Fat-Packer needs help!!!

[srestrepo]

:eek:i recently got an osprey atmos 50 as a gift, but being a bigger guy the waist belt doesnt fit me comfortably. i would hate to start hacking away at this thing but the other shoulderstraps fit me comfortably and i have yet to try it out ut that back thing looks pretty comfortable and would probably vent great. but i would want to know what everyone thinks about me hacking up the waistbelt at the base of the belt and then snaking new webbing through the clips so that it fits comfortably. idont know what to do, i just got this thing and i love it and want to keep it but realistically it doesn't fit me. please help..

[lunchbx]

mod it however you need to, or you can sell it and get something that fits you better. I would keep it and mod it as long as it fit comfortably otherwise, I am also a larger person and my main requirment when looking for a new pack is making sure the waistbelt fits before anything else. I am sure there is a variety of options for making the belt bigger. good luck

[Phoenixdadeadhead]

:eek:i recently got an osprey atmos 50 as a gift, but being a bigger guy the waist belt doesnt fit me comfortably. i would hate to start hacking away at this thing but the other shoulderstraps fit me comfortably and i have yet to try it out ut that back thing looks pretty comfortable and would probably vent great. but i would want to know what everyone thinks about me hacking up the waistbelt at the base of the belt and then snaking new webbing through the clips so that it fits comfortably. idont know what to do, i just got this thing and i love it and want to keep it but realistically it doesn't fit me. please help..
If all the tags are still on it try taking it to your local hiking/camping store and see if you can exchange it for a larger one. Just tell them it was a gift, most times a good shop will be very helpful.

[Johnny Thunder]

I know that you like the pack but it's probably best to trade it in (however you can) for a new one that actually fits.

A few months back I went into MRO WANTING to buy an Atmos series pack. I was so convinced that I almost didn't let them fit me. That would have been dumb. Apparently, for a skinny guy I must have a huge butt. I'm 6 ft tall and 175 lbs but the way the pack sat on top of my rear caused my hamstrings to go numb. I mean real numb. Like, stick a fork in 'em...they're numb.

I think that because the frame is so rigid, the fit on those packs has to be even closer to perfect than any other model. Good luck but I have to say, you might want to start looking elsewhere.

[lustreking]

I wonder if you could find the same type of clips somewhere and make an extension strap. That way you could lengthen the belt without permanently modifying the pack

[MintakaCat]

I wonder if you could find the same type of clips somewhere and make an extension strap. That way you could lengthen the belt without permanently modifying the pack


I was thinking the same thing. Kind of like a seatbelt extension that airlines use except you would make it using the same types of clips that are on the pack.

[bigcranky]

Make sure the bottom of the metal frame actually fits your hips without digging in. I tried a similar pack (Stratos) and even the large pack still dug into my hips badly.

[traildust]

I vote for taking it back. Don't hack into it. Modifications can lead to trouble down the road. If you are hiking for two or three weeks you will loose weight most likely and the hip belt will need to be tightened. If you are doing a weekend hike you will need it to fit as close to perfect as possible. A good outfitter will be able to possibly exchange the belt for a larger one maybe.

[Nasty Dog Virus]

Does the Atmos 50 have a removeable harness? I have a Kestrel 48 that I use in the summer and its harness can be removed. My local outfitter has 2 or 3 other harnesses that I could use with the pack. Another harness might be an option? If not, I would take it to an outfitter and trade it in on something comfortable...

[Nasty Dog Virus]

Nevermind what I said about the harness, the hip belts are not removeable. Trade it in :-)

[BigFoot2002]

If you like the pack, the extension straps are a good idea.

Or you can try Granite Gear packs, which can be ordered with hip and shoulder straps in different sizes.

[Windstorm]

You can modify the waist belt to make it larger, by getting a set of clips and extra nylon webbing/belting. Just put the clips into the ones that are already in there and have the extra piece of nylon belting joining them. You can sew the nylon belting so that it is a permanent size or leave it to adjust it. The clips are about 1.50 each. The nylon belting/webbing can be gotten at most trail outfitters around here for $5.

