How to Choose the Right Women’s Trekking Backpack for Your Torso Length? | Fit It to Your Frame

For the full breakdown, see our best Women’s Trekking Backpack guide.

Your torso length—the distance from the base of your neck to the top of your hip bones—determines how a trekking backpack transfers weight. A pack that fits your height but not your torso will still ride wrong, and the hip belt won’t do its job.

Here’s the straightforward way to measure, match a size chart, and check the fit so the load stays on your hips instead of straining your shoulders.

Why Torso Length Matters More Than Height

Whether you stand 5’2″ or 5’10”, your torso length is what decides how the pack’s frame aligns with your spine. REI’s fit experts put it plainly: your torso length—not your height—is the key measurement. Two women of equal height can need entirely different sizes.

When torso length is wrong, the shoulder straps or hip belt end up carrying weight where they shouldn’t. Straps that ride too high pull your shoulders back; a belt that sits too low slips off your hips. Either way, comfort suffers fast on trail.

How to Measure Your Torso Length at Home

Grab a flexible tape measure and a friend if possible—self-measuring works, but an extra set of hands improves accuracy.

• Tilt your head forward. The bony bump at the base of your neck is your C7 vertebra—the same landmark a tailor uses for suit jackets.
• Place your hands on your hips. The top ridge of your hip bones is the iliac crest.
• Draw an imaginary line between your thumbs across your lower back.
• Measure from C7 straight down your spine to that line. That number, in inches, is your torso length.

Gregory’s fit guide uses this same measurement as the starting point for choosing their packs. It’s the industry-standard method across manufacturers.

What the Size Charts Actually Mean

Once you have your number, compare it against the brand’s chart. Sizes vary by manufacturer, so always check the specific pack you’re considering.

Common women’s sizing clusters around these ranges:

The North Face, for example, lists similar ranges across its XS-to-L women’s packs, while other brands may run slightly different numbers. REI’s backpack fit guidance walks through the same torso-first process in detail.

The Hip Belt Is the Second Fit Check

Torso length gets you the right frame size, but the hip belt is what carries most of the weight. Gregory says the top edge of the belt should sit about an inch above your hip bones, wrapping the iliac crest itself. Tighten it snugly—not painfully—so weight settles on your hips rather than your shoulders.

AMC Outdoors echoes this as the second critical dimension after torso length. If the belt sits on soft tissue or presses on your abdomen, the torso size is likely off.

Also check the pack’s torso adjustment range. A model with at least some adjustment lets you fine-tune the fit across seasons or layers. Some budget packs lock to a single torso size with no flex, which limits your ability to dial in comfort.