Newbie with a Fit Question

[chwebb03]

New to the backpack world. I recently bought a Mystery Ranch Beartooth and went on a 3 mile hike with 50 lbs in it. Now I am NOT use to carrying a pack with weight. From the beginning I had some fatigue on my hips and continuously had to kinda readjust the bag to sit kinda above my hips to ease the weight being put on them. I did adjust load lifters and do realize the sand bag i had in the bag eventually slid low in the bag. My question is does this sound like a fit problem or am i just a lightweight and this comes with being new to carrying weight? I went by their measurements on their site and the pack seems to fit my profile good. Just looking for some insight. I carried a I think sea to summit pack with around 30 to 40 in the spring for 2 days and had kinda similar feel. Thought it would be different with beefier pack. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[RockChucker30]

Pack pulling you backwards = load too low. 70-80% of weight needs to be mid back to shoulder level.

Hip pain, shoulder pain, bruising, etc, is usually caused by hipbelt slip. This can be a fit issue, or can mean the pack design doesn't work that well for your body type.

Sore muscles are good. Sore means you got a good workout. Pain is bad. Pain means something is wrong.

 

[NWRoger]

@RockChucker30 advice is spot on. In addition, if your running with just a sandbag it’s difficult to keep it in the sweet spot without putting something lightweight but bulking under it. So, throw your sleep system or something in there as well. I have the beartooth, and use the mule for day hikes, they are both amazing. It’s better to put that sandbag in a dry bag and place it in the load shelf between your frame and bag. You’ll have more strap down options than in your bag.


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[Rob5589]

Keep most weight in the upper 2/3 of the pack. Belt needs to sit and remain on your hip bones. Your pelvis should support the majority of the weight. Exo has great videos showing how to properly fit your pack.

 

[mlgc20]

The first couple of times I use a new pack, I find myself doing a lot of adjustments. Every pack is a little different. And it takes some trial and error to get dialed in. Especially if you’re new to backpacking, keep at it. Mystery Ranch makes great packs. I’m sure you can get it figured out. Also, if you haven’t tried trekking poles, I would suggest checking them out. They are a game changer with any load over about 15 pounds. And can even be useful when hiking without a pack, depending on the terrain.