Measuring back length

To ensure that your trekking or touring backpack distributes the weight evenly and transfers some of the load to your pelvis, it should fit your size—more specifically, your back length. We’ll show you how to measure your back length, and you can use our chart to see which Tatonka backpacks are best suited to your back length.

Step by step – here’s how to do it

1. Find a partner who can take the measurement with a tape measure.
2. Use your hands to feel for your iliac crest—the upper tip of the hip bone—on both the right and left sides.
3. Ask your partner to imagine drawing a horizontal line on your back between your hands and to mark the lower measurement point on your spine, for example with a finger.
4. Bend your head forward and feel for the 7th cervical vertebra. It protrudes as a small bump. This forms the upper measurement point.
5. Your measurement partner will now measure the distance between the upper and lower points.

In the table below, you can see which Tatonka backpacks are right for you. The measurements are approximate guidelines. In our guide, you’ll also find an article on how to adjust your trekking or touring backpack to fit your back length perfectly.