View Full Version : pack question - GG VT
2009ThruHiker
10-12-2007, 08:31
just checking to see if i'm seeing this correctly:
My pack, a Granite Gear Vapor Trail, Large, fits pretty well during my shakedowns so far, however, the shoulder straps sit slightly above the shoulder instead of actually sitting on the shoulders. I can modify this by sliding the hip belt down further, and consequently the whole pack further. The rubbing that is caused by this is also uncomfy during a multi-day hike.
Also the hip belt fits, but i tighten it almost all the way. I'm 6'0, and am on the lower limit of the waist size. Should I trade it back in for a Medium size? I'm thinking on my AT thru, if i lose even a bit of weight, the hip belt may not be tight enough.:confused:
Am I also correct in the hip belt riding actually up on the hip bones a bit?
Thanks for the input
just checking to see if i'm seeing this correctly:
My pack, a Granite Gear Vapor Trail, Large, fits pretty well during my shakedowns so far, however, the shoulder straps sit slightly above the shoulder instead of actually sitting on the shoulders. I can modify this by sliding the hip belt down further, and consequently the whole pack further. The rubbing that is caused by this is also uncomfy during a multi-day hike.
Also the hip belt fits, but i tighten it almost all the way. I'm 6'0, and am on the lower limit of the waist size. Should I trade it back in for a Medium size? I'm thinking on my AT thru, if i lose even a bit of weight, the hip belt may not be tight enough.:confused:
Am I also correct in the hip belt riding actually up on the hip bones a bit?
Thanks for the input
Call Granite Gear .... they can set you up with a different size waist belt. Also, there should be some adjustments you can make .... but your Granite Gear rep will tell you better than I can.
nitewalker
10-12-2007, 09:16
1st losen the shoulder straps. now put the pack on and tighten the hip belt till you feel the pack weight resting on your hips, no shoulder tension. now adjust the shoulder straps according to how the hip belt fits around your waist. do not change the waist fiting..when your pack is correct the shoulder straps at the top should ride approx 2 to 4 inches above your shoulders without moving weight off your hips. now after your pack feels evenly distributed you can loosen/tighten straps or hip belt at any time to adjust for fatigue in those two areas... i try to keep my shoulder straps a little loose keeping most of my weight on my hips. if im moving at a real quick pace i will tighten my shoulder straps to bring the pack closer to my back...hope this helps you.......peace out , nitewalker
nitewalker
10-12-2007, 09:20
i forgot to mention.. make sure your pack is loaded correctly, it makes a big difference.............
Footslogger
10-12-2007, 09:27
[quote=2009ThruHiker;424250]just checking to see if i'm seeing this correctly:
My pack, a Granite Gear Vapor Trail, Large, fits pretty well during my shakedowns so far, however, the shoulder straps sit slightly above the shoulder instead of actually sitting on the shoulders. I can modify this by sliding the hip belt down further, and consequently the whole pack further. The rubbing that is caused by this is also uncomfy during a multi-day hike.
Also the hip belt fits, but i tighten it almost all the way. I'm 6'0, and am on the lower limit of the waist size. Should I trade it back in for a Medium size? I'm thinking on my AT thru, if i lose even a bit of weight, the hip belt may not be tight enough.:confused:
Am I also correct in the hip belt riding actually up on the hip bones a bit?
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In actuality ...the shoulder straps of a backpack should NOT sit directly on top of the shoulders. The primary purpose of shoulder straps (other than on rucksack style packs) is to keep the pack from falling backwards off your back. As such, the shoulder straps should come to rest on the front of the shoulder near your colarbone rather than pulling down on the shoulders themselves.
I have the Vapor Trail in Medium and I am 5'10". I carried the pack during my 2003 thru. I would submit that at 6 feet you should definitely be carrying the longer (large) torso length pack. My first question would be ...where exactly are you securing the hip belt with regard to your hip bones. The hip belt padding should sort of straddle your hip bones (about half above and half below). Otherwise as you hike the hip belt can slide downward and you will end up "shouldering" all the weight of the pack which is incorrect.
The rubbing on your hips that you describe is normal process in getting used to carrying the pack. Just about every hiker gets a case of "rosey hips" at the beginning of their hike.
I used to fit backpacks for a living. My suggestion would be to stick with the Lage. If you go with the Medium I would predict that the shoulder straps would rest squarely on your shoulders, especially with a loaded pack, and you will be an unhappy camper. Having a little margin (a couple fingers space) between your shoulders and the straps is a blessing.
'Slogger
2009ThruHiker
10-12-2007, 09:28
GREAT HELP EVERYONE. thanks!!!
nitewalker
10-12-2007, 09:39
i also have the vapor trail[med]. im 5'6" and have no problems with that pack. for 30lbs or less it is my pack of choice...my advice was in a different way the same as what footslogger says...he mentions using the long which he is 100% correct on that...good luck!
Alligator
10-12-2007, 11:06
I'm 6'2" and tried the medium first. It didn't fit well and so I switched to a large and I am much happier. It helps to have your torso length measured if you didn't do this.
Also the hip belt fits, but i tighten it almost all the way. I'm 6'0, and am on the lower limit of the waist size.
I have the GG nimbus ozone medium, and I also have to crank the waist belt ALL the way in to get it snug. (6'1" 160lbs) It's apparently designed for really wiiiide people - I can't imagine who would need to use all that slack. Order the smaller waistband.
take-a-knee
10-13-2007, 18:47
Height is a consideration but torso length is what really matters, that is, the distance from the 7th cervical vertebrae to the illiac crest of the pelvis. A friend of mine is 6', I'm 5'8", we have the same inseam. He has a "girraffe back". Granite Gear's website explains how determine this measurement.
i forgot to mention.. make sure your pack is loaded correctly, it makes a big difference.............
how do you load a pack correctly to make it more comfortable?
how do you load a pack correctly to make it more comfortable?
Weight as close to the back (your back) as possible, and close to the "center" of the pack. You don't want heavy items at the very top or very bottom or way off to the sides. Bottom line, if it "looks" fairly neat from the outside, it's packed right. If it looks lumpy and mis-shapen, try again.
stranger
10-15-2007, 07:28
If you are 6ft there is a very small chance that you are a large, very few adult males fit correctly into large packs from pack companies that make 3-4 size packs. I've fit thousands of packs since 1994 and generally speaking, the taller the person the longer the legs. In fact, many more men fit into smalls than larges, by about 3-1 in my experience.
Your straps should "wrap" over your shoulder atleast 1 inch for a correct fit, the fact that they do not do this means you are a medium, assuming you are putting the pack on correctly. If you need to move the hipbelt to achieve a better fit, again the pack doesn't fit you properly. And in any case, you would move the hipbelt up, not down, to shrink the pack length. Moving the belt should only be done if you have no other choice, but it sounds to me like you are in the typical situation of a tall male thinking they need a large frame, this is almost always incorrect.
Your pack is most likely too big for you, get a medium. Also, it's not possible to measure your torso yourself...so dont bother with that. I would strongly suggest trying a medium instead of measuring your torso, most people have no idea of how to do this, even in shops with so-called experts.