To all of us with a belly.

[Kimber22]

Where exactly do you wear the waist belt on your pack? I wear my jeans under my belly, therefore that's where right now my waist belt sits also. I do have another pack that once upon a time I wore right at my belly button, but it started getting really sore at about 15lbs. Thoughts?

 

[JMDavies]

Kifaru and Kuiu both have great videos explaining how to properly adjust your pack. I'd try to explain it but feel they'll do a better job and have visuals examples. Sore packs suck!! Good luck

 

[Kimber22]

I actually know how to properly wear a pack. Problem is with my body stature at the moment I can't. Tried and it slips and causes problems. So I was just asking what everyone else in my situation is doing.

 

[EastMT]

I’ve got a beer belly and I put mine where my belt rides. I use a thin compression strap for a pants belt so it doesn’t rub, out the waist belt around the same place and cinch it down. I take more weight on my shoulders for awhile, then loosen let more on my hips. Alternate every so often. I’ve carried 100lbs 14 miles on a sheep hunt this way.

Love handles aren’t ideal for any pack, so I bypass them.

 

[Dirtydan]

Nobody on Broslide has a belly. Everyone's built like a brick shit house, packs 100# of boned out unicorn for 20 plus miles, and runs the super duperrist backpacks known to man and beast.
Sorry I couldn't help myself.

Yes, I'm a member of the dad bod club. I wear my waist belt buckle under my gut right over the waist of my pants. I don't wear a pants belt because wearing it that way would drive my buckle into me. I still make certain that the belt of the pack still sits on my iliac crest.

 

[Kimber22]

I WAS once 6', 190, wearing a 32" waist. Then 9 months in a full body cast changed all that. And 4 years of recovery.

 

[ljalberta]

I WAS once 6', 190, wearing a 32" waist. Then 9 months in a full body cast changed all that. And 4 years of recovery.

I can't help with the belt issue, but holy smokes, that sounds like a story. Good to hear you have recovered/are on the road to recovery. I'd love to hear what happened if it's not too personal.

 

[Kimber22]

I fell 42'. I broke my tibia, fibula, femur, 4 ribs and fractured arm in 3 places all on the left side of my body. Used to walk all night long chasing coondogs. So my daughter in law wanted to buy my son an elk hunt for this year for his birthday. She then secretly later told my Mrs that she did it because she knew my son wouldn't go without me. And she knew I wouldn't stay in camp I would have to go with my son and the guide. So she used that to get me to quit making excuses and get back into the shape I want to be in. I'll never be that again, but I NEED to be healthier. Especially now that I still deal with problems that could potentially shorten my life because of the fall.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've always hated lumbar pads and never understood their purpose, as I always use a one-piece belt and cinch it down around my waist above my hip bones.......the pack can't go anywhere that way. And then I realized that anyone with a belly probably can't do that, and needs the fulcrum effect from the lumbar pad to keep the pack in place.

 

[mfllood3800]

I don't have a huge belly, but I aint Cam either. With that said, I set up my Kifaru as per Arons instructions. I would get incredible pain in less than 5 minutes. I posted it on here, and get a message to call Aron. So I did and here is what he told me.
Some folks cant run the belt on the top of the hips, so run it where it is most comfortable and can still carry the majority of the load.

Again as with most everything, set your stuff up to work with you and not against you. It's yours, make it yours.
I have to run my belt higher than most, and as a result I had to take up some slack on the shoulder straps to compensate for the higher riding pack.

 

[Azone]

Currently working on getting rid of the beer and bbq belly I've acquired and trying to resembling the lean, mean 6' 4" 205 lb person I was in a previous life. Until that transition is fully completed, I just always seem to screw around with the straps on my pack till its comfortable that day. What was perfectly fine the day before will get slightly adjusted due to muscle soreness or a bulky load. I have found my best comfort when keeping my shoulder straps on the the looser side and getting the weight to rest on my hips and lower back just right. Throw a 50lb sack of feed in your pack and start walking with it and keep tinkering with stuff till it doesn't hurt and carries well for you. Good luck on the elk hunt.

 

[macabra11]

I have often wondered about this myself. I definitely have a belly and combined with a long torso, I've always had troubles finding/wearing packs comfortably. I realize that I have never had a really good pack though (with adjustable torso and good frame), so that plays a lot into it.

I too wear my pants/belt under my belly and just move things around until they feel "right" and cause the least amount of discomfort.

 

[Mike Islander]

I don't have a belly, at all. But I can't imagine wearing the belt over my stomach. It's a hip belt, and that's where I wear it. Belly or not, it would be in the same place. That way your hips support a large portion of the load and you don't tax your back muscles nearly as much, probably exponentially less.

 

[Chris aka stlhntr]

I'm with you I'm six foot one 320 and we're a 56 suit jacket I just ordered the seek outside frame with the Merlin Daypack This Thread helped me so much thanks to all

 

[Smiley]

good topic

 

[Wrench]

I think I'm qualified to speak on this from a body shape and pack load standpoint, I'm no pack maker, but I do own a bunch of high budget packs and I have hauled a lot of deer and elk out of the woods with them....and I have been a complete slob body as well as fit, currently sitting at 45 years old and 34" waist.....so middle of the pack now.

For me it ALL revolves around how the hip belt can be loaded and the weight removed from the shoulder straps.

If you start with the hip belt too low, it'll be way too low once loaded.

It takes a few tries to get the yoke to belt right when loaded and I THOUGHT I've had it right unloaded only to find that I had to lower the yoke once it was heavy (#80-120).

I LOVE the design of the Kifaru bags and the way they fit the frame, but for my shoulders, the MR yoke on the NICE frame simply works better. I use both, but if I know I'm coming out over #60 in my pack.....the NICE yoke just works better for me.

Everyone is different and I imagine Aron could point out what I'm doing wrong...but I know what I know from experience, not the net.

Load that bitch up heavier than you ever expect to carry and see where it rides. You'll want to know the measurements.

It SUCKS when you're solo 3 Mike's deep getting a 100 pound pack on and standing up more than a time or two.

Think you'll never do it? Get #80 loaded and look down at that little bag of meat and ask if you are willing to do an extra 6 miles for it.....it'll be on your back.