As temperatures plummet here in Australia, tens of thousands of eager travellers head for the warmth of the northern hemisphere. To places like the UK, where warmth means you only need to wear a light jumper, USA, Europe, and Asia.<\/p>\n
Many of these travellers will be young, bright-eyed, and bushy-tailed,\u00a0and will forgo the expensive hotel route, and will don a backpack and make their way on a shoestring.<\/p>\n
For the self-guided in particular, here are a few tips to get the most out of your backpacking trip:<\/p>\n
A properly fitted backpack will ensure you’re comfortable throughout your trip and you don’t injure yourself so that you can have an enjoyable time. In the video below, Lisa, our resident travel expert, shows how easy it is to get your pack fitted just right. Here are a few things to remember:<\/p>\n
Most travel packs have an adjustable harness that allows you to lengthen or shorten the harness depending on the size of your torso. If your harness has a measuring guide, like with the Black Wolf Cedar Breaks<\/a><\/strong><\/span>, take note of your measurement so, if you lend your pack to somebody, it’s easy to adjust back to your size.<\/p>\n If your travel pack\u00a0has a detachable day pack when the pack is on your back make sure it’s clipped off. It’ll make you too top-heavy and is likely to whack somebody in the face if you turn around abruptly. Instead, carry the day pack by the top handle or clip it onto the front of your harness – by the shoulder straps.<\/p>\n A well-balanced pack will allow your harness to do what it’s meant to, and that is to distribute 80% of the weight to the strongest part of the body – your\u00a0hips. The last thing you want is for your pack to be hanging off your shoulders – this will be uncomfortable over time and may lead to an injury, or lots of cussing! By placing heavy gear in the middle of your pack you prevent it from being top or bottom-heavy.<\/p>\nDon’t leave the day pack attached<\/h2>\n
Pack heavy stuff in the middle of the pack<\/h2>\n