Hiking Asheville NC: Advantages of a Waist Pack

by | Oct 14, 2011 | Asheville, NC, blue ridge mountains, hiking

By Your Friends at the Reynolds Mansion Bed and Breakfast in Asheville, NC

Hiking Asheville, NC is an activity that virtually anyone can do and enjoy. Of course there are several levels of the activity but overall, it’s really a satisfying experience when done correctly. If you are going hiking for the 1st time, you will notice other hikers and what they are using and carrying to make their hikes more pleasurable.

The options are many when hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Should you wear a hat? Should you use hiking poles? And one particularly crucial consideration is what type of pack should you carry. When piled high with weight, a back pack that’s supported on the shoulders can cause you to feel just like leaning forward even if you don’t realize it. It is a delicate effect, like carrying a purse on your left shoulder all your life and then one day realizing that you are leaning to the right to support it. And that happens irrespective of how much weight.

So try and imagine how a backpack with heavy weight in it can have an effect on your balance. Hiking trails aren’t the same as a paved walking path. They can be rough, rocky, steep, or sandy and greasy. So of course, proper footwear is important, but so is your pack. A waist backpack, or lumbar pack as it’s often called, puts the weight precisely on your hips, uniformly balanced by the huge muscles of the legs where weight is supposed to be supported. You will not find yourself leaning forward or backward but rather walking along as though there is no pull in any direction aside from the pull of gravity your usually feel when walking. Waist backpacks offer the most stable and balanced solution for carrying weight, including water, which you’ll need lots of. A waist pack which has two water bottles, one on each side is ideal for balance.

And access to the water is simple and convenient, so you are not running the risk of shoulder strain by taking a shoulder strap back-pack on and off. Often when you are hiking long distances or hiking in bad weather, you will need to carry a pack that’s larger than a waist style pack. A good choice for this sort of pack will be one with a waist or lumbar belt to support at least some of the weight on your hips. So how do you select a great waist backpack for your walks? First consider size. How long will you hike? Buy one that is adequate in volume, but no need to get one that’s too big if you’re only hiking brief distances.

Buy one of very high quality materials and if possible get one made in the USA because it’s going to be made well and last an entire lifetime. Stay balanced using a waist backpack and you will enjoy hiking for years!

Planning on Hiking Asheville, NC on your next vacation?  Visit us at the Reynolds Mansion Bed and Breakfast, your gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Book today!