Stone Glacier load lifters

[Newt]

I have a question I thought I might ask here, even though I’m going to call SG tomorrow. I thought it might help someone facing the same question. It’s not something major.

I’m using a Xcurve frame. I’m 5’7”, medium build. When I got the pack I followed the video instructions on fitting using 30lbs. I’ve been hiking with it like that since, dropping down to under 20lbs for just training.

The other day I decided to do a couple mile hike with an extra 40lbs just to see how it did. So total I was sitting just under 60lbs. At first it felt great, I cannot get over how the weight just seems to stick on your back like it’s attached. However, not more than halfway I knew something was up. The left side of my hip was hurting bad.

So I started thinking about everything, how things were feeling and such. I thought about a post on here I read recently that talked about carrying the load higher. So I reached back, lifted up on the pack/frame, and realized the pain was relieved.

Then it hit me. While I followed the instructions on the SG video, focusing on where the color change is in relation to my collar bone, I neglected to realize that it meant I was having to lengthen the shoulder straps which was increasing torso length. Which meant that when really weighted down, it was riding way lower than it should.

So, I dropped the pack and adjusted the straps down a total of about 3”. The bottom of them is past where the Velcro ends. This helped a whole lot, although I did it long enough to jack my hip up a little. I’m hoping it heals quick.

I would say all is well, but now I’m seeing that by lowering the straps so much, I have shifted the color change portion on top toward my back, like almost sitting right on top. This changed the angle of the load lifters significantly. And now I’m wondering if that’s ok, bad, or just insignificant. It just seemed like they put a lot of importance on the color change being on your collar bone.

I’ve noticed with other pack makers they make the load lifter attachment points adjustable on the shoulder straps. I always wondered why, but now it makes sense.

Anyone run into this with their SG? Like I said, I plan on calling tomorrow and seeing what they say. Surely I’m not the first case of this.

 

[*zap*]

It would be nice if they were adjustable, I did not worry about where the color change was and I put some loops with buckles under the load lifter straps and put buckles on the straps from the pack to the lifters so I can have the attachment point on the pack lower if I want it there.

That's all the info I have now, have not done much hiking with the pack but will do plenty soon.

 

[cornfedkiller]

Post up what they tell you when you call them. I have been dealing with a similar issue..not quite to the extreme as yours, but have been trying to find the right balance between comfort and load lifter placement.

I have it dialed in to be very comfortable, but the load lifter attachment sits a little higher/further back than I would like, but only by a little bit.

 

[Newt]

Post up what they tell you when you call them. I have been dealing with a similar issue..not quite to the extreme as yours, but have been trying to find the right balance between comfort and load lifter placement.

I have it dialed in to be very comfortable, but the load lifter attachment sits a little higher/further back than I would like, but only by a little bit.

Will do. Your posts/thread is what made me think of what might be wrong with mine. I think belt placement on the iliac crest is more critical than load lifter placement. I thought I had the pack belt in the right place, but I sure felt it was not once I loaded it down. I have quite a bit of 'cushioning' around my hips right now....so it was kinda tough to notice the belt was sitting too low.

This would be a good warning to those who are new to packs like these. Had I not tried it out with more weight before I go on my hunt there is a good possibility I would have really hurt myself once I started packing meat out. SG recommends 30-40lbs for fitment, I would say go the heavier route.

 

[*zap*]

Here is how I lowered the lifter attachment point on the frame.

 

[Newt]

Here is how I lowered the lifter attachment point on the frame.View attachment 119144

Ah, I see now. I was envisioning it differently for some reason.

 

[cornfedkiller]

Here is how I lowered the lifter attachment point on the frame.View attachment 119144

That doesn't really fix the OP's problem.. his problem is where the load lifter strap attaches to the shoulder strap is too far back.

 

[*zap*]

If you lower the pack attachment point the you reduce the angle. Which effects the way you pull the frame into your back. You can change an angle but raising/lowering either end. There is a big difference when I use different weight loads and alter the pack lifter attachment point. That's why kifaru offers a way to move that attachment up/down as a stock item on some of their frames.

 

[*zap*]

That doesn't really fix the OP's problem.. his problem is where the load lifter strap attaches to the shoulder strap is too far back.

Have you personally tried what I recommended with an sg pack? If not you really do not know what issue it will help with.

 

[cornfedkiller]

Have you personally tried what I recommended with an sg pack? If not you really do not know what issue it will help with.

I haven't tried it so you are correct, I don't know if it will help him or not.

 

[Jimss]

It's obviously super important to have your frame, belt, and shoulder harness adjusted to your particular body frame. Once this is done I often make minor adjustments on my straps on-the-run while I'm packing. Sometimes it's an advantage to put more of the load (weight) on my legs to give my shoulders a break....and other times it may be an advantage to adjust so there is more weight on your shoulders. There may be flat stretches where it may not matter and I try to evenly distribute the weight.

I know with my Kifaru I can do this on the fly while I am hiking. I often find myself adjusting the load lifters, chest, sternum, and belt straps. There may be a long stretch of uphill, downhill, or sidehill, etc where there is an advantage making temporary adjustments....especially with super heavy loads. The sternum strap is another strap that shouldn't be overlooked.

Trekking poles are awesome! They take a lot of weight off your joints, back, etc and you are a lot more stable! You may want to figure out the caydance and placement of trekking poles in some of your workouts. Also try them out on super steep, rocky terrain. Game can hear metal poles clanging for miles so keep that in mind!

