Need advise from pack experts.

[WVELK]

I am having a couple issues with my new Stone Glacier Sky 5900 that is on the XCURVE frame.
One is pack specific the other is a problem I have with all packs so looking for advice.

I am lean at 6 feet tall and 165 pounds when starting a hunt. I don’t hunt a lot with a full frame pack, but am not a stranger to it either. On the Sky 5900 the padded lumbar support seems to thick which pushes the top of the pack forward and into my neck. Today, I went for a 2 hour hike, and ended up removing the pad all together. That was better, but not perfect. I think a better solution would be a thinner pad. I may actually look at one of my KUIU pads because as I recall they have sections of foam that can be removed. Thoughts?

The bigger issue is that regardless of what pack I am wearing it causes a fair amount of hip pain on the outer side of my hips. My initial thought is perhaps I have too much weight on the belt and not enough on the shoulders and load lifters? Thoughts again?

 

[IBen]

The stone glacier lumbar pad is two sections glued together. Take them apart and you have half a pad.
The pad will flatten after use though (pic)
Before that try putting the shim at the highest position.
As far as hip pain try putting the buckle at your belly button.
Your hips can acclimate though
If you have slipping run the webbing through both the hip-belt and buck tension locks
You also may have the shoulder straps torso length too long and the load lifters are pulling it down instead of forward

 

[WeiserBucks]

SG waist belt causes me pain under moderate to heavy weight regardless how I wear it. Had to go back to a different brand to solve that issue for me personally.

 

[nphunter]

I sold my x-curve this summer due to hip belt issues. I just couldn’t get it right enough to stay up, had to keep jumping up and down trying to cinch it. If it rides too low I get pain / muscle soreness on the front of my hips where the leg muscles connect.

I was use to a Kifaru and now have a new one and they have a way bigger pad but the pack stays up better with the better belt.

It sounds to me like you should run the pad further up your back so that the very bottom of the pad is above your butt. Typically I like the belt to be about 2/3rds above my Iliac crest to keep it from sliding down and that puts the pad on my lower back. Sliding down onto the but by the tail bone would push the top of the pack toward your shoulders. In can and often do let 100% of the weight rest on my hips to give my shoulders a break and the pack rides just the same or tips slightly away from my back to let air cool it down.