Measuring for pack fit

Measuring for Pack Fit

Equipment required: Friend (it's very difficult to accurately measure your own torso) Soft tape measure (the type that tailors use).

	Have your friend locate your vertebra prominens.  It's the knobby bone that protrudes from the base of your neck when looking down. This is the starting point for your torso measurement.
	Find your iliac crests.  These are the tops of your hip bones on either side.  With thumbs pointed horizontally towards you back, place your hands just under the iliac crests so that the palm of each hand fits into the shelf of your hipbones. The center of the imaginary horizontal line connecting your thumbs is the ending point for your torso measurement.
	Stand with head up and feet shoulder width apart.  Have your friend follow the contour of your back using a soft tape measure.  Measure the distance from the top of the vertebra prominens to the imaginary line connecting your thumbs. That's your torso length. In general: less than 18 inches is a small torso, 18 - 20 inches is a medium torso, and over 20 inches is a large torso.

The torso measurement procedures described above are adapted from Backpacker Magazine's annual Gear Guide issue.  The photographs are copyrighted by Backcountry Equipment  The photos may be used for non-commercial purposes if credit is attributed to Backcountry Equipment and a URL link or address is provided.