the two prominent bones on the front of your hips, known as the iliac crest. This is where a pack's weight is most effectively carried because your skeleton, not your muscles, is bearing the weight.
Use the sternum strap to adjust the
space between the shoulder strapsso they don't slide off your shoulders and to snug the upper half of the pack inward. The sternum strap can usually be slid up or down to get the most comfortable fit around your bust. You can undo the sternum strap when you're on trails if that's more comfortable, but secure it when you get on more rugged terrain, as this helps keep the top of the pack from swaying.
Consider getting a pair of
trekking polesto help distribute the weight of your pack and help with balance as you hike. REI carries poles sized for women's hands.
Backpacks: Finding Your Torso and Hip Size
Backpacks: Finding Your Torso and Hip Size Video
ou can spend big bucks on a high-tech pack, but if it doesn't fit right, you won't be comfortable. REI's pack-fitting experts share their tips here for getting the right size pack.
Find Your Torso Length
Just because you are a certain height — say a 5'9" female or 6' male — 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 yours:
Have a friend locate the bony bump at the base of your neck, where the slope of your shoulder meets your neck. This is your 7th cervical (or C7) vertebra. Tilt your head forward to locate it more easily.
Using a flexible tape measure, your friend should start at that spot and measure downward along your spine.
Place your hands on your hips so you can feel your iliac crest, which serves as the "shelf" of your pelvic girdle. (It's 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.
Have your friend finish measuring at the point where the tape crosses an imaginary line drawn between your thumbs. This distance is your torso length.
Use your torso length measurement to find your best pack size. Generally, manufacturers size their pack frames something like this:
Extra Small:Fits torsos up to 15-1/2"
Small:Fits torsos 16" to 17-1/2"
Medium/Regular:Fits torsos 18" to 19-1/2"
Large/Tall:Fits torsos 20" and up
On REI.com's product pages, you can find the torso range for each pack size listed just above the spec chart. If your measurement is right on the border (say, 17-3/4"), it's best to visit an REI store to try on both sizes of that pack. REI's product line includes adult packs sized to fit torso lengths as compact as 12" (10" for children) and as long as 23". If your measurement lies outside that range, you might require a custom-built pack.
Determine Your Hip Size
While not as crucial as your torso length, your hip measurement is useful to know. It's especially helpful if you are considering a pack that offers interchangeable hipbelts.
Take your tape measure and wrap it around the top of your hips, 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.
ou can spend big bucks on a high-tech pack, but if it doesn't fit right, you won't be comfortable. REI's pack-fitting experts share their tips here for getting the right size pack.
