Knowing your back length lets you choose the right rucksack to fit your body. Great fit means great comfort, and great comfort means a great experience.

Practical light bulb

Add a general light that matches the light in the practical...which I'm not sure I fully understand how or why that works.

Ask your helper to measure from the bony protrusion at the back of your neck, straight down your spine to where your thumbs point towards your spine when your hands sit on your hips.

Practicals are cool. You get the light and you don't really have to worry about "hiding it." However, there's this also really SUPER COOL (/s) effect that you get from a practical right next to a wall where light bulb just draws the shape of whatever is around it. (Example)

Practicallightingin film examples

Your back length can be found by measuring from your C7 vertebra (the bony protrusion at the back of your neck, where your neck meets your shoulders) to your iliac crest (level with the top of your hip bones).

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Personally speaking, after seeing how a good cinematographer uses their practical(s) while avoiding these highlights on the wall or even the lamp clipping in comparation to the rest of the image, I can't but help to aim towards that standard. Thoughts? Tips?

Practicallightingexamples

Back length is the core of a well-fitting pack, so it’s important to know how long your back is before finding a pack to fit it. It’s a bit like knowing your shoe size before buying a new pair of boots.

Whether you’re trekking the Himalayas or spending the day fell walking in the Lake District, you need a backpack that moves with you across the terrain. The best way to do that is to choose a pack with a good fit for your body, and that specifically fits your back.

Practicallightingvs motivatedlighting

This measurement will give you an idea of which back length to choose and a great starting point for fitting your rucksack.

Many Lowe Alpine packs – specifically the bigger and more technical rucksacks – are available in different or adjustable back lengths. Contrary to popular belief, it is your torso length and not your height that is key to finding a well-fitted pack. Tall people don’t necessarily have long back lengths, just as shorter people may have a long back length.

Once you have it, you can check this against the back length of the packs you are looking at to find a good fit. Normally, the amount of inches or centimetres will directly correspond with the numbers on the back system, or be outlined on the hangtag attached to the product.