Backpacks

Backpacks come in an amazing array of sizes, designs — and prices. Before you purchase one for a new Scout, you should consider either renting or borrowing a pack for the first few trips. While a backpack is a useful piece of luggage for getting your things from one place to another, it doesn't make too much sense to go out and pay a lot of money for a high-quality pack that will end up being used only for trips from one place to another on a bus, train, or plane.

There are two general types of backpacks — internal frame and external frame. While I have some of each, I find myself generally pulling out an external frame pack whenever I am going to be doing any serious backpacking. With internal frame packs being all the rage now, this may seem a bit heretical, but the external frame pack has some virtues that far outweigh any disadvantages, such as the thought that frames occasionally snag passing branches, just for fun. A few of the more important considerations include:

 
• There is some air space between the mesh of an external frame and the bag that is attached to it. While this may not seem an important consideration at first glance, there is something to remember here. When you are wearing an internal frame pack in the summer, your body's ability to get rid of heat is reduced by the contact of the internal frame pack against your back. The air circulation you get with the external frame pack allows the surface of your back to continue playing a part in your body temperature regulation. Internal frame packs place you at a somewhat increased risk for heat-induced illness, especially when you become dehydrated


• An external frame pack tends to position the weight of the pack higher on your back than internals do. This allows you to carry a heavier load in a more upright stance. While this may not be a major consideration when we are thinking about our smaller Scouts, it can become a major player when you consider the physically fit Leader who carries "extras" in case some Scout has forgotten to bring an essential item along.


• Many external frame packs have more pockets on the outside to better organise the things you are carrying. This can make a very real difference when you have to get to something right away — a bee sting kit, for instance...


• Perhaps the single most important difference is that you can remove the bags from three or four pack frames and lash them together to make an excellent improvised litter to carry a sick or injured group member to the nearest trail head. Not only is this far more comfortable than the more traditional pole and blanket improvisation, but it also does a good job of immobilising fractures and dislocations.


• When things reach the wallet, though, the external frame backpack offers perhaps the single best attraction for many of us — an external frame pack costs about half as much as an internal frame pack of comparable quality.

You also need to be certain that the frame fits the person you are buying it for. Many companies make special youth-sized frames that can "grow" with the Scout over the course of several years. When the day comes that he or she can fit easily into an adult-sized frame, you can either sell or pass the youth backpack on to another Scout. A high-quality pack and frame will last for years with only a little care.

 
• The length of the torso is going to decide the size of frame you need. To measure this, you will need one of those cloth seamstress measuring tapes. Start at the seventh vertebra — that's the one that makes a lump between your shoulders. Run the tape down the spine, making sure you follow the contour of the spine. To locate the end point, have the person being fitted place his or her hands on the top of the pelvis (hip bone), with the thumbs pointing toward the spine. The end of the torso is where the spine crosses the invisible line between the thumbs. This will determine the frame size:


• Small — Less than 46cm / 18"


• Medium — Between 46cm / 18" and 51cm / 20"


• Large — More than 51cm / 20"


• When you go to the local sports shop, you can choose the backpack model you want, and give it a trial fit. In order to do this, though, you will need to put at least 9 kg / 20 lbs of weight in the pack, so that it will sit correctly on your back.


• The waist strap needs to rest on the top of your hips. If it rides too low, it restricts your ability to step over things. If it's too high, you will have to place too much of the pack's weight on your shoulders. The padded portion of the belt should wrap all the way around the front of your hips, with a slight gap in the front. Some of the higher-quality pack-makers offer a variety of sizes of straps to help you get a better fit.


• The shoulder straps should connect to the frame or pack at a point slightly below the highest point of your shoulders. This allows a wrap-around fit without leaving any gaps. Straps come in several sizes, and you will need a full range of adjustability, so be sure to get straps that fit the person who will be carrying the pack.