Backpacks for Camping

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Albert Hedgepeth of Expert Village and today we're going to talk a little bit about how to pick a good backpack. One of the first components you really want to look at in a backpack is storage capacity. You want to make sure that the pack itself has enough room to fit all your gear. During summer camping, it's not as important to have as much space as it is during the winter. During a winter, you're going to have a whole lot more clothing, the layers that you're going to be carrying are going to be much bulkier. Your sleeping bag is going to be larger. Usually your tent is going to have some extra layers for insulation. You're just going to need more space in general. The second component you're really going to want to look at is padding. You really need to make sure that the backpack is padded well because otherwise you're really going to feel it on your body as you're carrying it. As you can see, most of these backpacks have a hard strut running through the middle of them which gives the pack some rigidity and allows it to actually hold the weight upright on your back. A hip belt is a major component that you need to very selectively choose. If you have a bad hip belt, your body is going to hurt. The hip belt is actually the major component that holds most of the weight of the pack up on your body. The shoulder straps are really just there to keep it from falling of the back of your back. Another component that you should be concerned about it accessory straps. You should be able to attach components to the pack at multiple places just in case you need to carry extra items or items that might need to be accessed easily. Another important component of a backpack is cinch straps. Making sure that the pack is able to compress the materials that are on the inside of it is really important to minimizing the space that your pack is taking up and sticking out from your body while you're hiking on the trail. As you can see, this pack has two cinch straps at the top and then one at the bottom which allows the pack to be cinched very snugly so that all the materials that are on the inside of it are compressed and streamlined. That's the easiest way to put on a backpack. Just stick your arms through the straps, throw it over your head, go ahead and cinch up your weight belt, and you want to get your sternum strap in. Make sure that both your shoulder straps are evenly secured and that the top loaders are pulling the weight over your hips. Choosing an appropriate backpack will not only help you with your trip and make it more comfortable, but can also allow you to carry very important materials."