backpack fit

[Companion]

i just got my osprey ariel 75 pack. size small. i did fill it up before trying it on and found out that the hipbelt rides up..so it rests on my waist rather than on my hips...*why* on earth would it ride up?

what does this imply? does it mean that i have gone for a small instead of a medium...i am trying to work it out inside my head but my head is too foggy and upset to figure out what it will take for it to rest lower..i.e. on my hips..i have had trouble with packs forever because of my rather..ahem..odd bodyshape...and i thought the osprey was the answer to all my troubles the aether 60 fitted me beautifully...i figured it was the same model...at least size wise.. at a local store where i tried on the packs, they said i was a XS for an osprey Luna after measuring my torso..and that means that i am a S for the ariel (ariel doesnt have a XS)

any thoughts? please?

[Grimace]

Seems to go against gravity. Perhaps if you pack it differently. Try putting some of the heavier stuff towards the bottom to focus more weight on your hips.

Are your shoulder straps too tight? load lifters too tight?

[Companion]

it fits! i feel so lame for the panic post earlier.. in a moment of panic, i thought i'd never find a pack that fits me...later last evening, i got someone to fix it for me..we weighed it down well(first time, i didnt add weight when i tried it out..just stuffed it to 'fill' it up)...and he played with the shoulder straps a little...it still came up to my waist tho'..kinda..but he said thats because there is hardly much distance between where my waist cinches and the iiliac crest(sp?)..and that its ok because the weight itself was resting on my hips...now..i have to take it out to the local park to test it out...thank you for the reply!

[gumball]

Just curious--now that you have had it a few days, how's it fitting? I had some problems with my aether 60, which now fits pretty well (although I still have to pad it some)--it was a matter of getting used to how it fits and packing it correctly. Am thinking about a larger women's pack. Didn't like the heaviness of the Luna 75, although I'm sure it carries its loads very well. How do you like the Ariel 75?

[stranger]

Generally the reason the hipbelt rides up has much to do with the angle of your hips...if you have flared hipbones (most women and some men) and the cant of the belt is wrong the pack will ride up as you tighten your shoulder harness.

Obviously the frame size needs to be correct also...if your pack's shoulder harness is adjusted up more than 2 inches you are in the wrong frame size. Keep in mind that Osprey packs run small and many people who would wear a small in say a Dana or Gregory, wear a medium Osprey.

Also their womens models are on a smaller scale than the mens, which is unique to many other pack companies...so a small womens frame is considerably smaller than a mens small. This causes alot of people to get the wrong size pack.

[fwassner]

I also seem to have a problem with backpack fit.
I have a Gregory Wind River. When it's loaded up (about 55 lbs, which I know is way too heavy) the pack always seems to ride down and makes it uncomfortable.

My first problem is my torso. I am a thin guy, and don't have much in the way of hips. I guess that's why the pack rides down.
I have played with all the straps, and the hip belt, and have come to conclude that I need to do some adjusting with the hip belt.
And also to lighten the pack by at least 10lbs.

I'm carrying 55 lbs for a 2 night trip!!
That's crazy. I'm working on changing all of that before my next trip.

[stranger]

You are probably wearing your hipbelt too low, make sure the top edge of the hipbelt is one inch higher than the TOP of your hip bone. When you lift your knee up high your legs should not be touching the hipbelt. Make sure it's on the top of the hips, not clinging to the sides...where it will eventually slide down regardless of weight or tension.

[Rain Man]

Originally posted by fwassner
... I am a thin guy, and don't have much in the way of hips. I guess that's why the pack rides down.
I have played with all the straps, and the hip belt, and have come to conclude that I need to do some adjusting with the hip belt.....

Gregory allows you to adjust the camber of the hipbelt, I believe. Perhaps that would help it stay up on your hips?

You can read about adjusting hipbelts on the Gregory site at:
http://www.gregorypacks.com/

Don't know if that will do it for you, but I hope this helps. Happy hiking!

Rain Man

[Companion]

update!

gumball: the pack begins to 'hug' you after you use it a couple of times...hmm..nostalgia..like the husband, actually... the ariel 75 is just A-ok....

i tried the luna..which imo is way too pricey...i am happy with the ariel...i have heard good things about the luna tho'...it felt a tad 'clunky' to me..but then again, i only tried it out..never ventured out with pack weight....

stranger: i went for an osprey precisely because of their smaller sizes..i was seriously considering the osprey luna because it was the only one that came in XS...my back is rather small..but my hips are wide...altho' the rest of me is medium...go figure..i feel like a freak already...

i do have one other problem even with the better fit of the osprey...the sternum strap(?)..the one that comes above the chest....its placed waaaaaaayy above..its almost grazing my chin...it doesnt bother me atm...i'll have to figure out why it happens and how to fix it...

fwassner: i carried 25 lbs for a two day trip.. including the weight of the pack!

my husband is pretty hipless too...he wears a wide belt..says that it banks the slipping pack...friction, maybe?

i am still getting used to the pack...figuring it out and i think its figuring me out too..its not a purrfect fit ...but i am sure one of us will conquer the other..

[gumball]

Companion:

Since the time I last posted that I, too, purchased an Ariel 75. I initially tried the Aether 60, but it didn't work out for a number of reasons--mainly it is not suited to my body type. I had the good fortune of talking with Jeff at Mt. Rogers Outfitters, who steered me not only toward the Ariel 75, but to the exact fit I needed to customize it to my torso, hips, etc. He UPS'd it up to me, and by the next week I was wearing it on a 100 mile trek through the Shenandoahs. I have to tell you that for all the grumbling I did about sore feet, bug bites, PUDS, etc--I had absolutely no problem with the pack. I carried about 28 to 32 lbs in it, and it snugged right in, as you noted. I love this pack and hope it lasts a long, long time.

gumball

[fwassner]

Thanks for the help. I've just got to get around to making the adjustment.

[Patco]

Don't hate me, but I have a 32 inch waist. The MountainSmith internal frame pack I've been using works fine and it was sized for waists 32 and larger, however, after being out for a few days either my waist shrinks or the nylon straps stretch because even with them tightened ALL THE WAY, I still need to snug them in a little more. (you can see on my profile pic that there is about 15 inches left over on each strap) These are sown into the hip pads, which are sown into the pack. The hip pads just about meet in the middle in the front.

Do I need to replace the hip pad and belt system with one for smaller waists or is there a way to adjust these?

[Kerosene]

Patco, I'm pretty sure that you're going to have to replace the hip belt if the ends are touching. Either that, or get a lot chunkier before starting your hikes.