Product Selection
Choice of Backpack
The experience White Mountain™ has comes from using and then
selling backpacks for more than thirty years. For ten years the
White Mountain™ staff have been contracting to reputably, the
world’s largest backpack manufacturer on direct marketing, and
assisting in backpack design. Our staff have also travelled
Australia and New Zealand for several years instructing hundreds
of retail stores on backpack fitting and selling techniques.
The choice of backpack you make will ultimately depend on,
not only choosing the type of backpack required, but also on
further considerations. When making your choice of backpack, the
information I provide may help you better understand, not only
the type of backpack you require, but also the recommended Size,
Materials, Construction, Design, Brand, Price and other
considerations that are best suited to your purpose.
Each of these topics is a subject on it’s own and we will not
be able to cover all these topics in much detail. However, if
the information I provide poses as many questions as it does
answers, then this in itself may assist you greatly. Also, we
are unable to provide images of the details mentioned at this
time, so if you need clarification of any of the details I speak
of, please ask me during the time allocated to questions
With larger backpacks, I will also refer to Internal Frame
Backpacks, as External Frame Backpacks are no longer available
on the Australian market.
There has not been a backpack designed that will serve your
every need, but having an understanding of your primary use of
the backpack will narrow down your choice considerably. To begin
with we need to choose the type of backpack required and I would
like to first just briefly mention the features available in
each of these choices.
These backpack types are:
Hike Packs
Hike Packs load from the top and most have a storm collar to
effectively protect your gear from the weather. These top
loading Hike Packs often have an extendable Top Lid allowing for
extra storage.
Most Hike Packs have two compartments, an upper and lower
compartment with a choice of a zip or draw cord division. The
zip or draw cord division allows for separate packing, or can be
opened completely forming a single compartment backpack.
Most Hike Packs also have two or three compression straps on
either side and two Sleeping Bag Compression Straps on the lower
compartment. The Sleeping Bag Compression Straps are usually
long enough to accommodate the external attachment of a ground
mat or other items.
Hike Packs may also have a facility on the top lid for adding
further compression straps if required, and sometimes these
backpacks incorporate a Front Pocket, Daisy Chain Webbing, Tool
Loops, and Side Pockets in the design
Travel Packs
Travel Packs are designed with more features than hike packs
to facilitate the needs of the traveller.
These include a harness cover that you can conceal at the
base or top of the backpack when the backpack harness is in use,
side and top Suitcase Carry Handles, a Shoulder Sling, Internal
Organisers, and a Removable Daypack.
Travel Packs are also generally wider and deeper than hike
packs, open from the front of the backpack rather than the top,
and gear is stored in the same manner as a suitcase.
Hybrid Packs
Hybrid Packs are designed primarily with the traveller in
mind. The traveller who requires a larger capacity backpack,
with a blend of Travel and Hike Pack features that are necessary
to accommodate, comfortable, frequent, high capacity travelling.
Hybrid Packs are top and front loading combining the packing
attributes of a Travel Pack and Hiking Pack.
Hybrid Packs can have many similarities with Hike Packs such
as less depth and width than a Travel Pack and have an
extendable lid. This extended loading allows for a greater
capacity in volume than a Travel Pack of comparable length.
Hybrid Packs as with Travel Packs, usually provide a facility
to lock the backpack to prevent theft. Hybrid Packs can also
have a zipped division at the base of the storm collar for this
same purpose.
One major difference is that these Travel Packs and Hybrid
Packs have more stitching and zips than a dedicated Hiking Pack,
and in severe weather conditions this may provide less weather
protection for your gear.
Although convenient for the traveller, the extra features of
the Travel pack and Hybrid Pack add considerable weight, in some
cases as much as 30% to 40% more weight than the average Hike
Pack.
Other than these differences, most Travel Packs and Hybrid
Packs would have similar features to a Hike Pack, Dual
Compartments, Compression Straps, Daisy Chain Webbing, Tool
Loops, and a fully functional harness system.
Daypacks
There are Rectangular Daypacks, Teardrop Daypacks, Top Loading
Daypacks, and Front Loading Daypacks. Daypacks designed for
school or office use, the runner, skier, and cyclist. There are
Hydration Daypacks, Daypacks for day walks, overnight and three
day walks, Most daypacks have a padded back and a webbing waist
strap, and the choice of daypacks on the market today is almost
endless.
