Backpacks

[Sue Kenney]

Agree with all your comments. I would seriously consider is the weight you carry in the backback. It was
recommended to me that I should keep the weight at 11 kgs so I diligently controlled what I was bringing
with me to keep under this weight recommendation. However, I think this guideline may have been
recommended for the average man. I am a fairly strong women, I row/scull competitively and train
regularily. I found the weight a burden and therefore left many things at refugios along the way.

As I believe everyday is perfect as it is, this obsticle just gave me the opportunity to leave some
gifts behind in gratitude for the shelter at the refugios. Someone is enjoying my binoculars, clothes,
other stuff  and books including my Spanish/English dictionary!

Sue

Russ Irwin wrote:

> On Sat, 16 Feb 2002 11:54:11 EST, Jen wrote:
>
> >Questions:  What size bag did you use and would you have gone smaller or
> >larger?  Some were specifically designed for women, can any female pilgrims
> >share information on selecting a bag?
>
> Which backpack you select will be the most important thing you do other than your hiking
> shoes/boots. While the weight of the backpack is important, what is more important is to get one
> that fits you *right*. What is right? From personal experience on the Camino, I would say that that
> means one that carries the weight on your "hips" rather than on your shoulders. I was *too* weight
> conscious and bought a backpack that weighed 2lbs 7oz. It was supposed to be adjustable to keep the
> weight on my hips, but experience proved otherwise. The belt around the hips was kind of a web type
> design (to keep the weight down), and no matter how much I tightened it, it would slide down and
> transfer most of the load to my shoulders and the top of my spine. After two weeks of walking with
> this I developed a flaring and burning pain at the top of my back that finally wouldn't even go away
> when I took the backpack off.
>
> In hindsight I now realize that a backpack with a good thick and sturdy waist belt, even if it
> weighed an extra pound or two, not only would have prevented this, but I wouldn't even have noticed
> the extra weight. Try on the backpack in the store with the approximate weight you plan on carrying
> and walk around as much as you can with it. Jump up and down with it too. After you've done that,
> you should still be able to insert your thumbs between the top straps and your shoulders with almost
> no resistance. Like I said, this is all in hindsight [sigh].
>
> Russ