Product Selection
Selection FAQ's
The Backpack Dealer or Retailer
SL1 What should the salesperson advise?
- The type of backpack required for your purpose.
- The size and capacity of the backpack.
- The difference in materials and features of available
products.
- Customisation, or fitting of the backpack
- Maintaining the contoured staves.
- Information on loading your backpack.
- Repositioning, or shifting the load.
- All the adjustments attributed to your backpack.
- The multiple positioning of the daypack on Travel Packs.
- Maintenance, cleaning, repairs and care of your
backpack.
- Guarantees, support availability and warranty
information.
- Optional available accessories and replacement parts.
The main details to consider are:
SL2 What type of backpack is required?
Visit our pages on the Types of
Backpacks
available.
Internal Frame or External Frame
SL3 What is the difference between
frameless and framed backpacks?
Frameless backpacks are:
- The least expensive.
- Lighter and less bulky.
- Too small for anything but the shortest trips.
- Unable to handle large heavy loads comfortably.
External frame backpacks are:
- Said to be easier to pack, extra exterior pockets make
packing easier.
- Cooler with the external frame keeping the backpack body
away from your back.
- Great load carriers on easy to moderate terrain and
designed mainly for hiking on open trails.
- Stated as placing more weight on the hips than internal
frame backpacks.
- Wider, heavier and bulkier than similarly sized internal
frame packs.
- When fully packed, have a relatively high centre of
gravity, making balancing difficult on rough trails, more
difficult terrain, or in activities like skiing or climbing.
Internal frame backpacks are:
- More expensive and consequently of better quality.
- Cool to wear, a well-designed and correctly fitted
internal backpack provides good back ventilation.
- Designed to fit your body snugly and hold your load in
close to your natural centre of gravity.
- More comfortable and better at distributing the weight
evenly to the lower back and hips than external frame
backpacks.
- More streamlined than externals, allowing for more
freedom of movement and easier passage through tight spaces.
- Easier to balance than external frame packs. When fitted
correctly, an internal feels more like you are wearing the
backpack and will perform better when off trail, skiing and
climbing.
- Require more experience to pack as these have fewer
pockets and load distribution is critical to backpack
performance.
- There is a definite trend towards internal backpacks
this is due to the improved functionality and better
performance of these backpacks.
Internal Frame backpacks when of good design and fitted
correctly will out perform external frame backpacks for comfort
and functionality. The main factor for purchasing an External
frame backpack over an Internal Frame would be price as External
frame backpacks are considerably less expensive. Although there
is some doubt that internal frames provide adequate back
ventilation, it is important to remember that good Internal
Frame backpacks are in contact only on the lower lumbar area and
on the upper shoulders.
SL4 Should an internal frame backpack be
personally and professionally fitted?
All internal frame backpacks should be personally and
professionally fitted, that includes having the staves contoured
to your back regardless of brand, with the salesperson giving
explicit instruction on the use of each adjustment. To contour
these staves to your back correctly these staves must be removed
from the backpack and not just simply bent in the backpack until
the staves are "roughly" the correct shape. Be wary of
salespeople stating that the frames will mould to your back in
time, as this is absolutely not true. If faced with this
statement, have the salesperson demonstrate removing and bending
the staves this should demonstrate the inaccuracy of the
statement "It will mould to your back in time". Be wary and
prevent back damage due to an ill-fitting backpack.
For further information please visit our pages on
Fitting Backpacks.
Panel Loading or Top Loading
SL5 What is the difference between Panel
loading and Top Loading?
Panel loading packs:
- Have a large opening making it easy to load and access
the contents.
- Have zippers that could potentially be damaged.
- May allow water to enter the backpack through zips and
extra stitching.
- Have #10 size zippers in main panel loading compartments
so the risk of failure is very small, and backs up the panel
zipper with a compression strap.
Top loading packs:
- Are fail-safe since they don’t reply on zippers.
- Are more water resistant with fewer zippers and less
stitching.
- Can be difficult to access, particularly when the gear
you want is at the bottom.
- In some cases can be extended upward allowing as much as
20 L of extended packing.
SL6What is Extended Loading?
Most top loading backpacks close with a drawstring and have
an extra extension that allows the pack to be overstuffed. All
backpacks with an extended loading facility provide a backpack
lid that can be extended to cover the top of the extended load.
These extendable backpack lids are usually secured to the
backpack with two or three extra adjustable webbing straps. An
example of when you might overstuff a pack is at the beginning
of a long trip when you have lots of food.
Backpack Size
SL7 What backpack size do I require?
