I have an Osprey Exos 48 which I have used for two camino. It is a little bit too big for what I carry but I am happy with my choice on the whole except the bottom corners rub slightly on my lower back. This was not noticeable for the first few days but gradually (probably in conjunction with a sweaty top) caused skin iritation and became sore. I think I may have been the only pilgrim walking with compeed on my back
Does anyone else have this problem? Second walk on the vdlp this year I put some tape on my back and often walked with my fleece top around my waist under bottom of backpack. This reduced but didn't eliminate the slight discomfort.
I will be walking the CF from SJPdP August 21 and I am very reluctant to buy another pack. Any suggestions?
Cheers Paul
Hi, Paul...
What is it that you mean by "bottom corners"? When you start to adjust the pack when you put it on, the shoulder harness and waist belt should have slack and be loose. The first step in pack adjustment, is to position the waist belt so that the top of the hip belt just above the iliac crest of your hip bones, and the bottom of the belt below the middle-line of the hip bones. The belt should "cradle" that area when you snug it down. At this point all the weight of the pack is on the belt, and the lumbar support should be at the small of your back and not riding lower against the skin on the curve of your back just above the tail bone.
Then when you go to the next step and snug down the shoulder harness until it is
just beginning to take some weight. The back of the harness -- where it is attached on the pack -- should wrap over the shoulders until it lies just below the top of the shoulders on your back. Again, the effect is to have a shallow "wrapping" effect. If the wrap extends more than a bit below the top of the shoulder blades, that is an indication that the frame does not fit.
Once the major adjust is made to the shoulder harness, then the load lifters can be tensioned so that they form a basic 45 degree angle.
The hip belt and shoulder harness share the load in a roughly 80/20 ratio, the majority on the belt. That can be changed on the fly, so to speak, as you need to adjust for comfort.
If the pack is fitting you are still getting rubbing, then there are ways to add padding to pressure points. Extra foam, fleece, wool, etc. Something that is a frequent culprit is the trouser belt used to hold up one's pants or shorts -- which is one of the reasons I prefer backpacking and hiking in running shorts

. But sometimes even the best fitting pack will not completely conform to a unique body shape, and compensation is needed as an add-on.