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Vent: A guy at the REI told me my pack fit is wrong after 2 years
I was getting water at the fill station on the Appalachian Trail last Saturday and a thru-hiker named Dave pointed out my hip belt was sitting way too low. He said I was carrying 90% of the weight on my shoulders and that's why my neck has been killing me on 10-mile days. Has anyone else had a random stranger call out their gear setup and actually been right?
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umab868d ago
Oh wow, that's a bold move from Dave the thru-hiker (and honestly kinda rude to just walk up and critique someone's gear on the trail like that). I gotta respectfully disagree though, because a lot of packs are designed to sit lower on the hips for better stability on rough terrain. I've been hiking for years and my hip belt sits a bit low too, but I adjusted the load lifters and sternum strap to balance the weight so my shoulders don't take the hit. Maybe your neck pain is from something else like your pack's frame not matching your torso length, not just the belt position. Plus, if you've been using it for 2 years and only now someone says something, that setup was probably working fine for you until recently.
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