Frequently Asked Questions :

Q's About Balance Pockets:

When people first see the Balance Pockets in use they often expect them to be restrictive. The first questions answer these concerns.

Won’t they prevent me seeing where I am going?

This is a common misconception. No they don't restrict your vision. This is precisely why there are two pockets, rather than one. You see your feet in the gap between the pockets. You can adjust the gap between the top of the two pockets for the best visibility. The gap at the bottom of the pockets is fixed at the optimum width for feet visibility and arm clearance. Using Balance Pockets in rough terrain greatly improves your balance. This results in improved stability and safety.

Won’t I get hot under the Balance Pockets? 

Not unless set up incorrectly. Custom-bend the frames to produce a gap between the Pockets and your body for ventilation.  The Balance Pockets connect to the shoulder straps and hip belt only and should not touch your body.

Don’t the pockets put more weight on the shoulders?

No. A sliding connection to the shoulder straps allows each Balance Pocket to transfer all its weight to the front of hip belt.

Can women wear them comfortably?

Yes, and women with large busts have found the pockets work well after custom bending the frames to suit their contours.

Won’t they restrict my arm movement?

You can regulate the gap at the top of the Balance Pockets by the tightness of the top straps for the optimum arm clearance. (Over tightening will close the gap and restrict forward vision). The Balance Pockets attach to the sides of the hip belt buckle, which automatically sets the gap at the bottom of the Pockets to the optimum spacing for both arm movement and feet visibility, no matter what your hip size.

Won’t they restrict leg movement when climbing?

Hip belt holsters hold the pockets high enough so leg movement is unrestricted. (The hip belt has to be kept tight enough to prevent downward slippage).

What about steep climbs where your chest needs to be close to the face?

Balance Pockets have been used successfully for mountaineering , such as climbing the west ridge of Denali in Alaska. If it’s just short moves around an obstacle, you can unclip the pockets at the top and let them swing to the side for the moves. New pivoting hip belt holsters (coming late 2009) facilitate this sidewards swing. You can clip the sternum straps to each other to keep the shoulder straps stable.

For technical climbing where your chest needs to be close to the face, use the Balance Pockets for the approach. Unclip them for the climb itself and clip on the Balance Gear Racks. Clip in all your heavy climbing hardware. The Gear Racks position gear in the ideal position for access and counterbalancing the load. Unlike conventional gear slings, all weight goes on the hip belt., not the shoulders.

What about scrub bashing - won't they get in the way?

We use the Balance Pockets in the front position for scrub bashing in NZ as they protect your chest. With a load in front your pack doesn't project so high - a high pack poses more of a problem in penetrating scrub than the pockets in front. If the bush is thorny, it's a matter of which is more expensive to damage - your top clothing layer or the pockets. If you are wearing a Gore-tex jacket for example, better to have the pockets in front. However if you don't want them in front, pack them at the top of your pack. 

How do your packs perform without the Balance Pockets?

Better than others for three reasons: our slim side profiles and concave back panel shaping bring the load closer to your back for less back leverage, reducing forward lean and back strain; the body contact parts can be customized for a perfect fit, and our Flow Motion systems allow free body movement for greater agility and less fatigue.

I've had surgery in the lymph node area. Will Balance Pockets help me to continue backpacking?

Balance Pockets are the only solution for women who have had lymph node surgery and men who have a pacemaker inserted at the side of the chest. Bodypacks eliminate the pull-back pressure on the shoulders of all backpack designs. The Balance Pockets pull the shoulder straps forward and away from your body at the sensitive areas at the sides of your chest, eliminating pressure and discomfort.

I have back problems but love backpacking. I've had to reduce my weights and the length of my trips because of back pain. Will Bodypacks help?   

Although we are strongly focused on reducing the weight of our Bodypacks, we have the experience from people with back problems that equalizing weight front and back is much more important than reducing weight. In fact we have had reports from some people with back problems who are carrying loads more often in their bodypacks, specifically to strengthen their backs, encouraged to do so by their physiotherapists. Sports Science research also confirms the above findings.

Why don’t you make Balance Pockets fit on my brand of pack?

This is like asking why Porsche does not design their gearboxes to fit on other brands of cars! The Aarn Balance Pockets and pack are designed as an integrated system. The Balance Pockets need to:

• allow arm movement and forward vision for all body sizes.
• be easy to put on and remove.
• have a customizable air gap for all body shapes.
• match the center of gravity of the load to that of your body
• allow the Flow-motion systems of the pack to work.
• be stable for high movement sports.

While backpacks naturally achieve the first two objectives, they ignore the last four objectives. Years of refinement have gone into achieving all six objectives in our FlowMo Bodypacks.

Miscellaneous Q's:

Do you sponsor athletes?
Yes. Contact us at sales@aarnusa.com for more information.