How Tight for your Waist Belt

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Well title says it all, but to elaborate:

When you're packing a heavy load, lets say #150 in your pack, how tight does your hip belt need to be to keep the load riding on your hips and not your shoulder? Should it be tight enough that its slightly uncomfortable to keep it from slipping around?


What about with a normal load? Say #40, should it be a lot looser in that situation?

It always seems like when I am using my pack that I make the belt tight and that after awhile it starts to get real annoying...


Maybe someone has a fitment video that illustrates it well?

 

[Ben Sellers]

As an all gut, no butt kind of guy I have to have my belt as tight as possible when I have a heavy load. My normal walking around tightness is fairly but not extremely tight.

 

[ignorethefringes]

Tight enough that you can't hardly see the belt anymore, just a big pile of fat being forced out over the top and bottom. I agree with the above too, I don't like the pack riding down on my butt at all.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Well I know about 2 people that can actually carry a 150# pack out of the mountains--I don't mean just stumbling down a flat trail like I would be doing--but having carried a lot of loads in the 100-115 range it comes down to how the pack works with your body. You're not going to get 100% of a load that big on your hips and have any kind of ability to navigate obstacles. Yes you can crank down the hip belt, and I do, but if you let the shoulder straps totally slack it's uncontrollable for getting around. By the time you've gone any distance, you'll have a good start on some bloody hip bones unless you've been toughening up the skin there. There is no "comfortable" when hauling monster loads; what a high end pack does is make it manageable and more stable/safe.
With a big load there's just going to be some weight on your shoulders IME, and that's not a bad thing.

 

[Irrelevant]

I personally can't stand to have that much on my hips and much prefer to keep more weight on my shoulders. But with loads in excess of 80# I am almost constantly adjusting the pack to shift the pain around...

 

[Walkathon]

My ability to pack anything effectively tops out at about 85lbs. I know this because I weighed my load one time. I'm probably a 70/30 ratio of hips to shoulder load sharing. 150 lbs is way above my pay grade.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

I agree #150 is heavy, but I know for the pack from camp to the truck will be a nice smooth trail that I won't have to worry about climbing over logs, and will be down hill so I figure I should have that as my "planned weight" for training and what not. See what the body can handle!


Also sounds like most people are also in the tighten the crap out of it boat, so I guess its the normal thing to do

 

[teej89]

haha the overthinking is great!

I dunno, just put it on and adjust as needed. Last year after packing out 3 bulls in 9 days you could see rug burn on portions of my hips, shoulders felt great tho. Busch lights as necessary.

Best case scenario, your buddy has to take a dump giving you time to quickly shift some meat from yours into his without him knowing. I mean what else are hunting partners for?!

 

[RockinU]

Yeah, it's gotta be somewhat uncomfortably tight. I figured out a long time ago that when I have a heavy load I can't wear my regular pants belt under the hip belt of my pack...digs into my hips bad.

As for 150 lbs...I'd make it two trips, it doesn't take much of a bad step or a slip, and your trip is over with a blown knee or ankle. I do bleachers with 85 lbs, and can't even contemplate what 150 would feel like.

 

[406LIFE]

Some of this will have to do with pack fit for your body and how the pack handles weight. If you have load lifters, that ill bring the weight close to your body and direct the weight down towards the hips.

I'd also tell you to trim the weight down and do more trips.

 

[JTHOMP]

I've been experimenting with my pack at 50lbs and the tightness of the belt has been on my mind. Most of the time I tighten the crap out of it. Learned that I should get a thinner cloth or synthetic material for a belt rather that my normal leather belt because the tight straps against the belt does make it uncomfortable. But I'll also loosen it and let my shoulders carry the load. Way I see it, it can't hurt to let everything get tough now and hurt less when the work counts.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

I've been experimenting with my pack at 50lbs and the tightness of the belt has been on my mind. Most of the time I tighten the crap out of it. Learned that I should get a thinner cloth or synthetic material for a belt rather that my normal leather belt because the tight straps against the belt does make it uncomfortable. But I'll also loosen it and let my shoulders carry the load. Way I see it, it can't hurt to let everything get tough now and hurt less when the work counts.

I should add that I only use suspenders while hunting cause it eliminates all of those kinds of issues. I'd suggest giving it a try, but be aware it can rub wrong on your shoulders with a pack, so its not a magical cure.

 

[Bambistew]

I crank it down until its almost uncomfortable with heavy loads, but you really can't get it tight enough to get 70% on the hips The physics just don't work... For me, getting it too tight really puts a strain on the hip flexors, and they get sore as hell. I'd say its probably 60/40ish for really heavy loads if you are lucky. I don't think I could get up with 150lbs, without help I would just flounder. hahaha.

 

[mplane72]

I'll make 2 trips at 75.

I find my pack fits best and is most effective when the waist belt buckle is pretty much over my belly button and things are adjusted right so my load lifters actually can work as designed. From here a slight adjustment on the shoulder straps shifts the weight more or less onto my hips as I want it. Belt is tight but not unbearable.

 

[ignorethefringes]

I'll make 2 trips at 75.

I find my pack fits best and is most effective when the waist belt buckle is pretty much over my belly button and things are adjusted right so my load lifters actually can work as designed. From here a slight adjustment on the shoulder straps shifts the weight more or less onto my hips as I want it. Belt is tight but not unbearable.

I also wear my waist belt is high like that. Otherwise it wants to slide way down and I feel like the pack is sitting on top of my best. Plus it wears out my hip flexors faster.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I say this not intending for it to come across as smart ass, but I might fail, so know it is coming from a good place.

As with many things, you cannot short circuit experience, and the process is the learning. In the course of training to hump a heavy load you will have experienced enough trial and error to answer this question for yourself. Conversely, if you haven't had the experience/practice, no amount of internet advice will help you.

bottom line: start walking with a 60lb load, and with it loose, and progressively tighten it while walking. It won't take long for you to find your spot. You can tell when the waist belt is, or isn't, working.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Just an update.

The other weekend I went for a 5 mile hike with 100# loaded in my pack. Finding the right spot took a while along with the correct level of tightness. It seems that I adjust the pack tightness or where it is sitting on my hips every 20 mins or so.

Moral of the story, no different than it's ever been for me while hiking with a heavy pack.

Side note: 100# felt fine, but did point out my body's weak point that is my hip flexors, so I need to focus in on those for the next month to get ready for the mountains.

 

[Bluejeep]

It took me a summer full of training hikes to get to learn my pack and how I like it riding on me. I like to start with the waist belt above my hips, tighten the crap out of it, then stand up straight and let it kind of work down onto my hips after a few steps. I also found I am about a 60/40 hips to shoulders kind of person.

Even though I've been backpacking for several years, I find I am always tweaking the shoulder straps/waist belt/load lifers every 20-30 minutes and more often with more weight. It's not that the pack is adjusted incorrectly, it's more that I am moving the weight from one part of my body to another, giving my hips or shoulders a rest as needed