This is a nondestructive modification to the pack, costs about $10 or less. If you like it, then you could use it. If you ended up losing weight, you can just take off the extension and use the pack as is. If you don't like it and have time, you can take the pack back.

[Toolshed]

I wonder if you could find the same type of clips somewhere and make an extension strap. That way you could lengthen the belt without permanently modifying the pack


I did this with an old backpack that had a waist belt that went to about 38" (I was 42"). Cost me less than $5 for a quick fix.
The nice thing is that if you decide you don't like the "fix" you haven't cut anything on the backpack, so you can still return it in unmodified condition (if this is an option) .

I used Tri-Glides and a 12-14" piece of 1.5 Inch webbing, which I doubled back for stiffness, putting the original pack buckle on the loop end and the looses ends through the Tri-Glide with the original strap from the backpack hipbelt. It was tight getting them through the Tri-Glides(I used 2, side by side) but once all three straps were in the Tri-Glides, nothing slipped.
Tri-glides - http://www.rei.com/product/612231
Webbing = http://www.rei.com/product/603006
(this is 1" webbing, but 1.5 & 2 Inch webbing is available at most outfitters.)

One other thing - You said it didn't fit comfortably, rather than it didn't fit. Nylon webbing does tend to stretch a bit after you tighten it up.

[srestrepo]

i just wanted to say (for no other reason than to appease myself) that i've lost enough weight to make this pack fit.

there i said it.

i'm sebastian and i used to eat too much...

[mister pooh]

Good for you! I'm now on the "Going from ordering a Warbonnet BB 1.7 double layer to a 1.1 double" diet. Lighter person in a lighter hammock seems like a winner to me :)

[Big Dawg]

i just wanted to say (for no other reason than to appease myself) that i've lost enough weight to make this pack fit.

there i said it.

i'm sebastian and i used to eat too much...


Good for you!!!



I'm Big Dawg and I used to eat too much... my Opsrey Atmos 65 fits much better now!:banana

[mudhead]

i just wanted to say (for no other reason than to appease myself) that i've lost enough weight to make this pack fit.

there i said it.

i'm sebastian and i used to eat too much...

Rock on. :sun

Hoover those carrots.

[ShelterLeopard]

i just wanted to say (for no other reason than to appease myself) that i've lost enough weight to make this pack fit.

there i said it.

i'm sebastian and i used to eat too much...

Awesome! Good for you. I'm working on the same right now. I mean, everything fits, but I'm way over my ideal weight. I've just been living vicariously though myself, saying that I'll eat whatever I want on the trail when I leave in 2.5 months, and therefor do NOT need to eat it now. I only want to lose 15 before the hike though, 'cause I figure the trail will do the rest!

[JAK]

I wonder if you could find the same type of clips somewhere and make an extension strap. That way you could lengthen the belt without permanently modifying the pack



I was thinking the same thing. Then when he hikes off that weight he will be all set. Great minds think alike eh.

[white_russian]

I was thinking the same thing. Then when he hikes off that weight he will be all set. Great minds think alike eh.

Well its irrelevant now since the OP has lost the weight, but I bet if someone needed some of their proprietary clips all you would have to do is call Osprey and they might even ship them out for free. I had to call Big Agnes for some replacement clips one time and they just handed them out like candy.

[JAK]

I've managed to loose a few pounds myself. I've found roughly 5 pounds = 1" waistline.

[warraghiyagey]

http://www.go4thestars.com/5240gb.jpg

[superman]

I've managed to loose a few pounds myself. I've found roughly 5 pounds = 1" waistline.

What are you doing to lose the weight?

[hikingshoes]

Ive been riding my bike for about 2-3months now and ive lost 19lbs.I was 249lbs @5'11'' and now im down to 230 as of today.Hang in there.Charles
i just wanted to say (for no other reason than to appease myself) that i've lost enough weight to make this pack fit.

there i said it.

i'm sebastian and i used to eat too much...

[JAK]

What are you doing to lose the weight?

