How much is too much for a backpack?

Parents are often surprised at how much their child's backpack actually weighs. As a general rule, to prevent injury, a full backpack should weigh no more than 10 to 20 percent of your child's body weight. How a student wears a backpack is often just as important as its overall weight.



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If you are a rookie backpacker looking to test the waters, aim for $100 or less for your first hiking backpack. At this price point, you can find a pack that offers enough to gage your interest. And if you are an experienced backpacker, plan to spend north of $200 for a pack that suits your needs.

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A loaded backpacking pack should not weigh more than about 20 percent of your body weight. (If you weigh 150 pounds, your pack should not exceed 30 pounds for backpacking.) A loaded day hiking pack should not weigh more than about 10 percent of your body weight.

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Regular backpackers have packs that weigh about 30 lbs. They're generally newcomers to the hiking hobby, and they have a tendency to overpack. If you're a newcomer going backpacking for the first time, it's a good idea to never exceed 40 lbs and go with an experienced friend or a group of hikers.

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Doctors recommend that backpack weight should be between 10-15 percent of a person's total body weight. If a 90-pound sixth grader carried 15 percent of their weight, the backpack should be no more than 13 pounds. An average for a 135-pound adult would be about 20 pounds.

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This is perfectly fine for weekend trips or a few miles of hiking to a nearby campsite. However, base weights that exceed twenty or thirty pounds does not work well for long distance hiking. The typical conventional backpacker has a base weight around 25 to 30 pounds.

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A few skeptical cohorts may question your decision to do now what they dream of doing after retirement, but don't let them discourage you. No midlife crisis is necessary to enjoy backpacking in your 40s. In fact, a year on the road is probably cheaper than a Harley or a red convertible.

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Using a heavy bag actually causes children to have back problems, such as spinal misalignments, because it pulls bones, ligaments, and muscles downward. The misalignments can cause pain, fatigue, and other side effects. They can cause long-term pain and side effects if not addressed properly.

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By putting a heavy weight on your shoulders in the wrong way, the weight's force can pull you backward. So people who carry heavy backpacks sometimes lean forward. Because of the heavy weight and this unnatural position, they can develop shoulder, neck, and back pain.

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When you travel in your twenties, you burst the bubble that you've been living in for the first two decades of your life and realise that there's more to life than what you know. You find out that your place in the world is ever so small and with that comes an overwhelming, calming sense of humility.

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Is 60 too old to backpack? It helps you maintain your health, enjoy nature, see some great scenery, and enjoy some sunshine. If you're worried about being “too old” to hike, don't. Many people enjoy hiking well into their 60s, 70s, and even 80s.

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Over 75, you may not travel the way you used to. And that's all right. It's also OK to have your later-in-life trips be about you and what you enjoy now. What's vital is that you get what you want from travel, whether keynote experiences or time with family, without undermining your health and well-being.

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No matter how well-designed the backpack, less weight is always better. Use the bathroom scale to check that a pack isn't over 10% to 20% of your body weight (for example, if you weigh 120 pounds you shouldn't carry a backpack that weighs more than 12 to 24 pounds).

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