So I just spent 2 hours in REI trying to find a backpack for my 7 week trip through Europe this summer. I had a lot of trouble with the fit because, as the REI guy told me, "Your body is just the wrong shape" (what a charmer).

I'm tall and slender and all the backpacks seemed to have pads against the lower back that caused the backpack above it to stick out from my body where my back curves, thereby straining my mid-back-region. Its flat against my lower back and my upper back, but there is a huge gap in the middle. All the straps were adjusted right, they just didn't work.

I was wondering if any other women backpackers have had issues with backpack fit and what backpacks worked for them (or if I am doomed due to my "wrong shape").

I ended up buying the REI brand Venus backpack, but its just not comfortable.

I'd really appreciate any advice!

Probably would be best to move this question to the "Travelgear and TravelTechgear" forum. Im sure you will hget way more responses that way.

Emmbemm__

Check out McHale Packs in Seattle.

http://www.mchalepacks.com/

They make custom built packs for women.
They especially take into account hips
and shorter torso of women relative to men.

Think of it as enhanced ventilation.

You want good contact on your lumbar area and where the shoulder straps meet the body of the pack. The lower back should be where some of the weight sits (due to the pack's weight being levered into your hips) and the contact around the shoulders is an indicator that the weight is being driven downwards onto your hips instead of having the pack tilting back away from you were it will pull on your shoulder straps (think sore trapezius muscles) and drive too much into your lumbar and not disperse the weight over your hips properly. In general, it's hard to find a pack that matches your back shape exactly and most companies are adding high priced features (thermalmolded back channels or mesh panels) to increase ventilation in this area.

Some packs just don't fit certain people but I find it hard to believe that a store as big as REI doesn't have something in their assortment that would fit you. I might recommend going back and getting the help of another staff member. Don't be afraid to explain your story to the customer service desk and ask for a more experienced pack fitter.

Also, try on a men's pack or two. Women's packs are designed with certain contours in mind, if you have slim hips then the angle of the padding may cause you to feel as though your hip belt is not sitting properly. Not being a woman I haven't had much time to formulate an opinion on this, but many people consider women's specific packs to be a bit gimmicky.

thanks for the help

Markus has good advice. You could try going to multiple REIs, since some of them have a larger selection than others. Also, some employees are better than others. When I was looking at backpacks, I talked to 3 or 4 before I found one who I thought knew what he was talking about.

Mike

Luckily, REI has a good return policy. You want something that suits you for a 7 week haul. I feel like the whole "women's pack" is a newer trend (although I've finally bought into it). My first backpack was definitely not made for..well...me. I made do with it for years, though.

My latest pack is an Aries from REI. Many more options when it comes to adjustability than my first pack. But I tried on over a dozen packs, weighted them down with their weights in the store, and walked around, till I settled on this one. Believe me, it's not an easy decision!

I had to buy into the women's packs hype since I'm small (say under 5ft tall). But, as markus pointed out, don't limit it to only women's packs. If a guy's pack works better, then get that instead.

Check out other specialty sporting goods stores that carry technical packs as well and talk to their guys. We've got a Texas based chain that I believe does custom molding. You never know!

I love my Eagle Creek side loading conversion bag. I went with the women's fit, not so much because of the lumbar issue, but because most men's bags have that strap attaching the 2 arm straps across the chest and they squeeze the grand tetons together in a really painful way. The ladies fit have a much nicer, higher strap (as long as that strap slides, a men's fit would work too)

I also have a top loader for actually backpacking in, you know, wilderness and stuff. I spent about 2 hours bending my frame to fit it perfectly to my back.

i'm in lurve with my Gregory Deva 60 women's pack. i tried it on 2 months and 1 month before i bought it and they even switched out the belts for me!

Ach me too! Sorry don't have any advice, just want to commiserate.
My thing is my back is quite short (smaller than I look according to one sales lady - whatever that means). I found the Black Wolf Cedar Breaks 65 litre was great for the shoulders, but the hip belt padding didn't actually stretch to my hip bone. Is this necessary?
I'm considering just taking my clothes in an old bag I can throw away and buying a pack at my first stop in Vancouver. I've heard there'll be heaps more choice than here in Sydney and it'll be cheaper too?

Markus will correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to recall that the measurement is from the C7 vertibrae to the top of the hipshelf.

And yes, if I were you, I would wait and get an MEC or Serratus pack in Vancouver.

thanks everyone...

i went back yesterday with my friend to buy hers (she bought a man's pack). i tried hers on, but the shoulders were too wide, so i think a woman's pack is a good choice for me.

after trying on a couple more, i think im going to stick to my venus.

quote:

I spent about 2 hours bending my frame to fit it perfectly to my back.

how exactly did you do this? brute force? (if so, i may have to borrow someone else's)

Joe has it correct regarding the C7 (tilt your chin down and feel for the top vertebra lump at the base of your neck) and the hips. A rough guide would be that the top of your hip bone should sit under the middle of the hipbelt padding.

When you get to Vancouver, just go to West Broadway between Alberta and Ontario streets and check out a few of the 10 or so gear shops in the area.

Having worked in the packs department of the Vancouver Mountain Equipment Co-op I can say that you have a better chance of getting a good pack fitting there than most of the other stores in the area. Just be patient, as the layout can make it difficult to find staff when it's busy.

Also, the Serratus line is no longer being produced under the Serratus name, but some of the designs -as well as updated versions- are being continued under the MEC label.


I think I mentioned this earlier, but don't be afraid to tell the staff at any store that you had a bad experience elsewhere and are hoping to get a better fitting now. Staff can't reasonably be expected to give extra attention to ever customer on a busy saturday afternoon, but will generally go the extra mile if they know someone has been treated poorly at a nother store.



Oh, and keep in mind that if you do decide to buy anything from MEC that you will need to buy a $5 lifetime membership before being able to purchase anything from the store.

quote:

Originally posted by emmbem:

quote:

I spent about 2 hours bending my frame to fit it perfectly to my back.

how exactly did you do this? brute force? (if so, i may have to borrow someone else's)

Aluminum pack stays can often be removed and bent. Most likely you have two solid bars (stays) that run up the length of your pack to give it a rigid back. Look for a velcro or buttoned flap at the top of the stays and you should have an opening to pull them out.

I've never really done this so can't offer any more advice than to watch out that you don't bend them too far out of shape from what the original design was. A reputable pack maker will put a lot of money into R&D to get the best design for that stay and you don't want to try and bend it in a way that goes against their intentions.