Alloy bars in backpack

[DanShell]

Hi there
We are total newbies at a lot to do with hiking so firstly sorry if this is a stupid question but we would like some advice about our backpacks.

We just bought ourselves some backpacks so we can do our first overnight trip I bought an old second hand Jackaroo pack and my wife just bought a Denali pack, both around 65ltr and both similar in design although my old pack appears to be more of a canvas material than my wifes.

Anyway, they both have alloy bars in them and a quick search on google suggests we should shape those bars to the contour of our backs, however the Anaconda guy said they are fine as they are. So do we shape them to suit our backs or leave them?

My second hand pack had the alloy bars bent in a weird shape that doesnt suit my size at all, but the point being someone had bent them.

My wifes new packs alloy bars are straight or curved opposite her back shape so this leaves a huge air gap between the pack and her back and she feels as though there is a pressure point at the base of her back. So to me that suggests they should be bent to suit her back?

Thanks for any help.

[corvus]

G'day Dan,
I am no expert at fitting packs just an owner of many and the alloy frame should be arched away from your back ,this helps air flow to reduce build up of sweat so no do not bend them into your back
corvus

[Moondog55]

Funny thing Corvus is that I would have said the opposite, to get the load closer to your back for better balance.
Try it DanShell, it is usually just soft tempered alloy and as cheap as chips to replace if it breaks through to much bending

[corvus]

Funny thing Corvus is that I would have said the opposite, to get the load closer to your back for better balance.
Try it DanShell, it is usually just soft tempered alloy and as cheap as chips to replace if it breaks through to much bending

Moondog 55 ,
Like many things I am no expert however in engineering (say like a bridge ) you arch the load out not in to gain strength
Pack wise a really good hip belt is what is important as that should carry the weight and shoulder straps are to keep the pack on this not to carry the weight I believe
corvus

[ryantmalone]

Hi there
We are total newbies at a lot to do with hiking so firstly sorry if this is a stupid question but we would like some advice about our backpacks.

We just bought ourselves some backpacks so we can do our first overnight trip I bought an old second hand Jackaroo pack and my wife just bought a Denali pack, both around 65ltr and both similar in design although my old pack appears to be more of a canvas material than my wifes.

Anyway, they both have alloy bars in them and a quick search on google suggests we should shape those bars to the contour of our backs, however the Anaconda guy said they are fine as they are. So do we shape them to suit our backs or leave them?

My second hand pack had the alloy bars bent in a weird shape that doesnt suit my size at all, but the point being someone had bent them.

My wifes new packs alloy bars are straight or curved opposite her back shape so this leaves a huge air gap between the pack and her back and she feels as though there is a pressure point at the base of her back. So to me that suggests they should be bent to suit her back?

Thanks for any help.

I've worn a few packs that use the alloy bars, and have never had to fiddle with them, nor bend them or anything.

That's not to say that they were as comfortable as the Macpac Ascent that I use now.

That said... Anaconda employees are taught how to fit a pack, and generally shouldn't sell a pack unless it fits well. I say this being an ex employee of Anaconda.

If the pack places the weight directly on your shoulders, and is not able to evenly distribute that weight between your shoulders and your hips (with correct adjustment of course), then do yourself a favor and return the pack, and get fitted correctly. Using an incorrectly fitted pack is terribly bad news.

[Franco]

So you thought it was a silly question..

a couple of how to from the Net :
To determine the pack frame size, measure down the spine from the C7 vertebrae to a line horizontal with the iliac or hip crest.
Once the frame size has been determined, the aluminum stay(s) should be bent to match the contours of your back.
Remove the stays from their sleeve(s) on the frame sheet.
Carefully bend the stays to match the contours of your back from your hip to shoulder blades (it is this contour that a pack must be shaped to, not the contour of your spine).
For packs with dual stays, make sure both stays have the identical shape, and carefully replace the stays in their sleeves.
And :
Packs that have aluminum stays are shaped to fit the majority of hikers--most of us won’t have to bend them at all. Put the (loaded) pack on and turn sideways in a mirror: does the shape of the pack follow your spine? If you see some gaps or feel some weird pressure points, you can do a little re-shaping (assuming your pack has flat aluminum stays). First, make note of the section that you want to adjust. Then remove the stays and make a tracing of them in their original shape. This is in case you go overboard and need to revert to ground zero.

To bend the stays, I just place them over my knee and pull gently on each end. Go slow and make incremental changes, trying it on for size each time. For the most part there are two places to focus on: the top of the stays and the lumbar area. If your pack doesn’t offer enough head clearance room, you can bend the tops of the stays away from your body, creating a cavity that lets you ogle freely. If you feel like your pack needs a little more lumbar support, you can increase the inward curvature at the bottom of the stay, to bring the pack in closer contact with your back. Again just be sure to go slowly, check your progress often, and make sure you bend each stay identically.

[DanShell]

Thanks for taking the time to reply gents, just like googling I am getting conflicting views on the subject here as well, which is fine as it gives us all points to consider.

I just spent the last hour or so bending mine to suit the shape of my back and my initial thoughts is that it feels fantastic. I am happy that there is still sufficient breathing space so ill see how it goes. We are going to try and do a short walk tomorrow with our new packs to try and iron out any fitting issues before we do our first overnighter.

I do admit though that it will be difficult to report if bending mine is in fact the way to go because I have nothing to compare it too!

[Strider]

Are you testing it post-bending with a full load in the pack? All packs are comfortable when they are empty..

[DanShell]

Are you testing it post-bending with a full load in the pack? All packs are comfortable when they are empty..

Yes it is fully loaded.