When HL and I wandered out into the backcountry of the Canadian Rockies several years ago, I knew very little about backpacks. The 60L pack I had on me was poorly padded and not well-fitted for my body. Younger Geoff didn’t realize what a massive difference a quality backpack that was properly adjusted would have made on his shoulders and his back. So here are some tips for how to make your 35-lb pack feel much lighter.
HL scoping out the path before us
Keep in mind that most of this applies to adventure backpacks for hiking or backpacking. Your everyday carry work or school bag may not have a lot of these features. If you need a refresher on all the terminology around the straps, check out our definitive guide on backpack anatomy.