It is important to choose a daypack that can be positioned
correctly, and to choose a daypack that achieves the correct
position of Shoulder Straps away from the neckline and the
shoulder joint. It is also very important that the Daypack has
Shoulder Straps of the right length, to allow correct
positioning of the waist belt or padded hip belt, and to choose
a daypack that has a Sternum or Chest Strap.
There are also Daypacks suspended away from the back with a
mesh fabric for better back ventilation. Although these Daypacks
sometimes incorporate a frame and a hip belt, these are not the
best daypacks for carrying heavy weight. Placing the weight
close to you back puts less pressure on your back and prevents
backpack sway.
For maximum comfort whilst carrying heavy loads there are
Framed Daypacks that can be contoured to your back. These Framed
Daypacks either have a high density foam back coupled with two
Internal Staves, or have a High Density Polyethylene Sheet with
a single Internal Stave attached. For these Internal Frame
Daypacks to function correctly, we need the contoured Internal
staves and a fully padded hip belt to hold the daypack firmly in
place. These Internal Frame Daypacks must also incorporate
slightly longer Shoulder Straps to allow positioning on the
lower back and correct positioning of the hip belt, and a
Sternum Strap to place some of the weight on the chest.
Properly constructed Internal
Frame Daypacks are excellent in protecting the back particularly
with school children, provided we can convince them to wear the
backpack with the Hip Belt and Sternum Strap positioned and
tensioned correctly. Although, wearing the Daypack correctly is
often difficult to achieve with school children, as wearing a
backpack in this fashion is often seen as UNCOOL
As we are all aware, wearing a reasonably weighted Daypack or
Shoulder Bag over the one shoulder, or having the Daypack
sitting low on the backside ‘homey style’ will eventually cause
severe lower back and shoulder problems.
There are a number of further considerations in your choice
of backpack:
Size
Your first decision when choosing a backpack must be size, which
includes backpack length, and total capacity or volume. With
Larger Internal Frame Hike Packs and Travel Packs, there are
five standard backpack lengths available worldwide. The most
common choices of stave length, or frame length in Australia,
are small, medium, and large. Make certain that the backpack you
consider is available in your length or more correctly, your
Torso Length. This is an absolute necessity if you are to wear
the backpack correctly, and comfortably.
You will also discover that Capacity is almost always a
consequence of the backpack length. Quality manufacturers always
take into account the standard acceptable width and depth for
the average backpack. It would be rare to purchase a backpack of
a small length over 70 litres in capacity. The only exception as
mention earlier, is the extended loading Hike Pack or Hybrid
Backpack.
Materials
Materials include Canvas, Polyester Pack Cloth, Nylon Pack
Cloth, Ballistic Nylon, Rip Stop Nylon, and other Nylon based
products such as Cordura, and Kodra. The main thing to remember
here is that there are three core fabric types, and these are
Nylon, Canvas and Polyester. We would also include under
materials, Buckles, Webbing, Thread, Zippers, Foam, Backing
Sheets, and the Internal Staves of the backpack harness.
Construction includes the number of stiches to the inch and
whether the seams and zips are double stitched or single
stitched. Construction also includes the heat cutting of
synthetic materials where required to prevent fraying, the
waterproof binding of the seams, and bar-tacking or
cross-stitching for additional strength.
Design is the features and the finished product. Design would
include whether the backpack is an External Frame Backpack, an
Internal Frame Backpack, or without a frame.
Design would include the number of compartments and divisions
within the backpack, the placement of compression straps,
whether an extendable lid is incorporated, Internal Organizers,
Internal or External Pockets, a Water Reservoir Facility, Daisy
Chain Webbing, Tool Loops, Harness Covers, and Travel Pack Carry
Handles and Shoulder Slings etc. Design also includes the
Backpack Harness, and today harness design is about comfortably
wearing the backpack, not simply bearing the backpack. When
purchasing a backpack it is essential to choose a comfortable
fully functional harness system of the correct length.
