alalskaman
04-20-2004, 00:31
I wonder if anyone else has this problem - I have a hard time getting a waist belt to carry much load, because I have a very flat lumbar area, no butt to speak of - so belts always either do nothing much, or creep down until the front of the belt rests on my two pointy hip bones, which get sore. Lately I have cut the pack weight down a lot, so a Granite Gear Vapor Trail is pretty comfy even with the belt not doing a lot. but this question still kind of bugs me, and I would like to know if there are any other "flatback, tubular" types, and if you've found a solution. Thanks, Bill
stranger
05-08-2004, 21:41
Even with little to no curve in your lumbar you should be able to get a decent pack fit. Your problem is less to do with you and more to do with your pack choices and whoever is fitting you. It's not that hard to work with this problem but it's not something you can tell someone how to do, you need to be working alongside the person and trying different things out.
This is definitely a stay bending issue...bending stays properly can make or break a pack fit. If you have little curve in your lumbar you need to make sure the stays are flattened to compensate in the lumbar area. All packs will come from the factory with a decent amount of lumbar curve which you will need to take out. Unfortunately this is a trial and error procedure and can take some time to work out.
I would also look into packs that have their lumbar pad flush with the rest of the back panel foam and hipbelt. Arc'Teryx is a good example of this in their Bora series. Lowe Alpine would be the opposite, having a very pronounced lumbar pad in many models. The best thing to do is find someone who can fit packs well and will be willing to spend plenty of time with you to get it right. They need to know how to bend stays correctly, and you should be able to tell the difference after they do it.
Another thing you can try is going to a external frame pack. Traditional externals don't carry much weight to the lower back, therefore do not have lumbar pads. Newer models have tried to incorporate this into their designs but it rarely works. Hope this helps you...good luck.