Don’t underestimate the weight you might carry and choose a sac with padded hipbelt for added support and comfort.

Select a pac with comfortablynshaped shoulder straps to ensure the sac doesn’t rub your skin or sit heavy on your joints.

Try and buy a pack that is large enough to carry all the things you need without being too big.

Before You Set Out

One of the most important things to remember is to pack your sac correctly so it is comfortable to carry.

Use the side and top pockets for items you need to access quickly – pens, purse, mobile phone etc.

Keep your jacket or fleece in a handy place. One good tip is to pack bulky items inside your jacket so that you don’t get a lump in your back.

Avoid packing folders and books against your back – sharp corners can be painful.

Use key clips (where provided) for storing you house/car keys.

Putting Your Pack On

First thing to do is to ensure the lid straps and compression straps (if there are any) are cinched in tightly. This will prevent the pac moving around too much and stop the lid floating and banging your head.

Always loosen the shoulder straps so you don’t have to over reach to put the pack on.When the pac is on tighten up the shoulder straps to pull the pac into your back.

Then ensure the hipbelt (if there is one) is positioned onto the top of the hips. This keeps the weight over your centre of gravity and the strongest part of your body.

An easy way to check that you’ve got the hipbelt in the right position is to loosen the shoulder straps – this should make no difference to how the weight feels.

If ther is a chest strap on your pacv this should sit just above the bust areaon girls/women to avoid discomfort.