The Truth About Load Lifters: Do You Really Need Them?
If you’ve ever found yourself depending on load lifters to “fix” a pack that never quite fit right, you aren’t alone. Many of us have used them in ways they weren’t actually designed for — because most packs on the market were built for men’s bodies, not ours.
Let’s break it down.
What Load Lifters Are Meant to Do
On an internal frame backpack, load lifters are the straps that connect the top of your shoulder straps to the top of the pack. Their purpose is simple: pull the weight of the pack closer to your body for better balance and comfort.
When used correctly, tightening or loosening them throughout your hike can shift stress points on your body, offering some relief as your pack weight changes during a trip.
What Actually Happens in Practice
Here’s the reality: many of us (myself included) have used load lifters to hike a pack higher on our backs when the torso length was too long. It’s a workaround that’s especially common among femme-bodied hikers because so many packs weren’t designed with our proportions in mind.
Instead of fine-tuning comfort, we’ve been using load lifters as a band-aid for poor fit.
Why the Aspen Doesn’t Have Load Lifters
The Aspen is a frameless ultralight pack. And without an internal frame, load lifters don’t function properly. Instead of shifting weight, they’d just crunch the fabric.
That’s why the Aspen was designed without them. Its structure naturally keeps the weight high and close to the body with no extra straps required.
Do You Need Load Lifters?
If you’ve always thought load lifters were essential, here’s some good news: you may not need them at all, especially with a pack designed to fit your body from the start.
That said, if you’re looking for a more traditional backpacking pack with an internal frame and load lifters, stay tuned. We’re working on one now and hope to release it next year.
Wherever you are on your backpacking journey, we see you. The tools you’ve used to make gear work for your body are valid—and you deserve packs built with you in mind.