>>1498941>hips hurt>shoulders hunching forwardSounds like your pack either doesn't fit right or you're not wearing it properly. Most common problem I saw as an /out/fitter was people wearing their hip belt too low. Draw a line sideways from your belly button and find your iliac crest, the upper curve of your pelvic bone. Your hip belt should resting on that because it's the strongest part of your pelvis, if you're wearing it too low it's putting all of the weight on your joints which causes a lot of pain. You want the belt rest firmly on the iliac crest, with the buckle right about your belly button. The shoulder straps should fit snug, but not tight. They're actually there mostly for load stability, not weight bearing. You want your pelvis carrying most of the weight. Also make sure your backpack is the right size (s/m/l). A lot of guys just buy a large backpack because they think it's like clothes sizing, but it isn't. Pack sizing is all about how long/short your torso is. It's measured from your iliac crest to your c7 vertebrae (the one that makes a bump when you put your chin down) and has nothing to do with height or weight. I'm 6ft 215lbs, but I'm a medium backpack size because I'm about 53% legs. My buddy is three inches shorter than me, but he's a large because he's all torso.
As for packing you want to keep all heaviest stuff towards the middle of the pack which is closer to your natural center of gravity.
