When you fit your pack to your body, don’t get too caught up in the torso measurement. The torso measurement is simply a starting point.
First, loosen all of the straps, including the smaller waist straps on each side towards the back, the load lifter straps, and the shoulder straps.
Put the pack on and position the waist belt so that the middle of the waist belt padding rests on the iliac crest of your hips. Gently tighten the waist belt.
The tops of the shoulder straps should go over your shoulders and just begin to point downward towards the back of the pack. There should not be a lot of weight on your shoulders. You want to carry most of the weight on your hips. If the shoulder straps don’t wrap your shoulders and are level or pointing up, then the pack is probably too long (or tall) for your torso.
Many of our packs have an adjustable torso. If you can feel hook and loop type fabric (trademark name is Velcro) then you can separate the panel that the shoulder straps are sewn to from the main part of the pack. It is easier to separate these two parts by using a stiff plastic panel that measures 4 inches wide and 8 or 10 inches long to put in between the Velcro on the shoulder harness and the pack body. Once you have separated the two parts, you can slide the shoulder strap assembly up and down, depending on your desire to lengthen the torso, or shorten it.
Test fit the pack to your body. If you are satisfied with the way the pack feels, you may tighten the load lifter straps on the shoulder straps, then tighten the small straps on the waist belt.
Please note: once you have loaded the pack and have hiked a mile, you may have to make some minor adjustments as the contents inside the pack start to settle into the pack. Minor adjustments are common on the trail, but as long as the pack is comfortable and your shoulders aren’t sore, the pack is probably adjusted correctly.