Hip Belt Issues for 13 y/o Son

[wedgetail]

Just wondering if anyone can comment on a backpack fit issue I’m having with my son. He’s 13, on the skinny side of average. I’ve already shortened the hip belt and he can tighten it as much as he wants now. Once the feels in the right place and the belt is really tight everything is good for 10-15 minutes but then it slips down noticeably and the pack rubs on his collar bone.

I’m thinking the hip belt is too wide - the padding is almost 4” where it joins the frame/bag. Im
Wondering if this is the issue and not conforming to his torso. I can open the fabric, trim the padding and restitch but wanted to get some opinions first. The pack is a North Face Terra 65 - not high end but hopefully he can use it on our upcoming 4 day hunt in October to work out what/if to upgrade to.

 

[LCguy]

Is it the proper length for his torso? I had this same problem and fixed it by adjusting the harness a little shorter.

 

[wedgetail]

Is it the proper length for his torso? I had this same problem and fixed it by adjusting the harness a little shorter.

Yes - I had to alter it but it is now short enough - on minimum it is too small

 

[butcherboy]

Can’t help you much but this is why Exo makes a pack for youth and women. Also, there is another company that specifically makes youth packs and have had reviews here but I can’t remember the name. Do a search or maybe someone will just post the name of the company.

 

[wedgetail]

Can’t help you much but this is why Exo makes a pack for youth and women. Also, there is another company that specifically makes youth packs and have had reviews here but I can’t remember the name. Do a search or maybe someone will just post the name of the company.

Thanks, I’ve actually reached out to the Exo podcast with this question - hopefully they’ll have time to comment. It would be good to buy him a pack eventually but for the moment I just want to get this one usable

 

[TaperPin]

I’d steer clear of a single pack made for both kids and women. Women have more curves and a belt that works best for them isn’t doing a skinny kid any good.

The bad news for skinny guys with no hips is there’s nothing to hold the belt up so the best you can do is a pack with shaped belt that really claws onto whatever hips are there, AND has a well fitting shelf at the correct angle to sit up on the top of whatever butt is there. Again, skinny kids with no butt are what they are.

Regardless of what well meaning pack fitting instructions you go by that are designed for average shaped and size folks, the less weight that can be applied to the waist, means the shoulders have to pick up more of the load. Shoulders are full of different muscles so it won’t be automatic that it feels comfortable or works well, but many of us small hipped guys treat it like the rest of our muscles that have to be kept in shape.

Warning bells go off when someone is modifying a large torso pack for a smaller size. Is the shoulder strap attachment dropped down to where it makes a normal curve up and over the shoulders so it can carry some weight and not just keep the pack pulled against the body? I’m not visualizing how well fitting shoulder straps ride any different with more of a load unless they weren’t fitting very well to begin with. Packs curve to match the back - does that model have aluminum stays that can be modified/bent to fit the curve of his back? Is the lumbar area too high and actually pushing the pack down? Etc.

I love tinkering with packs, and had a short torso human in the family that we spent a lot of time modifying packs for, but pack fitting actually has to fit all the parts or half of it will still be working against you.

 

[TaperPin]

If modifying a belt, look at a small well shaped belt to duplicate, or better yet graft the sides of a good belt onto your pack. By far the best solution is pick up a pack that fits him. Used Dana Teraplane packs come in all sizes and the liners of the pack cloth in many are old enough it’s a little sticky so they are dirt cheap. I bought a medium Teraplane and small Astralplane in new condition for $50 each and these are equal or better than the top packs today because each size of belt, shoulder straps and pack are specifically shaped differently and not just adding more adjustment notches for one size fits all. Dana belts come in woman and men’s models with different angles. The system of custom fitting packs with so many options has gone away with most companies dumbing down their designs.

 

[V2Pnutrition]

It sounds like the pack may just not be the one for him if you're looking for a really great fit.

What do the load lift angles look like when on?
A couple of photos could help some ideas, too.

I'd imagine the wrap on the hip belt is too large and you'd have to do some pretty extensive modification to get a good wrap on his hips for it to stay put- especially with weight. Trimming it might make it worst too if there's no wedge or "purchase" at his back. It may just slide more.

I run the XS hip belt on the Exo packs at a 30" waist. I have about 1/2 of the hip belt webbing left before it completely bottoms out. I have also run the EXS ("women's") and short standard (23.5") frames. The EXS was a little too short for my torso and found a great balance at around 23". Since I'm built like a 13 year old, I'm happy to take some measurements if it'd be helpful in you making a decision (haha!)