This guide outlines the process of packing an external frame backpack, from choosing the right backpack to adjusting the straps for a comfortable fit. The process involves opening the sleeves of your suitcase and securing the back with a tight-fitting luggage strap. The backpack should be pushed through the sleeve until it meets the bottom end, and the strap should be firmly secured with the buckle over the top handle of the suitcase.
When using an external frame pack, it is essential to separate items by weight and necessity, with sleeping bags or mats strapped on at the bottom. Heavy/bulky items go in the main compartment, while lighter but not very essential items go in. Packing an external frame backpack properly is essential for a comfortable and enjoyable outdoor experience.
The video below highlights some important differences between packing an internal and external frame backpack. The loops on the front of a backpack, typically referred to as daisy chains, are designed to hold additional equipment that doesn’t fit inside the backpack using carabiners or straps. To attach backpack straps, learn the tricks for packing and hoisting your backpack, including ways to balance the load, organize gear, and ensure essentials are handy.
When attaching bulky gear like sleeping pads, snowshoes, or cylindrical tent bags to the outside of your pack, use shock cords with a barrel lock or 1 inch nylon strap with side release buckles. Hiking backpacks with multiple external attach points or compression straps can be easily attached to the backpack strap for easy access using sewing or duct tape.
📹 Backpack Straps Explained – Hiking Tips
What are all the straps on a backpack used for? Today we will go through the most common straps on your hiking pack to find out …
📹 How to Attach MOLLE Accessories to Your Ruck
The system of attaching Field Pockets, called MOLLE (MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment), is the same system the …
Great article!!! I recently bought a pack with no owner’s information. It is a quality item but private branded. So I figured out much of it myself, but you hit some spots I wasn’t sure about, explained them better than I understood- and this article makes a great companion for someone interested in buying a pack! Some of those straps I feel are critical for my needs. Thanks for the article!!
Thank you for sharing as I ALWAYS struggle to properly setup the straps on my packs. I use military and “tactical” packs that come with a MOLLE system (or extreme daisy straps for lack of a better term). They’re great for adding extra pouches for gear like my first aid kit. As always keep up the amazing work Hayley.
Excellent article – earned you a sub. Pack manufacturers seem to assume you know what all the weird straps are for as none of the packs I’ve bought come with instructions. OK, some straps are kind of obvious, others you might get an idea of what they do if you play with them a bit (oh, hey, this makes my pack feel more comfortable if I tighten it a bit – but not too much…) but even then, they don’t explain what you should be trying to achieve – such as the roughly 45° angle for the load lifters or the optimal adjustment for your shoulder straps relative to your hip belt etc. It’s not like we’re born knowing how to adjust the shoulder straps correctly for our torso length! One thing I hoped this article would cover – but doesn’t – are those “hand loops” (as I’ve heard them called) found on some shoulder straps – the ones on mine branch off the daisychain on the shoulder strap just above the adjuster slide for the shoulder strap. Some people have said they’re so you can rest your hands in them while you’re hiking (to save you the “strenuous effort” of hanging your hands on the ends of your arms????) but I was wondering if they have any other function than that. I use the “hand loops” on my straps to stow my hiking poles where I can reach them if I need to – have a couple of loops of cord tied around the hip belt stabilisers to put the bottoms of the hiking poles in and the tops of the poles are held by the “hand loops”. Can stow the poles or retrieve them without having to take my pack off to access the gear loops.
This is the only article I’ve seen the explanations for the different loops and straps and their designs for them. I have a red Diamond Candy hiking backpack that has two small loops that each one is attached at the bottom corner of the backpack just underneath the mesh side pockets, which I have no knowledge on their purposes. Perhaps someday, the designers and or companies will include some sort of pamphlet with their backpack featuring an illustration of the loops and straps and the purposes of them.
Fantastic article. Very informative. I had trouble finding info on the different strap and loop names on various backpacks (even many backpack company websites do not list this info on specification of their backpacks). I need to know the names, so I can search for the specific feature I wanted (which is a backpack with a lot of gear loops and daisy chains, and if possible the bungee/shock cord webbing). Thanks.
Good article. Few precisions here: “to take a significant portion of the weight load off your shoulders and onto your hip”. In fact, you shouldn’t have any weight on your shoulders, or maybe like 5% max. You should have a small gap between your shoulders and the strap (no more than being able to insert your hand flat). Important omission here: The adjustment for the torso. Higher-end backpacks have that because two people could be of the same height, but not the same legs and torso length. The article was spot on: TORSO is what counts. But, how do you adjust it??? First, you need to get someone to help you and use a FLEXIBLE measuring tape. The torso length is typically measured as the distance from your C7 vertebrae (the most prominent bone at the base of your neck), down to the height of your iliac crest. Then, go to the manufacturer’s website to check which adjustment fits your measurements. One tip here, the best way to carry a folding pad is not horizontally since you have good chances to hit trees, branches, or people in narrow passages. It’s best to attach it vertically and it will also distribute its weight better. Problem solved! Another tip: Some straps will be too long. Just roll the excess and attach it with a small rubber band. Have fun outside!