Boy, I Have to Carry that Weight

There are two pieces of gear that I want to get early: my backpack and my shoes. Why? Because I want get used to wearing them both under load.

I had read some things and decided that an Osprey backpack was probably the way to go. Looking them up online, I saw that Eastern Mountain Sports was one of their authorized resellers, with special equipment to help them size you to a pack. Awesome!

So one day last week I stopped by the store after work. Sure enough a young lady was buying a backpack, and the employee was helping to fit her to the pack by adjusting straps and such to give her a good fit. This is the kind of service that I’m willing to pay for rather than just buying online. So I stood around a bit, but he was busy with her, and I really had to pee, so I left.

I went back today and stood around the backpacks for a long time before someone finally came over to me. She talked to me for a few minutes, and I left with a Osprey Talon 44. While she was helpful in selecting a pack, in no way did I get the custom fitting help that I was hoping for. Maybe I should have been more assertive and asked.

I’m thinking I might go back with the pack in hand during lunch this week and asking someone there to spend the time to make sure this is the right size for me. I’m going to be wearing this thing everyday for a few weeks; I think it’s important to make sure it’s a good fit.

Update: I went back and they took very good care of me!