This month we will give you some tips so that you can pack your backpack very well for excursions and so you can carry it without discomfort throughout the activity. Hopefully they will be useful to you.
1.- Get the right backpack
Select a backpack with the appropriate capacity. Most hikers leaving between late spring and early fall can store everything they need in a backpack of 18 liters (1098 cubic inches) and 24 liters (1465 cubic inches) of capacity. If you're carrying someone else's items, such as jackets and snacks for two children, use a 24-liter backpack.
Many hikers prefer a backpack that has at least one or two separate front or top pockets for storing small items such as car keys, sunglasses, and a small camera, and side mesh pockets for items like a water bottle, repellent insect or sunscreen. Some backpacks even have zippered pockets on the belt for storing snacks.
Tip: Find a backpack with side pockets that you can easily access without removing your backpack.
2. Bring the right Things
Additional clothing: Consult the weather forecast, taking into account that the air temperature drops about 2 ° C for every 300 meters of elevation; It is colder and windier when climbing the slopes. Dress in layers so you can put them on and take them off, and wear a waterproof jacket for rain or wind.
Water: A good rule of thumb is to bring a liter of water per person for a half-day excursion, two liters for several hours and an additional liter on a hot day. Wear a camelbag for constant access to water.
Food: Don't underestimate your (or a toddler's) appetite on a half-day or longer excursion. Bring snacks that provide energy-rich carbohydrates and fats, plus salty snacks to replenish sodium (chocolate, energy bars, nuts and crackers, cheese), and lunch food (sandwich, long-lasting fruit like an apple) if needed. Remember to bring an extra bottle of water so you can wash your hands with soap before eating.
3.- Loosen the straps when packing
The compression straps around the sides of many backpacks serve one purpose: To prevent content from shifting while walking, which could cause you to lose your balance. They help you distribute the weight to make the backpack more comfortable to carry. However, before loading the backpack, loosen all compression straps to maximize volume.
4.- Packaging with intelligence
Your center of balance and the core of your body strength are in the middle of your back, so you'll want to put most of the weight of the backpack there. If that weight is several inches from your spine or too high or too low in your backpack, you may feel the backpack pulling you down. When carrying the backpack, place the heaviest items (water, food, perhaps a guide) on the inside closest to the spine and near the middle of the back.
Tip: If you feel the backpack straps dig into your shoulders, try tightening or loosening them; if this doesn't work, the problem could be that the weight of the backpack is not well distributed.
5.-Organize and prioritize
Store items you need to have on hand, such as maps, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, or sunglasses in your outer pockets. Arrange additional clothing indoors so that what you most likely will need is on top, such as a jacket on a windy day. Lunch doesn't have to be upstairs, you won't need it until later. Wear clothing to wrap the fragile contents, such as sandwiches or cookies.
Tip: A resealable plastic container, such as a Ziploc® container, will prevent food from crushing.
6.- Tighten the straps for use
Once you have put everything in the backpack, tighten the compression straps firmly (no need to overtighten them). This stabilizes the backpack by preventing content from shifting and causing you to lose your balance in a difficult stretch.
7.- Fit the backpack to your body
Most backpacks have two to four straps to comfortably fit the backpack to the body. Chances are you only have to do it once, although micro-adjustments during the tour can ease discomfort.
Position the backpack belt so that it is resting on your hip, and then tighten the belt to a comfortable position.
Engage the buckle on the chest strap and tighten it so that the shoulder straps do not slip off the shoulders or dig into the collarbone.
Reach under the arms and pull on the shoulder straps to tighten them to a comfortable level (without tightening them too much).
If the backpack has load lifting straps (over the shoulders), tighten them to bring the top of the backpack close to your back and prevent it from moving from side to side.
If the backpack has stabilizer straps (where the belt attaches to the backpack), tighten them to fit the bottom of the backpack firmly against the hip.
Tip: If necessary, especially with a heavy backpack, loosen the shoulder straps slightly when ascending a steep incline and tighten them when descending.
Source: off.com
This excursion can take place from to
or older
This is not recommended for pregnant women, people with neck or back problems, people with haemophilia, asthma or epilepsy or for people with heart problems.