Length:
This is most important when choosing a backpack and your
torso length determines this selection. There are as a rule five
lengths of backpack internal staves on the global market: White
Mountain use four of these available stave lengths and specify
each length to be as follows; Extra Small at 50 cm, Small at 55
cm, Medium at 60 cm and Large at 65 cm. Each of these lengths of
staves varies by brand at approximately +/- 2 cm. All credible
backpack manufacturers or wholesalers will supply the
recommended Torso Length for each size of backpack. Each
backpack Length can usually accommodate a +/-5 cm variance of
the optimum Torso Length. The length of backpack is therefore
determined by your Torso Length and narrows you choice of
backpack length considerably.
Read more about choosing the correct size for your
Torso Length.
Backpack Capacity
SL8 What capacity of travel, hike or
hybrid backpack is required?
The maximum capacity of backpack you are able to purchase and
fit correctly will depend on your body size or more specifically
your Torso length. The maximum length of backpack available for
your body size is determined by your
Torso Length, which then determines the total backpack
capacity. I would suggest purchasing the largest backpack
capacity available for your Torso Length, or the largest
backpack available for a particular purpose. The really good
thing about internal frame backpacks are the compression straps
provided when you don’t need all that extra space. suggest the
best guideline is the longest trip you would take while relying
on the backpack to carry all your supplies. This would depend on
type of equipment and individual requirements.
We can provide an approximate estimate as follows:
- Day Trips: under 40lt - 2,440 cu in.
- Overnight Trips: 45lt to 55lt - 2,750 cu in to 3,360 cu
in.
Overnight, Long Days, Climbing or Skiing backpack, where
there is little room for anything other than the very
essentials.
- Week End Trips: 55lt to 65lt - 3,360 cu in to 3,970 cu
in.
Overnight, 2 - 3 days, larger Skiing or Climbing backpack
allowing enough room for the basics, a tent, sleeping bag,
stove, food and essential clothing.
- Longer Trips: 65lt to 80lt - 3,660 cu in to 4,880 cu in.
4 - 7 days allowing for the additional food and clothing.
- Extended Longer Trips: 80lt to 95lt - 4,880 cu in to
5,800 cu in.
7 days or more.
Read more about the capacity available for each
Frame Length or Torso Length.
Backpack Loading
SL9 How do I load my backpack?
The sales person should advise on
loading your back pack, which includes details of shifting
the weight from the shoulders to the lower back, or from the
lower back to the shoulders. If your retailer is not able to
offer genuine advice and fit the backpack correctly while
demonstrating a clear understanding of backpack functionality,
SHOP ELSEWHERE! Most White Mountain™ retailers have had
intensive training in this area of expertise and will display a
certificate of accreditation. This certificate does not apply to
all staff, if not satisfied with the salesperson serving you,
ask for someone who is qualified!
When testing a weighted backpack you should have
approximately 10 kg to 15 kg of weight inside the backpack,
centred close to your body and between your shoulder blades. I
have known sales staff to load the sleeping bag compartment with
10 kg to 15 kg of weight, which would give the wearer a
completely incorrect assessment of their chosen backpack.
Durability
SL10 Is the backpack durable?
A good backpack will last for many years. Check for durable
materials, good straight well finished stitching, bar tacking in
high stress areas, doubled stitched seams and zippers, quality
zippers, quality buckles, reinforced shoulder strap and webbing
anchors or handles on travel packs. Ask about the reputation of
the manufacturer you’re considering.
Guarantee
SL11 What Guarantee should I expect with
a backpack purchase?
White Mountain™ provide an excellent guarantee. From the date
of purchase White Mountain™ products come with a Lifetime
Guarantee against material and manufacturing faults. As can be
expected damages caused by fair wear and tear, abuse or misuse
are not covered by this guarantee. Please note that this
Guarantee specifies the useful life of the pack.
Once you’ve answered the above questions and you begin to
look at and try on specific recommended backpacks the next
priorities are:
SL12 What do I look for after selecting a
backpack?
- After fitting is the harness system comfortable?
- Does it follow the contour of your body?
- Is the backpack of the correct length?
- Does the backpack feel comfortable on your back?
- Does it pinch, bind or restrict your freedom of
movement?
- Can you look up without hitting the backpack with your
head?
- Can you squat down without cutting off the circulation
to your legs
- Are all the organizational features you need available?
(Places to put the sleeping bag and foam mat, pockets for
often used items, daisy chains or other facilities to lash
things to the backpack, on a hike pack a extended loading
facility, compression straps to secure the load, a covered
harness, carry handles and shoulder strap for travel packs,
internal compression system for panel loading backpacks
etc.)
- Are the materials durable (fabric, zips, buckles and
webbing)?
White Mountain has done a great deal of research into frame
curvature for each of the four available frame lengths. All
backpacks come pre fitted and provided the backpack chosen is of
the correct length, it will be a near perfect contour to your
back.
If you require further information please
Contact White Mountain™ direct.
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