Brand
When considering Brand, make sure the company of your choice has
a reputation for functionality and quality. Make certain the
product you purchase has a substantial guarantee on material and
manufacturing faults, and that the company has a customer
service department with a high level of support.
If not, consider BUYING ANOTHER BRAND!
Price
The old saying of "you get what you pay for" is not always
true, particularly in this day and age, and especially with
backpacks. It is true that more expensive backpacks generally
have better workmanship, better technology, better design, and
are constructed of higher quality materials. But, this does not
mean that expensive backpacks are the best backpacks. Paying
high prices for known brand names, exclusive in-store brands, or
local made products is not always your only option.
Other Considerations
Do some research before making your choice of backpack, talk
to people you know and trust for their recommendation? If you
have Internet access, visit online outdoor forums, or
manufacturers websites for information. If you do not have
Internet access, phone the backpack distributors, or
manufacturers and ask them about their product.
Finally, when visiting your retail store a good retail
salesperson should then be able to provide you with further
information that will assist you in deciding, which choice of
backpack is best suited for your purpose.
When making your final choice of Internal Frame Hike Pack,
Travel Pack or Daypack, make sure that each of the backpacks you
try on are of the correct length and FITTED CORRECTLY. The
fitting of all Internal Frame Backpacks must include removing
and contouring the Internal Staves and proper customisation of
the harness by the salesperson. Even the most expensive backpack
of the correct size, will not feel comfortable, nor perform well
if not customised to the individual. If the salesperson cannot,
or does not professionally customise your choice of backpack,
then I would consider SHOPPING ELSEWHERE.
Too often I have encountered people who aren't getting the
most out of their backpack. This is because of incorrect choice
of backpack, improper fit, improper use, wrong size (including
capacity and length of backpack), incorrect adjustments, and a
poorly designed harness system. Quite often, it is a good brand
of backpack with a harness NOT customised to the individual. It
is for this reason that many credible backpack manufacturers
place disclaimers on their products that state, ‘this backpack
will not perform correctly unless properly customised, or fitted
correctly.
It is up to you the customer to insist that the salesperson
fully customises your choice of backpack, and that the backpack
is comfortable before leaving the store. After all, it’s your
health, your back, and your own comfort that is at risk if your
chosen backpack is not fitted correctly.
Selling Techniques
There are generally two practiced methods in selling
backpacks. The most popular method is to have you try on a
number of backpacks while only adjusting Load Stabilizer Straps,
Shoulder Straps and the Hip Belt. I personally believe this is
extremely discourteous, and poor customer service. You have
taken a good deal of time in choosing your first choice of
backpack, it is a brand you prefer, it is in your preferred
materials, it has the features you are looking for, and most
importantly it is of the correct length for your back. Besides,
having your first choice of backpack correctly fitted, would
save time for you, the salesperson, and the retail
establishment. The preferred method is that the salesperson
offers two or three suitable choices after determining the type
and length of backpack required and your needs, thereby
narrowing your choice to a select few backpacks. You would then
have each of these choices of backpacks fully customised for you
before putting it on your back. During this process of fitting
the backpack, the purpose and positioning of all the adjustments
made to the harness system is demonstrated to you, this is of
course is always best done in front of a mirror. The salesperson
should then demonstrate the best method of loading, putting on,
and taking off your backpack. After having the backpack fully
customised, your new backpack is weighted and you can take a
walk around the store.
So, after deciding what type of backpack you require, how do
you choose a good quality backpack? The secret is usually in the
stitching, take any backpack you are considering, grasp the
backpack either side of any seam, and pull. If the seam gaps,
the material tears, or the stitching breaks, quietly put the
backpack down, then definitely purchase another brand. If the
manufacturer has used good thread, then most probably the
backpack is of good materials and construction.
After making your selection of type, size, and brand of
backpack, your choice of features available within that
selection is then entirely up to you.
In conclusion, if the Internal Frame Hiking Pack, Travel
Pack, or Daypack you have already is not properly customised,
return to your retail store and have your backpack fitted by
them. I have had many occasions where I have fitted backpacks
that have been in use for years, and were never originally
customised to the individual. If your retail store does not
provide that service, call and I will fit your backpack FREE!
Further, if you require more information about backpacks, you
most welcome to contact me at any time.
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