Seek Outside Divide or other seek outside backpack - Question

Can anyone with a seek outside pack tell me how the shoulder strap harness attaches to the pack bag? I bought a pair of shoulder straps and hipbelt from them to update an old Jansport frame and cant figue it out based on pictures I found on the web.

I know how the load lifters attach and the vertical straps on the hip belt attach to the bottom of the shoulder straps. Its the vertical strapsat the back of the harness I need info about.

All the pictures on the web have those straps disappearing behind the backband on the pack. Do those vertical straps attach to the cushy backband or do they attach to the back of the backpack bag itself?

Look at this video starting at 12:45 and see if that helps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxG6L8yAwfc&t=429s

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Originally Posted by grubbster

Look at this video starting at 12:45 and see if that helps.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxG6L8yAwfc&t=429s

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He says "this little attachment piece goes right down here". That's what I'm trying to figure out .., what is right down here? Its always behind the cushy back band in any video or picture I've found and there's never any details on that. Is "right down here" an attachment on the back band or the pack and what sort of attachment is it? You might not know. Unless a person had to completely remove the harness theres no need to look back there.

The upper part of the bag has a buckle sewn into the pack bag. The lower pack bag area has a latter lock sewn to bag to create a fixed loop. The harness webbing goes down through the bottom latter lock loop and back up through the upper buckle to tighten. Hard to explain really. Not sure you can get that to work on a pack not designed for that type of harness system. Belt attaches by 2 bolts through the grommets on each side through the frame itself.

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Originally Posted by blgoode

The upper part of the bag has a buckle sewn into the pack bag. The lower pack bag area has a latter lock sewn to bag to create a fixed loop. The harness webbing goes down through the bottom latter lock loop and back up through the upper buckle to tighten. Hard to explain really. Not sure you can get that to work on a pack not designed for that type of harness system. Belt attaches by 2 bolts through the grommets on each side through the frame itself.

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Thanks for the response - I understand how it basically works - the question is whether the bottom loop is sewn to the horizontal black band that goes from one side of the frame to the other or to the pack bag itself. The original uniwaeep had the loop on the horizontal band (I think).

I'm updating my old jansport and sewing a new bag to go on it. I didn't like the xpac material and some of the details on the divide. It costs too much to not get exactly what I want. I'm using gridstop and hyperD 300 material. The jansport frame and the seek outside frames are nearly identical. By adding their hipbelt and harness I can customize a bag to get whatever I want.

I think you could attach the bottom loop loop to either place but I don't want to waste my time with trial and error.., attachment to the back of the bag rather than the cross band seems like the better choice.

If you could clarify your response it would help me a lot. I've been looking for this info for a couple of weeks.

I’ll have to take a look. The pack I use the most is an Evolution frame and different than the unaweep. I know it is attached to the black band that goes across. Attaching to the pack bag would be an entrance for water by sewing holes in it and I know I would remember that. It’s on the black band I’m 99% sure.

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Originally Posted by blgoode

I’ll have to take a look. The pack I use the most is an Evolution frame and different than the unaweep. I know it is attached to the black band that goes across. Attaching to the pack bag would be an entrance for water by sewing holes in it and I know I would remember that. It’s on the black band I’m 99% sure.

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I've been working on this project for YEARS - it hasn't been a priority until recently. I'm shooting for something like the divide 4500. Its hard to imagine why attaching the loops to the black band doesn't pull the band and the pack up since the frame tapers. I see that some of their newer versions have a vertical piece of webbing coming off the black band that attaches to the frame at the bottom, anchoring it. Maybe this new thing was to address that issue - don't know.
I wanted to use rawhide mesh for the band to get some good ventilation. I still might do that if I can work out the details. Attaching a harness to that will take some thought. Mesh doesn't really want to be sewn. I'm in the deep south and I am soaked with sweat within a few minutes of starting a hike most seasons of the year due to the humidity.

Yes. It is sewn into the black back pad/ frame wrapping piece.

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Originally Posted by blgoode

Yes. It is sewn into the black back pad/ frame wrapping piece.

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Thanks for the information.

Good luck with the pack.

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Originally Posted by blgoode

Good luck with the pack.

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Maybe I'll see you some day on the trail in the linville gorge. Thanks again.

Hope to get back there soon!!

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Originally Posted by blgoode

Yes. It is sewn into the black back pad/ frame wrapping piece.

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Can you describe the black back pad and what it's made of?

From pictures it looks like a lightweight cordura with some foam sandwiched between the cover pieces. Maybe its a lighter fabric - can't tell from the pictures.

I had planned to put an old school separate back band attached to the frame (not attached to the pack) on my design for better ventilation but nobody seems to have a suitable mesh. So, now I may do something else (more like the original) even though the mesh would be more comfortable in the SE humidity. Spacer mesh might be an in between solution.