How to Measure Your Torso for Backpack Fitting?

While you are on a tour, your trip can be prolonged and challenging, and you may want to make your journey as comfortable as possible. To experience a peaceful and enjoyable trip with a happy back, all you need is a backpack that fits you perfectly and can be adjusted properly. Before getting a new backpack, you need to measure your body properly in order to find the right size of a backpack. And for this purpose, you should know how to measure your torso for backpack fitting.

How to Measure Your Torso for Backpack Fitting

In contrast to the common thought, finding the right size of the best lightweight backpack for hiking has no relation to your height, but all that matters is the length of your torso. Torso length is measured, starting from your shoulders and ending to the top of your hip bones. In order to find your exact torso measurement, get a help from your friend to measure you with the following steps:

To find your 7th cervical vertebra or C7, lean your head in forwarding direction. Get your friend find the base of your neck for a bony bump, the one that points far away from your spine. It is found where your shoulder slope meets your neck.

Starting from that spot let your friend start measuring down along your spine, using a flexible measuring tape.

Now you have to notice your iliac crest. Move your fingers down, along the sides of your rib cage till you reach the first tough spot, this solid thing is your hip bone. Keep your hands-on top with thumbs facing behind you. This iliac crest serves as the “shelf” of your pelvic girdle.

Draw an imagined line along your thumbs to the central point where they joined in the middle. Now, let your friend measure to the point where it meets with your spine, while still holding the top of the tape on your C7. As you are done with measuring the distance from your C7 to your iliac crest, the measurement you got is your torso length.

Compare this measurement to the information you will get in the next section, in order to find the right backpack frame size.

Choosing the Correct Frame Size

When you come to know your torso length, the next step is to find the right backpack frame size and it is no problem at all. Though the sizes may have a little difference, you can use the given frame size guidelines or otherwise, stick to those stated by the manufacturer. Note that each frame size is adjustable to fit a somewhat larger or smaller torso size.

Extra Small: Up to 15-1/2 (upto 39 cm) inches tall

Small: 16 – 17 1/2 inches (40 – 45 cm) tall

Medium/Regular: 18 – 19 1/2 inches (46 – 50 cm) tall

Large/Tall: 20 inches (51 cm ) and up

Knowing the Hip Size

There are several backpacks that come with the feature of interchangeable hip belts. It this is the case with you, it’s a good idea to determine your hip size.

Wrap a flexible measuring tape around your “latitude line,” (the top of your hips), where you can feel your iliac crest. A hip belt when fitted properly should straddle your iliac crest, while sitting an inch above and below your “latitude line.” This measurement is your hip size.

Small: 22 – 27 inch (56 – 69 cm) hip-line

Medium: 28 – 34 inch (70 – 87 cm) hip-line

Large: 35 – 39 inch (88 – 100 cm) hip-line

Extra Large: 40 – 45 inch (101 – 114 cm) hip-line

In this article, you have learned how to measure your torso for backpack fitting and how to choose the correct frame size. Following the methods mentioned above will assist you in choosing the right kind of backpack for you.