Labeled diagram
Parts of a hiking backpack
A framed backpacking pack is a bag hung on a harness, and almost every fit problem traces back to one part of that harness doing a job it was not built for: shoulder straps carrying weight, a hipbelt sitting above the hips, load lifters cranked tight.
The diagram shows a loaded pack from the side, worn, with the hiker's back on the right. Each numbered part below says what it does and links to its full glossary entry.
What are the parts of a hiking backpack?
A framed hiking backpack has a lid and extension collar on top, a harness of shoulder straps, load lifters and a sternum strap, and a padded hipbelt that carries most of the weight. Behind the pack body sit the internal frame and backpanel, and on it the compression straps and front stretch pocket that keep the load in place.
Lid
The padded flap over the top of the pack, which REI notes is sometimes called the brain. Its zipped pockets hold the small things you reach for often, like sunglasses and a headlamp, and a floating lid rides on adjustable straps so it can sit higher over a full load.
Extension collar
The fabric tube above the main compartment, closed with a drawcord under the lid. Rolled down it does nothing; pulled up it adds room for a big food carry or a bear canister.
Load lifters
Short straps from the top of the shoulder harness to an anchor near the top of the backpanel. REI says they should form roughly a 45-degree angle, and warns against overtightening them, which pinches the shoulder joints.
Shoulder straps
The padded harness over your shoulders. On a framed pack they hold the load close rather than carry it: REI's fit guide says you carry most of the weight on your hips.
Sternum strap
The strap that crosses your chest and connects the two shoulder straps, which REI says can boost your stability. It sets the width of the straps and carries no weight, so snug is enough.
Hipbelt
The padded belt that carries most of the load. REI's fit guide starts here: move the belt until its padding hugs the top of your hip bones, the iliac crest, then buckle and tighten it before touching anything else.
Compression straps
Straps on the sides of the pack body that cinch it in around the load, so a part-full pack does not shift as you walk. On many packs they also hold trekking poles or a foam pad on the outside.
Internal frame
The structure hidden inside the backpanel, usually aluminum stays, a framesheet or both, that moves weight from the shoulder straps down to the hipbelt. REI says the majority of packs it sells today are internal-frame packs.
Suspended mesh backpanel
A taut mesh panel that rests on your back while the frame holds the pack body a few inches away. REI calls it a tension-mesh suspension and describes it as the fix for the sweaty back that internal-frame packs tend to give you.
Shove-it pocket
The open-topped stretch panel across the front of the pack. It has no zip, so a wet shell or a map goes in one-handed without stopping.
Torso length
Not a part but the measurement the whole harness is sized to: from the C7 vertebra at the base of your neck down to the top of your hip bones. REI's fit guide says your torso length, not your height, is the key measurement.
How do the parts of a backpack work together?
They split one job. The hipbelt carries most of the weight on your hips, the frame carries it down to the belt, and the shoulder straps, load lifters and sternum strap only keep the load close and steady. That is why REI's fitting order is hipbelt first, then shoulder straps, then load lifters, then the sternum strap.
The order matters because each step depends on the one before it. A hipbelt sitting on the wrong part of your hips moves the shoulder straps, which moves the load lifters, and no amount of strap tension fixes a pack whose torso length is wrong for you.
Common questions
What is the top pocket on a backpack called?
The lid, which REI notes is sometimes called the brain. It holds small items you want quickly, and on many packs it floats on straps so it can sit higher over a full load.
Which part of a backpack should carry the weight?
The hipbelt. REI's fit guide says you carry most of your pack weight on your hips; the shoulder straps hold the pack close rather than bearing the load.
Sources
- How to Choose a Backpack: Sizing & Fit Guide, REI Co-op
- Backpacks: Fit & Torso Size Guide, REI Co-op
- How to Choose a Backpack, Washington Trails Association
Last reviewed .