The day I realized I was packing my pack completely backwards for years

I was six miles into the Smokies on the Laurel Falls trail last spring when my lower back started screaming. I stopped to adjust my hip belt for the tenth time and a guy in his 60s just came up and asked if he could look at my setup. He pointed out I had all my heavy gear like my tent and cook kit crammed at the very bottom of my pack instead of up near my shoulders. I had been hiking with the weight hanging off me wrong for like four years and never knew. Anyone else have a random stranger totally change how you do something basic?

3 comments

3 Comments

piper91215d ago

Totally backwards" is the story of my life, I did the same thing with my tent for years.

danielb4315d ago

Yeah "totally backwards" really does sum it up sometimes. I once spent an hour trying to snap tent poles together before realizing I had the whole sleeve turned inside out. Felt like a fool standing there in the rain.

martin.paige5d ago

DONE that more times than I care to admit. Rain makes everything ten times harder too.