As summer holiday is coming, it’s time to hang out with friends bringing a comfortable backpack. So how to pick the best backpack for yourself? It’s really a primary step in your journey towards disaster preparedness. Then what qualities should be considered when picking one? Below I will show you in details.

Comfort and Fit - You may be humping your backpack for days on end. You need something that you can wear comfortably and that will limit your movement by causing you discomfort. Pay attention to the following features when looking at a candidate bag:

1.Does the bag have hip straps and hip padding - Hip support straps snug the pack tightly to your hips allowing the weight to be hauled by the strong muscles in your thighs and hips rather than balancing the load on your shoulders. This improves balance by lowering the center of gravity and saves your back and shoulders from bearing the weight. It is a great deal easier to carry a heavy load in this way.

2.Width of straps - Are the straps made of narrow webbing that is going to dig into your shoulders and hips or is it wide with a lot of padding to cushion the attachment to your body?

3.Does it have a sternum clip - This allows you to secure the shoulder straps to a comfortable position and uses the bony part of your chest as a counterbalance to the backward leaning force of the bag.

4.Does the bag allow for airflow on my back or does it sit flush - Most quality bags come with channels or webbing in the part of the pack that faces your back. These allow for air flow to minimize this.

5.Are there any hard elements within the bag that may rub or poke into you - Some bags have rigid frames or hard plastic bits to help them retain their shape or to allow you to strap things to them. They do not need to be avoided as a whole but they are a factor to consider when choosing one.

6.Are the straps and clips adjustable - Most better packs include many customization options so that you can get your pack sitting just right. This leads to greater comfort and economy of movement when carrying the bag which translates to you being able to move as far and fast as possible. In a bug out situation this equals greater probability of survival.

Volume and Mass - How much space do you want in your hang-out backpack? This is determined by:

1.How many people are you carrying survival supplies for? Will you be bugging out by yourself or with a family in tow?

2.Do you plan on packing your bag with everything and the kitchen sink or bare essentials?The more you pack, the larger volume bag you will need and the more weight you will have to carry on your back. It is one of the most important factors you will have to consider.

Accessibility - So now know that you want the perfect fitting bag that carries the right amount of survival supplies, great job! Let's take into consideration the options for how we will be compartmentalizing the gear and accessing it.

What we want for an efficient bag is one large compartment to store general items and several separate, smaller compartments for storing smaller sub groups of items. Most modern bags have multiple compartments and options to attach small satellite bags. This is ideal. Prior to packing you will want to organize your gear with these compartments in mind. It is best to put larger items in the main compartment and smaller ones in the secondary pouches, organized by item type. This will make finding things in a hurry much easier and your backpack more useful overall.