The diet I am following is pretty straightforward:
3 servings fruit (e.g. 1/2 cup blueberries = 1 serving)
3 servings vegetable (e.g. 1/2 cup veggies = 1 serving)
1 serving whole grain (e.g. 1/3 cup oats)
3 servings low-fat dairy (1/2 cup skim milk = 1 serving)
3 servings protien(e.g. can of sardines, eggs, meat, whatever)

Biggest cutback is on sugar, starch, and junkfood. I am not as fussy about dietary fat as I used to be. Fat will set me back a little, but seems to keep me from cheating. Once I start cheating on carbs, its really hard to stop. Can't have just one. The calories in the above varies somewhat depending on how much fat goes with the protien. If my wife cooks a big steak for supper I will eat it and enjoy it and try and go a little leaner on the protien the next day, like an egg-white omelete.

In theory I can lose 0.2 to 0.3 pounds per day dieting, but it might only be 0.1 to 0.2 pounds per day because of the extra fat in the diet. But the extra fat keeps me from cheating. I also think it helps keep my body in fat burning mode vs carb burning mode.

For exercise I walk, hike, or run. I try and get out twice a day, but average once a day, about 10km. I find walking is just as good as running for weight loss. Better really, because I am more likely to be able to do it again the next day. I figure I lose an additional 0.1 pounds for every 1 hour of exercise, whether it is walking, hiking, or running. The running burns more calories, but the extra calories are carbs, which have to be put back. I still like the running though. My best days have been when I do at least 2 hours of walking and maybe 1 hour of easy running. We have a great park here 2km away from my door, and I've been finding some new trails.

Overall, I would be very happy with 10 pounds per month, but what I find is you can gain back in a day or two of transgression what takes you a week or two to take off. I think I'm getting better at putting the ice cream back in the freezer after taking it out. The daily exercise is important not just to burn the extra 0.1 to 0.2 pounds of fat, but also for the discipline and self-esteem. That's the real key, I think.

I track my weight every day on Wii Fit, so I have kept a graph now since last Christmas. I dropped from 230# to 200# fairly quick, like from February to June. Gained 10# back in August, which I've since lost. So over a year I've actually only lost 30 pounds, but I am getting better at it I think. Learning alot about myself. Nice to be running again also. I would like to hit the trails for some longer hikes also, but am content with daily hikes and runs for now. A long weekend hike is a great way to kick the body into fat burning mode. Great for the soul too, of course.

[JAK]

I think a real important part of dieting is to limit your carbohydrate intake to no more than what you need. What you need varies, so it helps to do some figuring. Here's how I figure it.

Daily Carbohydrate Needs:
1. Brain activity = 400 kcal/day. Pretty much constant. Brains can't burn fat.
2. Light activity 15% of say 2000 kcal = 300 kcal.
3. Hard activity 60% of say 1000 kcal of a hard run = 600 kcal.

So you see the carbohydrate requirements can vary quite a lot, depending on whether or not you go out for an hour of hard exercise. By far the biggest variable though is the light activity, which makes up most of your daily calories, for most people anyway. The body will provide most of this energy from body fat, if you let it, but if you keep it oversupplied with carbs, it will burn the carbs. So there is a bit of a balancing act between resupplying carbs for your next hard run, and not oversupplying carbs which will prevent you from burning fat. The biggest battle is with cravings though, which come on now and then. Your mind will trick you into eating more than you really need, especially when it gets a taste of something sweet or starchy, and especially if your feeling a little down.

Between meals I can usually get by on coffee or tea with lots of skim milk. I might be having too much caffiene lately, but that's another story. When I do I try and switch more to tea. Biggest thing though is the binges. Usually its because I am behind on my work, so I skip a day of exercise, and that gets me down, so I replace the exercise with food. So my weight jumps up about 7 pounds in a single day or two, only 1-2 pounds of might be real weight, but still its 1-2 days wasted, and another 5-10 days to make up for it. Over a time I'm hoping I will learn from these mistakes, and manage them better. In other words, make it a healthy feast, like a turkey dinner, rather waste the opportunity on junk food. I'm looking forward to Christmas dinner. I'll get our for a hike the day before, maybe even fast a little beforehand, and if I gain a few pounds at least it will be real food, and it will feel just as good coming off the next few days as it did going on. :)