Kifaru hipbelt question

[westsloper]

How thick is the hipbelt used on the Kifaru Duplex packs? I have never seen a Kifaru pack in person, but it looks like they have a different philosophy with hipbelts than companies like Mystery Ranch and Osprey, both of which use stiffeners in their belts. Kifaru belts seem thinner. Do you Kifaru users find that this works better than thicker, stiffer belts?

 

[Kotaman]

Kifaru has the best hip belt in the industry...they are thinner and wider than most everyone.

 

[Robnewf]

Kifaru belt is significantly thinner and not stiff at all. I'm a recent convert to kifaru and I had the same worries but I can honestly say it is way better than other packs I've had from numerous other high end companies. It conforms better to the hips. Its actually the first pack I've owned where I use the belt all the time. I used to be a guy who used it to give my shoulders a break until it got uncomfortable. Very thin in comparison but much wider and conforms better

Sent from my 9024O using Tapatalk

 

[westsloper]

Thanks for all the info, guys. How thin are we talking? 1 inch? 1/2 inch? I have seen some Mountainsmith packs from the late 90's (when Patrick Smith was still involved with Mountainsmith) that had 1/2 inch thick hipbelts on 4,000 cubic inch packs. I've never used one, but I guess the idea that the thinner belt molds to your hips better makes sense.

 

[Robnewf]

Padding on mine measures approximately 5/8 inch. Its thin. 6 inches wide at widest part

Sent from my 9024O using Tapatalk

 

[welpro222]

Too much padding does not allow the belt to be secured to hips when cinched down under heavy loads. The padding on the kifaru belt is just enough for comfort and shielding your hips from feeling any accessories you might mount on the belt.

 

[Bel72]

I've just had my Kifaru for one season, to my experience the thinner hipbelt wraps much better around my hips than any other pack I've used.

 

[westsloper]

Do Kifaru belts have any sort of stiffener in them? I've read some of the articles on the McHale packs webpage - he says that plastic stiffeners are a bad idea. The Exo people say something similar - that the stiffeners (like on most packs they sell at REI) help with mild loads, but once things get heavy they no longer help.

I know I can call Kifaru and ask them, but I enjoy hearing from people who use them.

 

[Bender]

Western,
We do not use plastic stiffeners in any of our belts. We use .5" closed cell foam for our duplex belts and each side is one solid piece so they won't migrate or do anything funny over time. Plastic in the belt can lead to hotspots due to restricting the foam from cupping the hip bones unless it is done very well. Shoot me an email or PM if you have any other questions! [email protected]

 

[jspradley]

The profile of Kifaru belts is slightly "cupped" as well, I can't help but think that it helps the belt stay tight on your iliac crest

 

[backcountryshaffer]

The belts on my Kifaru packs are the most comfy I've ever had. I don't pack insane loads but I've had my Duplex Hunter over 100. This is a bit off topic, but the shoulder straps on the new lite frames are money! They are by far, again, the best I've had the pleasure of using.

 

[Michiganhunter]

Now I understand why my ilbe pack belt starts to slide when I have 50 pounds or more in it. The padding is really thick and there is no big lumbar pad to hold it and I don’t have an ass to hold it up either. It makes sense now

 

[Marble]

Dont geek out on the stiffener. I put mine on today with a pistol tucked inside my pants and it was super comfy. I was literally shocked. I have not worn mystery or exo. But have done badlands, kifaru, Kelty, kuiu and one other. It's on a different level.

 

[Jimss]

If you do searches on Kifaru vs Stone Glacier and other belts you will notice that pretty much everyone that uses Kifaru is extremely happy with their belts. In fact, a lot of reviewers comment that they prefer Kifaru over any other belt they use....and wonder if it's possible to replace their belts with Kifaru! That was one of the biggest selling points when I chose Kifaru over the others. I've used and abused mine for years and it remains super comfortable. As mentioned above it is super comfortable with light or super heavy loads.

 

[MattB]

Kifaru has the best belt in the industry IMO, thinner but wider/taller thwn most others.

 

[Silas5150]

I must be in the minority here....the belt that came with my Kifaru tactical frame just didn't work for me. I replaced it with a Hill People Gear Prairie Belt and have had no further complaints. I did have to remove one of the two layers of foam from the HPG belt, but other than that it's been bliss. A side benefit of the switch was being able to control where the shoulder straps mate with the belt by using the G-hook straps included with the HPG belt.

 

[Shigawire4sure]

How thick is the hipbelt used on the Kifaru Duplex packs? I have never seen a Kifaru pack in person, but it looks like they have a different philosophy with hipbelts than companies like Mystery Ranch and Osprey, both of which use stiffeners in their belts. Kifaru belts seem thinner. Do you Kifaru users find that this works better than thicker, stiffer belts?

Very thin. Like a single layer of cordura, plus the pals on mine. Is an Omni though.

 

[Marble]

Very thin. Like a single layer of cordura, plus the pals on mine. Is an Omni though.

Mine is not like that at all. There is the single layer where the buckle is and then the padded portion.

 

[Shigawire4sure]

Yes, guess the duplex belts are more substantial

 

[VAHunter01]

Im going to hijack here, I apologize, but I have a belt issue as well. How do you get the straps to stay tight when you clinch them down?
No matter how I pull on them, I always lose a lot. Its like i can’t get the straps to lock in.
I can eventually get them tight enough to but it takes me pulling with all I have and hopefully digging in enough to when the let out it’s not too much.