Women’s Packs vs Men’s/Unisex Packs

[Kari Post]

The pack I currently use is an Osprey Talon 44 and I find it to be very comfortable. I have an unused Osprey Ariel 55 that I ordered online and never took the tags off of. After trying it on I just don't think this pack is for me. I find the top attachment points of the shoulder to be much too narrow and uncomfortable.

I tried on my friend's Gregory Deva 60 yesterday and found the same thing. It was very comfortable, with the placement of the shoulder straps being just a bit on the narrow side. I could easily use that pack, but it I had to design my own, the shoulder straps would be a bit wider in terms of how they rest on my body.

My question is, what are the main differences between men's and women's packs? Are most women's packs made smaller in the shoulder, or are there other differences? I am wondering if I would be better off looking at men's packs instead in the future.

[EndoftheTrail]

The differences are mainly in the shoulder straps (narrower and contoured differently) and hip belt.

[Rakesh Malik]

Dan McHale has some info about that here:
http://mchalepacks.com/packs/detail/measure.htm

I thought there was a section on his site about the differences between packs for men and packs for women, but either I'm mistaken or I just overlooked it. (Not a great web site, but the packs are amazing. If you want a pack that WILL fit you, talk to Dan. Just be ready for a bit of sticker shock.)

[Brad Groves]

First thing, it depends on whether or not the torso size fits you. Secondly, it depends on whether or not you have the appropriate harness on the appropriate torso length for you. Both the Ariel & Deva are fully customizable packs; if you need a short torso and a large harness, any decent shop can make that happen for you.

Back in the day, we just sold packs. As an example, say a Dana Terraplane. If a woman bought the pack, we'd put on a woman's belt and harness. If a man bought it, we'd put on a men's belt and harness. Some gender-specific packs on the market are really still the same as the old days, but just ship w/the different components already on, and perhaps a different-colored packbag.

Many companies do now make women's-specific packs in different torso lengths than the men's version. Some women's packs are built on narrower frames, but not all.

I note that your avatar photo is in a pool. If you're a competitive swimmer, it would make sense that you have broader shoulders than many other women. That doesn't necessarily mean you should look for a men's pack… the most important thing is getting the right torso length!! Just know that you might need to swap out harnesses, etc. Also worth noting here is that the Gregory Jade 60, which is just shy of 1/2 the weight of the Deva 60 (same-volume packs), the Jade does not have interchangeable components. That's fine for most, but if you do have a swimmer's build, you'll probably be better off in a custom fit.

[Brad Groves]

One other thing I forgot to mention as part of trouble-shooting: If the pack straps feel too narrow around your neck, there's a very good possibility that you're fitting the packs with a torso that is too long for you. Too-long torso length in a pack will result in the curvature of the pack straps being placed wrong… basically, they're too far forward on you, and the neck curve, as it were, is too far forward. Not sure that's your problem, but another very good possibility at least…

[Author]

Posts