How to Wear a Backpack for Camping

Video Transcript

"Hi, this is John Stewart and this is how to wear your pack properly for a weekend camping trip. Once you've got everything packed you're ready to hit the trail, you've got to put your pack on properly now though. This can be easily accomplished. Get your pack while it's on the ground and loosen all the straps on the suspension system. Waist belt, shoulder straps, and your chest strap, loosen them even though you might think it's going to be easily fitted, just loosen them all the way. If you have somebody there help you get the pack up onto your shoulders, if not just throw it right over one shoulder. And then go right back and grab your other shoulder strap. Put both shoulder straps on. Once you have that on, you want to buckle your waist belt first. Come down, get the waist belt buckled, have it sitting right on the top of your waist, right at your hip bone. This is where most of your load's going to be so you want to get this right. Get it sitting right on the top of your hip bone. Then you want to take, tighten your shoulder straps. Grab your two tag ends, pull down and back at the same time. Get these nice and tight. You want it to be sitting cupped right on the top of your shoulders. Once you've got that, you can buckle your chest strap. Do you have to buckle your chest strap? No, it doesn't serve any purpose, it's just a little bit comfortable for some people. It keeps the straps from wanting to pull off of you. So tighten your chest strap down and then come back right behind your shoulders, you've got your load straps. Pull these nice and tight so that the load's right there on your shoulders, OK? Once you've done these things you're ready to hit the trail, take off and have a good time. And this is how to pack your pack and wear it properly for a weekend camping trip."