With a trekking or touring rucksack, adjusting the carrying system to fit your back length is crucial for comfort. The hip belt must be positioned centrally over the hip bones; this allows the system to transfer part of the load to the hips, relieving pressure on the shoulders and spine. The shoulder straps should fit snugly around the shoulders, and the load-control straps should start at about the level of the collarbone and run upward at an angle of 30 to 50 degrees.
For the best possible fit, you should choose a trekking or touring rucksack in advance that is roughly the right size for your back length. We explain in detail here how to determine your back length and have also listed which Tatonka backpack is suitable for which back length..
Tatonka trekking rucksacks feature a ladder system for adjusting the height of the shoulder straps. This “ladder” consists of a series of slots arranged one below the other. For a short back, thread the tabs in the middle of the shoulder straps through the bottom of the ladder; for a long back, thread them through the top, and there are corresponding intermediate positions.
Since you’ll be carrying quite a bit of weight in a trekking rucksack, it’s very important that it fits you well. In addition to the proper adjustment, the type and shape of the back padding also play a role. That’s why you should always try on a trekking backpack, preferably with some weight in it. Only then will you notice if it’s rubbing or digging into you anywhere.
And finally: Take everything you need, but don’t overdo it. You have to carry everything you pack in the backpack.
Tatonka hiking rucksacks also feature an adjustable carrying system. With the Frame Comfort Light system, the height of the shoulder straps can be adjusted continuously. The shoulder straps are positioned in height via a wide, internal hook-and-loop surface on the back, allowing you to adjust the distance to the hip belt according to your own back length.
Hiking backpacks are technical rucksacks designed for athletic activities. When hiking, you’re often moving through challenging terrain. It is therefore important that the hiking backpack does not move back and forth on your back (this is called “load transfer”). Therefore, follow these adjustment guidelines:
For your information: Unlike trekking or touring rucksacks, hiking backpacks do not carry enough weight to require transferring part of the load from the spine to the hips. The relatively small size of these backpacks technically offers only limited possibilities for this anyway. In other words, the backpack is often too short for the hip fins to sit centered on the hips. The weight is primarily transferred to the body via the shoulder straps. The “hip belt”—present on nearly all models, with varying degrees of padding—therefore functions in most cases merely as a securing strap to reduce load-shifting reactions, rather than as part of the load-transferring system.
You can also adjust your daypack for everyday use to improve comfort and prevent muscle tension, shoulder pain, and back problems. At the very least, once you’ve fully loaded your daypack, it makes a difference whether you tighten the shoulder straps or not, because doing so changes the position of the backpack: You bring it closer to your back, and it can no longer move much from side to side. For greater comfort, follow these steps:
