When are Load Lifters Important on a Backpack?
Load lifters are adjustable straps that connect the upper part of the backpack’s shoulder straps to the top of the pack’s frame or back panel. If you look at a backpacking pack, you’ll usually see them angling up from the shoulders toward the top corners of the pack. These straps might seem minor, but their impact on how a heavy pack feels cannot be overstated.
How Do Load Lifters Work?
When a backpack is loaded, gravity pulls it straight down. If all that weight is supported only by your shoulders, it can quickly cause fatigue and soreness. A well-designed backpack puts most of the load on your hips, which are much better equipped to carry weight for long periods. The shoulder straps stabilize the load and keep it close to your body, but without load lifters, the top half of a tall pack can lean away from your back. This not only makes the pack feel heavier but also encourages poor posture, since you may have to lean forward to compensate.
The Mechanism
Load lifters work by pulling the top of your pack closer to your upper back and shoulders. When you tighten these straps, they pivot the pack’s main body forward and down, redistributing some of the force that would otherwise pull your shoulders backward and down. This helps transfer more weight to the hip belt and keeps the pack snug against your body.
Ideally, load lifter straps should form an angle of about 30° to 45° between the point where they attach to the shoulder straps and where they join the top of the pack. If the angle is too shallow (nearly horizontal), they won’t provide much benefit; if it’s too steep, they may just pull up on your shoulder straps rather than bringing the load inward.
Benefits of Load Lifters
1. Enhanced Comfort
By shifting weight from your shoulders to your hips, load lifters reduce shoulder strain and pain. This is especially noticeable after several hours of hiking or when carrying loads over 30 pounds (9 kg).
2. Better Stability
A pack that sticks out behind you can sway as you walk, especially on uneven terrain or when climbing. Load lifters help keep the pack close to your center of gravity, reducing swaying and improving balance.
3. Improved Posture
When a heavy pack drags backward, you instinctively lean forward to compensate. This can lead to back pain and fatigue. Load lifters help maintain an upright posture by keeping the load aligned with your spine.
4. Customizable Fit
Load lifters allow you to fine-tune how your pack sits on your body. You can loosen them for more ventilation or tighten them for better control, depending on the terrain and the level of fullness in your pack.
5. Reduced Hot Spots
By distributing weight more efficiently, load lifters help prevent hot spots and pressure points on your shoulders and back.
When Are Load Lifters Useful?
Load lifters are most beneficial on backpacks that meet these criteria:
- Internal or external frame: They need a rigid structure to pull against.
- Tall back panel: The greater the distance between your hips and shoulders, the more potential for top-heavy sway.
- Heavier loads: Generally over 25-30 pounds.
- Multi-day trips: Longer outings with more gear benefit most from proper weight transfer.
Smallest Backpack Size Where Load Lifters Matter
Load lifters are most useful on packs with a capacity of 35–40 liters or greater, especially if you’re carrying more than 25 pounds or packing for extended trips.
Daypacks (10–30 liters):
- Typically frameless or with minimal structure.
- Loads are light enough that load lifters make little difference.
- Rarely included by manufacturers.
Small Overnight Packs (30–40 liters):
- Some packs in this range include basic frames.
- Load lifters can start to provide benefits if carrying heavier gear (e.g., camera equipment, climbing gear).
– Multi-day Packs with Frames (40+ liters):
Generally designed with sturdy frames.
– Load lifters become increasingly effective and are highly recommended for comfort and control.
How to Use Load Lifters Properly
1. Put on your pack and fasten the hip belt snugly around your hips—not your waist.
2. Adjust the shoulder straps so they fit comfortably without pinching.
3. Tighten the load lifter straps until you feel the top of the pack move closer to your upper back. The shoulder straps should not lift off your shoulders.
4. Fine-tune all adjustments as you walk; it’s normal to tweak them throughout a hike as conditions change.
Conclusion
Load lifters are a simple but highly effective feature for anyone carrying a mid-sized or large backpack over long distances or rough terrain. For lighter loads or short trips with small packs, they’re usually unnecessary; for longer treks with heavier gear, they make a significant difference in comfort and stability.
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Load lifters don’t lift any weight, if they did the pack would be lighter. In Australia we have a brand of very popular packs by Wilderness Equipment. They have ‘top stabiliser straps’ which are horizontal, simply to stop the pack from leaning backwards away from the body. Works a treat, very comfortable. HMG also successfully have done away with them, I think. Just my 2 cents. Age 65, bushwalking on and off 51 years. All the best Mr Werner.
WE definitely have load lifters on their larger volume packs. This is maybe what you are referring to as their “top stabiliser straps”? Some packs of theirs also have a “top compression strap” but this is just used to crank down a full bulky load from moving around .
Last time I looked at pack reviews on Hyperlite’s website, “load lifter” straps were a consistent ask by pack users. I think you may be misunderstanding how these straps work, which is by moving the pack load off the shoulder to the top of the pack’s frame element(s). In my experience they’re not magic, but they really do help with shoulder comfort. I’ve had one pack that carried well without them; by luck it was a near-perfect fit to my torso length. Also a climbing rucksack, so not taller than my shoulder. My backpacking packs have been taller, and the lift straps made a lot of difference in comfort and stability.
I recently bought a Watermelon dcf fannnypack from Mountain blaze arts that has load fiters on its side this puts it the weight closer to ones body!! Man , what a amazing product this is! Without having load lifters on both backpacks and this sweet fannypacks it would put strain on ones body !
Rat Food
AT 2025 NoBo
Can anyone share the logic behind Hyper light not using this elemental technology?
Philip interviewed the founder of HMG here where he talks about why they don’t use load lifters: https://sectionhiker.com/gear-tech-interview-hyperlite-mountain-gear-co-founder-mike-st-pierre/
Basically – they had no idea what they were doing.
