Osprey pack and cheezy Custom Molding

[Tacoda]

Ya I have a Cresent pack from five years ago. I'm looking for a smaller, light weight pack and I surfed to the Osprey home page.

I am interested in a new Osprey pack but this custom stuff bothers me alot. It's the the 'custom fit' that bothers me. It's the device they use.

http://www.ospreypacks.com/PackTech/CustomMolding/

Reminds me of the popcorn machines I've seen at small places. They clam:

Our specialty retailers invest a great deal in Osprey CM ovens and CM certified fitters to heat mold your new hipbelt. If you purchase your pack online, feel free to visit your local CM Certified Dealer to get the hipbelt molded, but be prepared to pay a reasonable charge for the service.

I think I have seen these guys at a local carnival:

http://www.ospreypacks.com/CustomerService/CustomerService/

So has anyone tried this exclusive custom fitting from Osprey? And If i buy another Osprey pack, am I certain to always curse the pack fitting gods if I do not put my Osprey waist belt into this popcorn machine?

[frieden]

I have the Osprey Ariel 75, but I've never gotten the belt molded. I was worried that my body would drastically change (and it did), and then the belt wouldn't be right anymore. There is a learning curve with an Osprey, but once you get it right, it's a great pack. Well, it's a Yugo pack (especially the zippers) on a BMW frame.

[tripp]

I have the Aether 70. I did get the belt molded, but I honestly couldn't tell that much of a difference in the way it fit afterwards. It can be remolded if your body does change, they say up to 3 times. In the future if I buy another Osprey pack I don't think that I would get the hipbelt "custom fitted." I love the pack though, most comfortable pack I've owned to date.

[ShakeyLeggs]

I have the Cresent 70 and had the belt fitted. I must say that this pack has very quickly became my favorite. I have owned Jansports, Mountainsmith, Camp Trails, and Dana packs, my Osprey blows them all away. As for remolding the hip belt I was told when I bought mine it could be remolded up to 5 times. I asked the same question you have about weight loss and fit and I was told the belt would conform better to me the more I wore it. Which raised another question, If the belt conforms as I wear it then why go thru the molding process and was told that molding just speeds up the process. I highly recommend Osprey pack and do recommend the molding process.

[humunuku]

I (heart) my molded Aether - I cant imagine a hip belt fitting any better

[RedneckRye]

The molding does wonders for the Crescent and Luna packs because they have the beefier belts and suspensions. On the Aethers and Ariels, the molding isn't nearly as pronounced.
I got to demo one of the '06 Aether 60s in the fall of '05 for a couple of weeks and did not mold the belt. The pack worked great. I got one of my own in March of last year and didn't get a chance to mold it before I headed down to Springer. I hiked to Erwin and then was back home for a week before I went out to the PCT. I molded the belt during the time between hikes and didn't really notice much difference.
As far as worrying about your body changing, it isn't too big of a deal. The Crescent/ Luna belts can be molded 3 times, the Aether/ Ariel can be molded twice.
The molding technology isn't anything new, it has been used in high end ski boots for years.

[themonkey]

I've got the Atmos 50 and I didn't bother getting the belt molding. As RedneckRye stated, this technology has been used in skiboots for a long time. Basically, the molding process only speeds up the foam compression that will naturally occur with time/use. The molding process should give the hip belt a more comfortable feel right off the rack. Almost like breaking in a heavy boot before you leave the store. Some people really like the idea.

If your body changes you heat the belt again and the foam will expand allowing you to, for lack of better term, start over. As mentioned, this can be done a couple times. Some will say 3, others say 5. Of course, it’s hard to predict exactly. Some ski boot companies are now working with foam they claim can be remolded as many times as you want. I don’t know about that, but it sounds good.

Again, I didn’t bother dealing with the molding process. My belt was comfy right off the rack, and it should only take a couple days of use to mold to your body anyway.

Good luck!

m

[Blue Wolf]

Get the belt moulded it takes only 20 mins of your time & if you have hip bones that stick out it gives them a pocket to set in.

All they do is heat it up you put it on cinch it down and that's it custom fit to your hips I say have it done to me it was worth it but I have BIG hip bones.

[RedneckRye]

The Atmos packs have a sewn in belt and cannot be heat molded.
At the shop where I work, we have found that the molding helps skinnier folks much more than those with more "natural" padding on their hips.

[themonkey]

You're right!!! My error. I know this seems ridiculous, but I own both the Atmos 50 and the Exposure 50. The Exposure has the moldable belt. I use the Atmos waaaaay more than the Exposure.

When I got the packs last year, I worked at a shop also. Though a manual mix up with the ordering system I received both packs in error, about 3 months apart. I decided to just keep them both (I paid for both too). I figured I would use the Atmos for hiking and the Exposure for winter back country skiing. Totally unnecessary and gluttonous I know, but my wife fits both packs (and worked for the shop) as well so it wasn't a big deal. I love both packs, but the Atmos is lighter and cooler.

Thanks for pointing that out RedneckRye. Mis-information like that drives me nuts!! I never worked with Packs in the shop, but found similar fitting/molding comments with ski boots. It was generally the people with bony feet who appreciated the heat molding.

m

[headchange4u]

I had my pack molded because it was free. My outfitter said that the belt will mold itself without the use of the oven but it takes something like 100 hours of wearing the pack before it becomes "molded".