Re: G4 Operator Pack
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: brasscow</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My eberlestock packs were a major let down. The fit was unsatisfactory (not long enough). My kifaru on the other hand is actually more comfortable to wear than wearing nothing at all. It really is incredible. </div></div>
Sorry to hear your experience. Eberlestock designs their packs to ride a little higher (at the waist belt) than many other packs on the market. As far as fitting your pack to you, do the following. Stand up, and feel your hip bone. You're looking for the iliac crest which is the part of the bone that sticks out like a tip (if that doesn't make sense, google "iliac crest" and look a pic). Your goal is to have the TOP of the hip belt be at the same level as your iliac crest. To most people who haven't been shown how to wear a pack correctly, this will feel like the belt is too high, but it's not. Once that's done, complete these next steps EVERY TIME you put on your pack.
(1) Loosen all the straps that are used for fitting the pack to you (ie, hip belt, shoulder straps, load lifters (the ones that connect the top of the shoulder strap to the top of the pack itself) and sternum strap).
(2) Put pack on.
(3) Buckle and tighten the hip belt.
(4) Tighten the shoulder straps. Do this by first pulling the straps straight down towards your feet and then pull them back towards and past the pockets of your pants.
(5) Tighten the load lifters. They don't need to be very tight. Their purpose is to take just a little more weight off of the shoulders. When hiking on flat terrain, it is better to have them a little more loose. When you are hiking up and or down, tightening the load lifters will take away some side-to-side sway and make this portion of the hike a little easier.
(6) Buckle and tighten the sternum strap. The goal here is to bring the shoulder straps inward just a bit to allow for more arm mobility and comfort.
(7) Release just a little bit of tension on the shoulder straps. This will help settle the load onto your hips.
It would probably be better to do this with weight in the pack so you can actually feel what each adjustment does.
Hope this helps. If you have other questions just ask.
note: some of the verbage above comes from a former backpack fitter for a large hunting/shooting outfitter. His post came from longrangehunting.com. I used it as his words better describe what I could type out here.