Couldn’t agree more with the article…heavy pack 25+lbs, long carry distances 20+mi/7+days, 32L+pack+bear can, load lifters make the burden easier. At 67, I use lifters for years to slightly shift the load and bearing muscles utilized. On steep uphill grades more onto my shoulders (tighten). On steep down grades (loosen) puts the weight more onto my hips for a lower center of gravity. On flat stretches, I moderate the lifters for sweat/heat management. On rocky scree scrambles or Class 3 off-trail, I strap in tight on my hip belt and chest strap, but keep the lifters a little loose to keep weight on my hips for better balance. It’s mainly to keep bearing muscles rotated/fresh and maintain good pack balance on different terrains. Note mainly 38L UL frameless packs for 10-15 day backcountry on/off trail adventures.
So, a frameless pack for 25+….
If you think that load lifters and a hip belt are helping, might I suggest a pack with a frame where the load lifters and hip belt actually provide assistance
A properly packed frameless pack will utilize load lifters and a hip belt. The contents of the pack and the pack body itself, along with any tightening straps that might be used provide the structure.
I have seen too many new backpackers that were told at the store where they bought the pack to have those load lifters tight, but in practice these backpackers had them too tight. There was an air gap between the shoulder straps and the back of the shoulders.
Emphasis needs to be on having the shoulder straps tight enough, and only use the load lifter straps to hold the pack against your back. I prefer the straps to be just barely taught.
I often loosen the lifter straps slightly when I first put on a pack, then after I have gotten the shoulder straps just right, I tighten the lifter straps sufficiently to hold the pack in place, but no more than that.
Exactly. You only need to use the load lifters after you have the shoulder straps fitted and then you might not need them at all.
It’s remarkable how often something so “small” like load lifters gets overlooked — until it’s too late.
I’ve seen trekkers cry on the trail, shoulders bruised raw, backs hunched under unforgiving weight — all because no one told them how load lifters work. And it’s not just about comfort. On steep, high-altitude trails in Nepal — from Namche to Dingboche, through wind-battered Pangboche and icy Lobuche — bad pack weight distribution can break you down. It leads to fatigue, dangerous missteps, even altitude issues made worse by poor posture.
This post hits hard because it tells the truth: these little straps can literally change how a trek feels, physically and mentally. I know this from experience — both my own, and from watching exhausted travelers discover relief mid-journey when we stop and fix their pack.
In these brutal terrains, small things matter. And this guide could honestly save a trip, or someone’s back. Big respect for bringing this overlooked issue into the spotlight
– Thakur
Mountain guide, Himalaya Heart Treks
This discussion leads me to another question re: ideal adjustment for shoulder straps. I adjust so that the front and back of my shoulder straps touch, but can fit a finger or two under the top of the strap so that there is no pressure on the tops of my shoulders ( at my upper trapezius muscles of that helps). In following the logic of having all of the weight of the pack on my pelvis, I thought it proper to keep any weight off of the top of my shoulders.
Thanks in advance for ant advice
It’s ok to have some weight on your shoulders and its useful to control the packs momentum. The goal is to have about 20% of the weight on them.
I’ve had two broken verterbrae for 10 years. (T8 and T9, from a hyponatremic seizure while hiking in the Alps.) So, it is really, really a game changer for me when I have load lifters ensuring there’s 0% weight on my shoulders.
Whatever the status of your body, bear in mind that simple physics means that load lifters pull the center of mass the pack forward, which then means that more of the weight going down to your hip belt goes to its front, and less to its back.
Years ago, I had just hiked through a mountain pass when my foot slipped as I stepped down. I really didn’t know about load lifters at the time, so mine were hanging loose. My 90 liter pack swayed and yanked me off my feet. The pack continued around and I landed on my back – on top of the pack. The only injury was to my web belt buckle, which popped apart in the fall. That was when I finally noticed the lifters.
Since then, I have fallen twice. Once climbing while wearing a day pack. I managed to spin around and get the pack under me. I was pretty sore afterwards, but that sure beats landing face down in the sliding cobble.
The second time I was not so lucky. My foot caught, and, instead of bending at the knees and going into a controlled fall, I tried to get the other foot in front of me. It caught as well. I slammed down on my right shoulder, and my face hit the ground. My face was bloodied, and it was six months before I could use my shoulder without a lot of pain.
I fall fairly often but like you it’s onto my backpack. Saved my ass more than once!
I’ve owned several packs and have never seemed to benefit much from load lifters. Maybe it’s just me, but the top of my pack always seems to be, at best, level with the tops of my shoulders and the load lifter angle is always close to zero. I have a 20.5″ toro, so a pack that tops out at a 21″ usually fits me best. I tried a pack for 21+ torsos once (so the top of the pack would sit above my shoulders) but the hip belt kept slipping down over my iliac crest. I wish they did, but unfortunately load lifters don’t work their magic for me. To be fair, even with no angle, cinching the lifters down a little keeps the top of my pack from swaying.
Philip,
I tried the HMG SW 55, small size, with 20lb weights available in the store. It pulled away, and would not do.
Do you think that caused was by the way the load distributed, or just the way the cookie crumbled ;-)
I really wanted to get a HMG pack, but now…..????
Searlaid
Probably has more to do with torso length than anything. Too long and it will pull away. Or if the shoulder straps aren’t tight enough. Given your “frame”, the adjustable torso length on a Zpacks pack will probably work a lot better for you.
Thanks…I did tighten the straps to the limit of my breath!!! The Zpacks Nero (38L) worked, but I may go back to my trusty Pa’lante. Have you ever tried their V2? I loved it, gave it away to someone in need, and was hoping for the HMG.
Flipping coins right now!
Your thoughts?