Does this pack fit me?

Dirk Pitt

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Feb 17, 2017
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IN
Long time whitetail hunter planning a western hunt next year. Ignore my phone in these pics, I'm triggering my camera with it.

I wanted a pack well in advance so I can get accustomed to the weight over the next year. After what I thought was a lot of research, I bought a Mystery Ranch Marshall.

Here it is with a sleeping bag in the bottom and 50 lb of sand in the main compartment. It is a medium belt with a large torso which strangely enough has the same specs as the medium torso. I'm 6'-0" ~180 lb.

After further research, it appears I want much more height on the frame than what I'm getting here. I saw a Kifaru video where it was recommended that the load lifter connection should be level with the ear lobes. A big part of the problem appears to be that the belt has slipped. You can see that I have cinched the belt down almost all the way (not really that comfortable - you can see it's squeezing my gut out) and it is still slipping down some in the back mainly. The lumber pad in this pack is small especially when I see pics of the Kifaru and to a lesser extent the Stone Glacier packs.

Two questions: 1. Is this pack too small for me? 2. Is my problem the small lumber pad and if so is there a better brand for pack fit for a relatively slim guy?

Thanks for any help!

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Joined
Mar 17, 2016
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I have the Pintler, which is a smaller pack than your Marshall and the load lifters top out by my lobes, or close to them. Maybe try moving the yoke down a little.
 
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Dirk Pitt

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I was able to push the yoke further in. I'll keep working on it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Jordan Budd

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With heavy loads your going to have a load lifter issue.. at that angle they can't really lift your shoulder straps. It almost looks like your hip belt is sitting a little too low. You want your hip bone to be like 1/3 or half way down the hip belt, so it's sitting on top of your hips instead of wrapping around them.. if that makes any sense. The hip belt lumbar pad should be above your butt.. and not sitting on your glute muscles in any way. At first it almost feels like it's too high, but that's what you want. Then snug the shoulder straps and see if that raises the back of the frame closer to ear lobe height.
 

THBZN

Lil-Rokslider
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Apr 27, 2015
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Review this video: Mystery Ranch | How to Fit on Vimeo. It will help.

It appears as Jordan mentioned that your waistbelt is too low. Your "waist" measurement and position is not exactly the same as where your belt would ride on a pair of jeans, as an example.
Also, what does the tag say on the yoke itself? 18-21"? Make sure you are using the yoke panel to break the Velcro, thereby making it easier to push down the yoke itself. Be sure to loosen the load lifter straps beforehand then push it down to your desired position. Your height doesn't factor in too much in your torso length, so you may want to have someone measure your torso to get an idea of if the size you have fits your actual torso measurement.
 
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Good advice above. When the pack is fitting correctly, it is going to feel almost too high at first. Yours is too low. The center of the belt should come in right below your belly button when level. Yours looks close but the belt is being raised up. Look at the center line. You are actually pulling the belt up in the front. I'd say you have a good 2 inches or more, to get it up where it belongs. Your belly button level is near the center of your lumbar area and, the lumbar pad should set in the lumbar are well enough for the pack to stay up under load. Get it up there and when you tighten down the waist belt, it'll stay in place and give you a bit more frame to get the load lifting angle better. Good luck and God Bless
 
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Dirk Pitt

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Thanks for all the replies.

I have watched that fitting video several times prior to ending up here. In my original pics, the belt is well above my belt-line. The buckle is about 1-2" below my belly button and my hip bones are centered vertically on the belt. When I put the pack on I lean forward and put the lumbar pad where I want it and then cinch the belt down nearly as tight as I can get it. Then I adjust the shoulder straps and the buckle stays the same place in the front and then the lumber pad just slides down somewhat.

Since yesterday, I was able to push the yoke down about 2" further and it is definitely all the way down now. Here are the new pics. The buckle on the waist belt is on my belly button and the lumbar pad is as high as I can keep it with the belt tightened almost all the way down. In the head-on shot, my index finger is on my hip bone. You can see it is completely above my hip bones.

Top of the frame is better but I feel like the belt is too high in the front to get it there. Is this how it should be?

