View Full Version : where does the hip belt fit best?
for some reason, im not comfortable with my hip belt at mid hip, its got to be higher. but the experts say thats too high. am i doing something wrong? thanx, bill
bigcranky
12-20-2006, 15:29
Bill, if you are comfortable with it a little higher, that's fine. The 'experts' aren't wearing your pack, you are.
Footslogger
12-20-2006, 15:30
It varies a bit by manufacturer. But for the most part you want the hip bone (illiac crest) to rest around the middle of the hip belt (or vice versa).
But hey ...that's just how the pack manufacturers say you should do it.
YOU'RE the one carrying the pack. If the hip belt really feels better (over the long haul) riding above the hip bones then that's probably where you ought to wear it.
I fitted hikers in packs for quite a few years (prior life) and know the "party line" but in the end it's the individual hiker who determines what works and what doesn't.
Truth be told, when I hike I move the hip belt up and down a bit during the day. In fact, sometimes I loosen it all together and shoulder the weight.
'Slogger
I also hike with my hip belt higher. I find when I put it "where they say I should" it inhibits the movement of my right leg and I feel fatigue in my right hip muscles if that makes any sense.
I too move my pack around, but I also think it's not fully broken in too, so my hip belt is still quite stiff. Wear it where it's comfortable. (unless that means it's on your buddie's back!) :D
mweinstone
12-20-2006, 16:52
loosen all straps, put on loaded pack and sinch sholder straps loosely. next sinch hip belt tight. then pull sholder strap top straps and finnally snug the sholder strap proper. the sholder strap should only support 33 % and the hip belt the rest. the sternum strap stays looser than the rest.
Footslogger
12-20-2006, 16:56
[quote=mweinstone;289310]the sholder strap should only support 33 % and the hip belt the rest.
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...and the force of the shoulder straps should be applied more to the front of the shoulder and not to the top of the shoulder. Main purpose of shoulder straps (other than hanging cool things off of) is to keep the backpack from falling backwards off your back.
'Slogger
vipahman
12-20-2006, 17:02
Mweinstone is absolutely correct. The key point is that the hip must do more of the carrying. If a muscle is trapped too tightly by the hip belt, it could explain Michele's problem. With time and travel, intraday adjustment will be necessary in order to keep the pack close to the body.
Hip belts on men are problematic... we don't have all that much in the way of hips to begin with. If I make the belt too tight, I start getting problems with circulation and numbness in my legs. So during the day I'm constantly fiddling with the load... onto the shoulders for a while till they complain, then back to the hips, till the legs start complaining... round and round. Best solution is always a lighter pack!!!!!
Shoulder straps should never carry the weight of the pack but hold it up instead.
Hip belt supports the weight of pack, resting above the top of the boney hips.
So it sits high but the weight rests down & upon the hip. If you wrap the belt lower around the hips, as some suggested, it begins to have more of a tendency to slip down further, you begin to tighten it up so it doesnt slip, it cuts off blood flow in hip area, it begins to ache, you get tired and sore. Push it up to where it should be and loosen the belt till its just snug. Once you know where it should be, adjust position of the sternum strap.
There are a number of good web sites that show he correct way to measure and wear a pack
"Console Thy Hips That's a hipbelt, not a waistbelt. It should ride on your hips, transferring the weight to your skeletal structure. It's because of this belt-to-bone contact that the belt is padded. Make sure the pads don't touch in front; you'll need some room to cinch it."
The above was taken from here:
http://www.backpacker.com/technique/dailytips/0,4466,248,00.html
There are better ones around and I will see if I can find a better picture.
But it is a hip belt and rests upon (ON TOP OF YOUR PELVIS BONES)your hips, which cannot be stressed enough, as it is your frame which carries the load. If your hips get numb most likely the belt is too low and the above post happened.
http://www.gregorypacks.com/fit_womans.html
Another source, this for women, belt on top of hip bones
Higher the better for me ;-)
RAT
Spirit Walker
12-21-2006, 00:14
I have only ever had one pack that fit around my hips instead of on top of them. That is the ULA Catalyst. (I love my Catalyst.) I was so shocked when I tried it on and it actually wrapped around, and held there, the way it was supposed to. All other packs I've owned I've had to cinch above my hip bones in order to make them hold the weight properly. They worked that way, but weren't as comfortable as my current pack. It may be that my back is shorter or longer than normal, or the fact that I'm female. Sitting on top of my hips was what worked for me - until the Catalyst. In any case, if you are comfortable with your pack, don't worry about what the experts say. If it works, it works.
well, my GG Latitude is adjusted for my 19" torso and fits great unloaded, loaded it sags and Im constantly trying to raise it above my hips. If I go with the smaller torso pack, its way too small. I even home made a smaller size adjustment on the torso but then my sternum strap almost reaches my neck. dang
Footslogger
12-21-2006, 10:31
[quote=ncmtns;289741]well, my GG Latitude is adjusted for my 19" torso and fits great unloaded, loaded it sags and Im constantly trying to raise it above my hips.
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If you've got the hip belt pulled tightly and it's still sliding downward I would say one of three things (or maybe all of them) are going on:
1) You've got no hips
2) The hip belt is too big
3) There's too much weight in the pack
I hiked with the GG Vapor Trail for most of my thru in 2003 and as I started to loose weight I noticed that I was tugging more and more often at the hip belt. I got the next size down and the problem went away.
One thing I do (and you might already be doing this) is to take an "extra" tug at the belt AFTER I have it in place and snug. I pull my lower abdomen inward and then take ONE MORE yank on the loose ends of the hip belt (one side at a time) before I start hiking. It's a little restrictive at first but once I start hiking things stretch a bit and it feels good.
'Slogger
Most sternum straps can be raised/lowered if you have the webbing sewn onto the straps designed for it. Or since they hold little pressure, consider sewing a short piece of webbing on them lower down to lower the sternum strap.
If fit remains problematic, consider a custom pack custom fit to your body dimension. You will pay more for it but at what price do you attach comfort? Just a thought. Another is a Moonbow Gearskin:-?
The pictures and explanation leave a lot to be desired on his(her?) Moonbow website and should be corrected. All they show is the first, original way to load it and not the method utilizing multiple silnylon bags which is considerably better organized. Oh well!