Ideal Shoulder strap fit...

[tlbj6142]

Assuming you are using a pack with a hipbelt, how do you like your shoulder straps to fit, when standing upright in a relaxed position?

1. Off the front of your shoulders and up to the pack. Acting almost like load lifters
2. Over the top of your shoulders and straight pack to the pack
3. Over the top of your shoulders, and back down 1.5-2" before connecting to the pack
4. Other?

I seem to prefer #3, though I notice that most packs "in my size" tend to be more #2 than #3. Which means I have to hunch my shoulders up a bit to make full contact with the shoulder straps. Resulting in shoulder ache.

I was just at my outfitters at lunch and he seem to think the shoulder straps should fit more like #1 or #2.

Just wondering.

[Footslogger]

Depends a great deal on the pack and shoulder strap design and of course, as you mentioned, whether you're using a hip belt or not.

Without getting into actual measurments, the pressure or weight from the shoulder straps should be on the front of the shoulders (sort of pulling your shoulders back) rather than on the top of the shoulders. The load lifters, when adjusted correctly, generally form an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the level of the shoulder.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[orangebug]

I like the first choice for myself. This leads the weight to my hips and not into my shoulders and back. The shoulder straps keep the pack from shifting laterally.

[erichlf]

Well, it also depends on your sex doesn't it? Women need to carry their load differently.

[Mountain Dew]

The proper way to fit a pack is 1 or 2 OR somewhere in between. Choices 3 and 4 are going to make your shoulders hurt and will most likely make your shoulders carry some of the packs weight. I base this opinion from hearing gear reps show backpacks to me at my current employer.

[tlbj6142]

Choices 3 and 4 are going to make your shoulders hurt and will most likely make your shoulders carry some of the packs weight.

You shoulders are not suppose to carry any weight?

I know load lifter are suppose to allow you to shift weight between your shoulders and hips, but I find they just keep the pack from pulling you backwards more so than transfer weight.

[chris]

For me, it depends on the load and the terrain. Usually, for summer hiking, I like my pack to be snug and tight against my back. That is, I go for stability. If the pack is swaying back (i.e, load lifters are loose) with most weight on the hips, I feel less stable. So, I have the lifters cinched tight.

However, with large loads, I'm not moving all that rapidly anyways and am concentrating more on footing. So, I have the lifters a little loose.

[Footslogger]

You shoulders are not suppose to carry any weight?

================================
On a backpacking style pack the weight should NOT be on the TOP of your shoulders pulling downward. I make this distinction because a ruck sack is a totally different beast.

The primary purpose of a shoulder strap on a backpacking style pack is to keep the backpack from falling backwards off your back. In other words ...the weight should be on the front of the shoulders. From time to time hikers loosen their hip belts, allow the pack to drop a bit and shoulder the weight, but that is not how a pack should be fitted or adjusted at the outfitter.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[Mountain Dew]

Perhaps my choice of words was poor. If you have weight from the pack on your shoulders I wouldn't recommend more than 10% or so.

[tlbj6142]

One more question...

If your torso length is 18", the distance between the centerline of the hipbelt and the point at which the shoulder straps attach to the pack's back should be X inches?

If you go with option #1 above, X would be more than 18", like say 20". If you go with option #2 above, X would be exactly 18" (more or less), whereas option #3 X would be ~16".

The pack I tried on today had ~16" (I had a tape measure with me) between the centerline of the hipbelt and the strap attachment point. I have an 18" torso. The straps made plenty of contact on the front side of my shoulders, but lost contact with my shoulders about 0.5" past its crest. I had to shrug my shoulders to get full contact with the straps. I was carrying ~35# in the pack.

The pack felt a bit loose to me. It was rather easy to get the pack to flop left to right. Maybe I like my pack "snug"?

Maybe I should just leave my kids at home. When carrying 15#, none of this maters.

[Footslogger]

One more question...

If your torso length is 18", the distance between the centerline of the hipbelt and the point at which the shoulder straps attach to the pack's back should be X inches?

=============================
Torso length, as it applies to backpacks, is a measurement from the top of the hips (Illiac Crest) to the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra (the large bump on the back surface of the lower neck). Not all hip belts are designed to straddle the hip bone. Some ride higher/lower than others.

Your torso length gets translated to one of the attaching points for the shoulder straps on the back side of the pack. In other words, the attaching point is not necessarily "X" inches from the centerline of the hipbelt. That factor varies from pack vendor to pack vendor. The person fitting your pack should be able to take your torso measurment and place the shoulder strap in the appropriate slot and/or show you how to make that attachment.

'Slogger

[Happypappy]

I prefer the second option. Keeps the weight on my hips, and I can use the lifter straps to adjust the weight for varying terrain.

[Youngblood]

I prefer something closer to the 3rd option. I think if it is like 1 or 2 that you run the risk of making the bone on the front part of your shoulder sore. FWIW, this is copied from REI's website about how to fit a pack (I doubt too many people use exernal-frame packs without load-lifter straps):

Look sideways in a mirror. Check the position of your shoulder straps:

For internal-frame packs: The padded sections of the shoulder straps should wrap around the crest of your shoulders comfortably and attach to the frame about 1" below that point. No gaps should appear.

For external-frame packs without load-lifter straps: The shoulder straps should attach to the pack frame at a point slightly higher than the top of your shoulders.

For external-frame packs with load-lifter straps: The padded sections of the shoulder straps should wrap around the top of your shoulders comfortably and attach to the frame about 1" below that point.

Obviously, if the load lifters are pulled tight it will alter how the shoulder straps wrap around the top of your shoulders so maybe this visual check is with the load lifters almost loose?

Youngblood

[NICKTHEGREEK]

Depends a great deal on the pack and shoulder strap design and of course, as you mentioned, whether you're using a hip belt or not.

Without getting into actual measurments, the pressure or weight from the shoulder straps should be on the front of the shoulders (sort of pulling your shoulders back) rather than on the top of the shoulders. The load lifters, when adjusted correctly, generally form an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the level of the shoulder.

'Slogger
AT 2003

Agree with Footslogger and add that standing like a Homo Sapiens, totally erect that is, the straps should be loose across the top of your shoulders. I think that all the weight should be transferred to your hipbelt and the shoulder straps just keep the pack from swaying. Load levelers should attach to the pack just below the level of your ear lobes and run from the front of the shoulder straps upward at about a 45 degree angle.