[at-l] backpacks for smaller people, was:

[Amy Skowronek]

On Feb 23, 2008, at 10:57 AM, bcwatson wrote:

>
> I would love to go on a long distance hike (at least a week long).   
> I only have a day pack.  I look at the size of packs and damn,  
> they're nearly half as tall as I am.  I'm 5'2", 130 lbs…
>
> Should I buy pack made for women?  Do the even make packs  
> separately for women? If so, do they even run smaller as a rule?   
> If so, how small should I go and still be able to use it for even  
> longer hikes where I'm gone for a month?   If I get a pack that's  
> too big, then when it's full, won't it weigh too much for me?   If  
> I don't fill it up all the way with stuff, what do I do with all  
> the empty space…
>
>
>

They do make backpacks for women.  They may or may not be comfortable  
for you.  Women's packs are often sized to fit wider hips and  
narrower shoulders. I don't think they run significantly smaller in  
capacity.  Despite being a woman, I have ended up using unisex packs  
as my shoulders are not particularly narrow.

You probably do want to look for a smaller capacity pack so you're  
not tempted to overload it.  One of the challenges of being a smaller  
hiker is finding light weight gear so you don't kill yourself  
hiking.  :)  You can use a smaller pack for long distance hikes, it  
just requires more thought than piling all your possessions in a huge  
pack.  A gram scale has helped a lot with me, as it is not always  
obvious which if my gear is the lightest.

I'm 5'4" and I've had quite a time over the years finding a pack that  
fits.  Some of the adjustable internal frames have worked really well  
for me.  Those tend to have a sliding adjuster in the middle that you  
can shorten or lengthen.  However now I'm just using smaller sized  
backpacks - but not daypacks.  They have a fair size capacity.

You need to get your torso measured, and then look at packs based on  
that measurement.  Ultralight Adventure Equipment has a nice diagram:

http://www.ula-equipment.com/sizing.htm

ULA and Gossamer Gear (http://www.gossamergear.com/) both have had  
packs that I have bought that have been pretty comfy for long hauls.   
Both do size down for smaller torsos, as do other manufacturers.   
FWIW I'm currently using the Gossamer Gear Mariposa pack.

-amy