By ahedger
07 July 2008 13:35
What is the best small air frame daypack for a tall woman (5'11") to prevent a sweaty back?
Answer
By Trail magazine
If you want to reduce how sweaty your back gets when wearing a rucksack then there are couple of things to consider. Firstly, make sure you are wearing a wicking base layer. Synthetic materials wick moisture away better than cotton or wool, although merino wool is good if you do not get too sweaty.
Having got your base layer sorted, check out your insulation. If you are wearing lots of insulating layers, you will be hotter and therefore sweatier, so wear just enough insulation to stay warm, but no more. Again wicking layers are essential to keep that sweat moving from the skin - so no cotton.
In wet weather you may need a waterproof jacket, but these will tend to encourage a sweaty back as they are less breathable than open weave fleece or windshirts. Some softshell garments are also very sweaty if they have a microporous membrane, so they are best avoided if you get very sweaty. However if it is raining, then you have to wear your waterproof and live with the consequences!
And finally we get to the rucksack! Again it is all about air flow, so look for rucksacks that allow plenty of air flow around your back - so sweat in the form of water vapour can easily escape and sweat in the form of water droplets can easily evaporate.
Some rucksacks have a mesh panel and herring bone design that holds the body of the rucksack away from the body, with only a very open mesh panel coming into contact with you. While wearing one of these designs you can actually feel the breeze across your back. There are many brands and products with this sort of design so check out the following examples, all of which come in women’s versions except the Karrimor:
Berghaus Freeflow 30+6 is a very popular sack of this design.
Full review
Deuter Futura 34 SL has an airflow back system and has been Best in Test in Trail.
Full review
Opsrey Aura 35 is exceptionally comfortable, and has a vented back system.
Full review
Karrimor Air Space 30 was Trail Best Value in August 2007, but it is a unisex simple design that not everyone will favour.
Full review
