 Product Selection
School Packs
There has been much discussion about school packs and the damage inflicted on students in carrying excessive weight. The main consideration here is the design of the daypack, the positioning of a well-designed daypack, and
customisation of a fully functional harness system on the individual. The designers at White Mountain™ tend to disagree with some of the statements made on school daypack construction, and this is what we recommend.
An example of a well designed a daypack harness system is the White Mountain™ AFS (Airflow System) Harness System used on all White Mountain Premium Performance Daypacks.
The features of this high functioning White Mountain™ AFS Harness System includes the following:
- A Frame Sheet inserted into the back of the daypack made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a flexible but strong plastic to protect the back from objects within the daypack.
- A vertically centred single Internal Stave covered in 50 mm webbing and stitched to the HDPE frame sheet on the opposite side to the back. The HDPE frame sheet not only protects the back, but also in bending the entire HDPE frame sheet, we can contour the backpack
to the individual back.
- Longer than usual Shoulder Straps enable the backpack to sit comfortably on the lower back.
- Correctly contoured Shoulder Straps by design, clear the neck, come in at the chest, and then move away from the body for a comfortable male or female fitting.
- An elasticised and adjustable Sternum Strap positioned to distribute some of the weight across the chest and position the Shoulder Straps away from the shoulder joint.
- A padded Hip Belt with a dual adjustable 50 mm side release buckle, 50 mm webbing and Lower Load Stabilizer Straps. A padded Hip Belt and Lower Load Stabilizer Straps enables the individual to draw up to 80% of the load into the lower back, without backpack sway.
The 50 mm webbing and the dual adjustable 50 mm side release buckle, make it an easy exercise to tighten the hip belt fully.
Worn correctly, a well-designed daypack with a fully functional harness system will function correctly in protecting the back. That means not leaving the Waist Belt, Hip Belt, or Sternum Strap hanging, and not wearing the daypack resting on the bum, hanging from one shoulder,
or strung over neck and shoulder. Positioning a daypack in this way puts excessive pressure on the shoulders, neck and lower back, and quickly leads to severe lower back, neck and shoulder problems. A standard daypack worn high on the back between the shoulders with a waist
belt attached alleviates a lot of pressure on the lower back, provided the weight is not excessive. For heavier daypacks, a fully functional Internal Frame Harness System like the White Mountain AFS Harness System is essential.
To wear a fully functional well-designed daypack correctly:
- Contour the Internal Staves or HDPE Frame Sheet to the individual back, place the Hip Belt across or just below the hipbone or Iliac Crest and secure the Sternum Strap.
- Place the Hip Belt at the point where an individual would position a trouser belt, just below the hipbone or Iliac Crest. Positioning the Hip Belt in this way will prevent soft tissue damage above the hipbone and prevent excess pressure on the stomach.
- NOTE: A Waist Belt is NOT an Adequate Substitute for a Padded Hip Belt.
- Position the Sternum Strap across the centre of the chest, then loosen the Shoulder Straps just enough to allow a weight transfer to the Sternum Strap, and lower back. Make sure that the backpack is still positioned against the back of the shoulders.
For all backpacks, we would recommend that the maximum weight, even with a well-designed backpack with a fully functional harness system, should not exceed these recommendations:
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