tip #6: choose your equipment wisely

so this kind of ties into my post on boots and priorities. with this though i want to focus more on your actual backpack. your backpack i would say is probably the most important piece of equipment you will have. it's also probably the most expensive. you can borrow backpacks from friends or family but make sure that they are around the same height and build as you. backpacks were made to fit the person so if they are built vastly different from you then their pack won't fit right.
so to give you an idea of how a pack should fit i'll give you some tips. first, pack fits differ depending on gender. for females you more than likely want most of the weight to sit on your hips. so you want a waist belt that hits high right on the curve of your waist. make sure it has good padding too, otherwise you might end up with rubs or bruises on your hips. for males, your upper body is where you'll carry most of your weight. guys typically have stronger upper bodies, like shoulders and arms, so you want to look at the shoulder straps. make sure the padding is nice and the straps are wide to help distribute the weight evenly across your shoulders, chest and back.
second, you want to look at the pack and where it sits when it's on your back. you don't want your pack to sit too high above your head, i would say about 6 or so inches above your head is as high as it should go. if your buying a backpack, try a couple on and see whats going to work for your height. if your borrowing a backpack, don't ask the person who is a foot shorter/taller than you.
your pack will fit a little differently once you have weight in it as well. so once you find a pack that you like and get it home you can put a little weight in it. you can use things like rocks, water bottles or your equipment etc. this will give you a better idea of how the pack is going to feel and whether the weight is being distributed properly.
you're pack is essential to walking. if you borrowing a pack it could work out nicely and you can have a better idea of what you want. the balance and fit of the pack is very important. make sure you try out packs before you go and buy one off the rack. packs can be expensive and you wouldn't want to buy the wrong pack after spending all that money. once you find a brand and fit you like you can go looking on the internet or stores for sales. you can buy used packs just make sure they're still in good condition. the pack will set the tone for your experience. if you don't have good fitting pack then you have a good time on the trail, but having a good pack will make your trip that much more enjoyable.