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muddydogs

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May 3, 2017
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Pack looks good. There is no way that you want or can get the load lifters even with your ear lobes on a MR back and you don't need them that high. The lifters should be above your shoulders to work as attended. With your current set up is the weight off your shoulder?
 
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Dirk Pitt

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Pack looks good. There is no way that you want or can get the load lifters even with your ear lobes on a MR back and you don't need them that high. The lifters should be above your shoulders to work as attended. With your current set up is the weight off your shoulder?

Yes, for the most part.

Is buckle on the belly button the correct placement for long term comfort?

It does feel better but it feels awkward in that position. That said, this is my first pack.
 

muddydogs

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A lot of the placement has to do with whats comfortable and what keeps the belt from sliding down. Find whats comfortable to you and go with it. I have a gut so theirs no way the waist belt is going over my bell button, I have never worn a waist belt that high in the first place but where I wear mine the belt stays in place and I can get all the weight off my shoulders if I want to.
 
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It looks better. But, Your belt looks weird in that it is tightening on the top and flaring out on the bottom. I don't know what advice to give you concerning that except the belt looks too big. Good luck and God Bless
 

Poltax

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You can order shorter belt pads from Mystery Ranch. What size are showing on the belt pads? There is a tag on them S,M,L. You do not have any room to tighten up your belt with the pads you have.
 
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Dirk,

Most people don't understand how this stuff works, so don't get frustrated. The top of your pelvis/hips is actually above your belly button. Your belly button is actually around the middle of your pelvis. So, the buckle of your waist belt, when it is perpendicular to the ground, should sit right on top of your belly button. This will look to be much higher than you would think, but that is the proper placement.

Larry
 

2ski

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As I was reading this thread, I was thinking, "why hasn't anyone suggested a smaller waist best yet?" and then a couple did, so I'm of that thought. The way the belt is rolling up doesn't look right, and it looks like you are pretty much maxed out with tightening it too. I think it'll fee a lot more comfortable with a smaller belt.

As far as the gut goes, even guys that are really in shape get the gut when the get the belt as tight as they need to.
 

THBZN

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As others have mentioned, it appears that the waistbelt is too big. My guess is it is a 34-39" and you would do better in a 29-34". As an example, I am a size 34" waist, and use the 29-34" belt. When you get any weight in the pack above 30 pounds, it is nice to be able to cinch it down, and if/when the weight gets really heavy, then you have a few inches of belt adjustment left to tighten down the waistbelt to handle the heavy weight. I would recommend talking with the retailer where you bought it or contacting MR directly.
 
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Dirk Pitt

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That was a 29-34" belt. I put it on a UPS truck today. Going to try the Stone Glacier Xcurve with the Sky 5900 bag.

Partly because it doesn't fit but also because even though the website says the Guide Lite and Marshall weight 7.1 lb, I weighed it at 8 lb 8 oz. The 5900 should shed at least 2 lb.

I appreciate all the help. I will update this thread with pics of the SG with the same 50 lb sand bag when it comes.
 
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Dirk Pitt

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I thought I would update this thread... I sent that MR Marshall back as I just could not get it comfortable under load. I had planned to go SG 5900 but then the Kifaru Argali ended up in the rhino den and then their black friday sale hit and that's the way I went. Also, while I have no butt, I do have a relatively curved back so I got the curved composite stays and they fit great - 26" frame with small belt. That MR guide lite frame is flat as a board with a small lumbar pad comparatively. I really like this pack. It is much lighter (less than 6.5 pounds) and I like the simplicity of it and I like that I can put enough for 10 days in it and you can also see how well it compresses down for shorter trips. I've been wearing it around some with 20 pounds of sand in it and it's very comfortable with that load. I've also loaded up 50 pounds of sand and while I need to work on some pinching right on my hip bones (I think it's my pants belt) it is equally comfortable there also. Pics @ 55 total pounds...

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It still looks like you are wearing the hip belt too low. The middle of the belt should be in line with your navel. That will put it at the top of your pelvis rather than the middle or bottom of your pelvis. It should rest on the top of your pelvis, not around your pelvis.
 
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