Interesting thoughts! I wonder if the thinner maxi pads (Always) would work? I also like the idea of some insoles. I believe it's the friction and lack of natural padding that I can only acquire from eating doughnuts & potato chips
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The pack is a Gregory Deva 70. I recently had to replace my old Deva after it split its zippers. I don't think it's a lack of padding on the hip belt itself, and I carry the bare minimum necessities. My hubs seems to think that I could drop some weight in my gear but that would cause me to have to invest some newer, more expensive gear.
I may carry some maxi pads on my next adventure and see how well they hold up. Maybe then resort to purchasing some insoles. Thanks for the input!