Back Problems From Backpacks

...and How to Avoid Them

What's the trick to avoiding back problems from back packs?

It's possible to get some nasty back problems from backpacks if you are careless with them or if you don't know what you're doing.

It takes a fair amount of camping equipment to be comfortable on a camp, and that can add up to a whole lot of weight when carrying all your camping gear on your back.

I remember as a young Boy Scout on my first camp that I could hardly stand up with all the camping gear in my rucksack. Sleeping bag, rubberized ground sheet, Gilwell cook kit, toilet kit, sewing kit etc. And I wasn't even carrying a tent.

But I soon got used to it, and we would often walk 20 miles or more in one day. Nowadays, it's maybe half that.

A common problem is wearing a badly-adjusted backpack. That will give you some painful back problems from backpacks, I can tell you.

It's okay for the car campers. They just throw it all in the back of the auto and drive to where they're going. It's the hikers foot-slogging away who'll feel the discomfort after the first hour.

You need to have a backpack which adjusts properly, so it can fit you well and distribute the weight in the right places.

There are two main schools of thought here... The old fashioned European frame 'rucsac' or rucksack usually had a steel frame, with leather padding. It allowed the sweat to evaporate from off your back, while it placed the pack's weight on your hips and waist area.

Then US-designed, tall-framed backpacks came along later and put the center of gravity much higher up. That way, you could stand up much more erect when walking. You didn't have to stoop.

There are also backpacks with internal frames, and frame less back packs with no frame structure at all. I don't recommend frame less packs if you're going to be toting a heavy load - more than 20 pounds - but they're fine for carrying some sandwiches and a bottle of water or soda. Nothing more.

As long as your pack is adjusted well, with the weight in the right places, you shouldn't expect to get any back problems from whatever kind of backpack system you select. But if your pack is badly adjusted, you'll get quite strained after walking a few long miles.

It's much worse if there's something hard or pointy digging into your back. That will make every step of your nature walk into plain torture... So make sure the side of the pack towards your back is well-padded with soft things like clothing, a towel or your sleeping bag.

It's far better to pack everything carefully in the first place, that to have to call a halt in the middle of a group hike. Do that, and you'll have all your walking companions waiting around impatiently while you fix what you should have gotten right in the first place!

Lastly, if you'll be walking along a road or somewhere where shrubs and bushes can't snag your camping gear, then you can get away with all kinds of gadgets strapped on the outside of your backpack. But it's much tidier and safer to stash everything inside, where nothing can catch on anything you might brush up against.

And the most important thing to remember when hiking with a rucksack or backpack is to keep your load as light as you can. That's the best way of all to avoid any back problems from backpacks.