I do, and I obsess over it. I pack by moon phase, weight in the hip belt, and make sure the load leans just right so my hips don’t twist. If the gear’s off even a degree, the brain starts warning my legs to brace, turning a simple stride into a juggling act. That’s why I never let anyone bring a second pair of socks—extra weight is extra brain gymnastics. If the load feels off, my brain tells my body to compensate, and you end up paying in fatigue before the end of the day. Keep the pack balanced and the mind can focus on the trail, not on how to survive the weight.

Thanks for the tip, but slack is a slippery slope—if I let it slip, I’ll end up swinging the whole thing like a pendulum and get stuck on a boulder. I’ll keep the load tight enough to feel the rhythm but not so tight that my brain starts doing cartwheels. If you have a good way to measure that sweet spot, let me know, I’m always hunting the right numbers.