 

[Newt]

It's obviously super important to have your frame, belt, and shoulder harness adjusted to your particular body frame. Once this is done I often make minor adjustments on my straps on-the-run while I'm packing. Sometimes it's an advantage to put more of the load (weight) on my legs to give my shoulders a break....and other times it may be an advantage to adjust so there is more weight on your shoulders. There may be flat stretches where it may not matter and I try to evenly distribute the weight.

I know with my Kifaru I can do this on the fly while I am hiking. I often find myself adjusting the load lifters, chest, sternum, and belt straps. There may be a long stretch of uphill, downhill, or sidehill, etc where there is an advantage making temporary adjustments....especially with super heavy loads. The sternum strap is another strap that shouldn't be overlooked.

Trekking poles are awesome! They take a lot of weight off your joints, back, etc and you are a lot more stable! You may want to figure out the caydance and placement of trekking poles in some of your workouts. Also try them out on super steep, rocky terrain. Game can hear metal poles clanging for miles so keep that in mind!

I've seen those adjustable load lifters and wondered why they had them....now I know.

I use trekking poles, but only when I am hauling heavy. I don't use them for the actual hunt, I carry them on my pack for when/if I get an animal down. I train this way also just to make sure I am up for the task. I think it also allows you to use poles that might not be as quiet as the expensive ones that would not be clanging around.

 

[Newt]

Called them. They requested I take pictures to send to them. I'll post up here also.

 

[Newt]

Ok. I think I'm just a moron. I went to take pictures and then I started analyzing the situation.

The shoulder straps are totally independent, essentially just two pieces of fabric strap. So honestly, other than running out of tightening room if they are too far up(as in not enough room to pull down to tighten), or running out of strap if they are too far down(which would also lessen the contact area on the front of your shoulder/chest), the placement of the straps on the velcro should not affect torso length. The only thing that should effect torso length is how tight you pull them down. Does that make sense?

So that is why they say to adjust strap length based on where the color change hits your collar bone. Adjusting where the shoulder straps attach on the velcro vertically does nothing but change the angle of the load lifters it seems - unless you are talking about an extream variation one way or another.

When I talked to the lady who answered the phone(forget the name) one of the questions she asked is if I had pulled the shoulder straps tight. I thought I had, but if you pull them too tight then they start to hurt, however, thats where the load lifter adjustments come into play I think. I need to try things out again I guess. I do most of my training with the pack first thing in the morning and I guess my mind had not fully woken up yet. I had it stuck in my head that I needed to adjust the straps in order to adjust the torso length.

Regardless, I am going to call them back and talk again. I think maybe they were just being really nice to me the first time and not trying to make me look like an idiot.

 

[ndbuck09]

hey man, so when you're getting that color transition on your collar bones, they're envisioning the front part of the strap going down under your armpits to be more or less static, ie: the bottom part of the strap is fixed since you're keeping the color change on your collar bones. The part of the strap that is moving is whats velcroing on the frame. You're looking for a decent angle on your load lifters but they should be completely loose when fitting. So if you are keeping the color change on your collar bone and moving the straps up and down the velcro, you're taking up the "slack" from the rear of the strap and getting it so that you can fit a finger or two on top of your shoulder. Then you snug up the load lifters last.

 

[Newt]

hey man, so when you're getting that color transition on your collar bones, they're envisioning the front part of the strap going down under your armpits to be more or less static, ie: the bottom part of the strap is fixed since you're keeping the color change on your collar bones. The part of the strap that is moving is whats velcroing on the frame. You're looking for a decent angle on your load lifters but they should be completely loose when fitting. So if you are keeping the color change on your collar bone and moving the straps up and down the velcro, you're taking up the "slack" from the rear of the strap and getting it so that you can fit a finger or two on top of your shoulder. Then you snug up the load lifters last.

Right, that's what I was envisioning also. But it 'seemed'(not sure now) to me the other morning that I couldn't keep the pack/frame up high enough without lowering the straps(velcro portion). I think I have confused the heck out of myself, to be honest, and second-guessing what feels right and what does not.

I did call back. She still wants me to send pictures. I got some, but I am not sure what they will tell.

Here is my mug shot. No, I did not clean up for the picture, I am just naturally that good looking.

 

[cornfedkiller]

The shoulder straps are totally independent, essentially just two pieces of fabric strap. So honestly, other than running out of tightening room if they are too far up(as in not enough room to pull down to tighten), or running out of strap if they are too far down(which would also lessen the contact area on the front of your shoulder/chest), the placement of the straps on the velcro should not affect torso length. The only thing that should effect torso length is how tight you pull them down. Does that make sense?

Right, that's what I was envisioning also. But it 'seemed'(not sure now) to me the other morning that I couldn't keep the pack/frame up high enough without lowering the straps(velcro portion). I think I have confused the heck out of myself, to be honest, and second-guessing what feels right and what does not.

I ran into the same problem as you though... In my head, I thought if I move the straps up 1" on the velcro and then tighten the bottom of the strap 1", the frame should ride exactly the same... and not sure why, but it just wasn't the same for me. I've moved it and played with it 5 different times and the frame just feels like its riding too low on my back when I move the straps up on the velcro. As soon as I lower it back down, its feels perfect.

And when I move it, it feels good right away when I just try it on, but it doesnt take long to decide I want to switch it back once I start hiking.

Not sure if the pic is how you had it before or now that you've 'fixed' it, but the color transition there looks good.

 

[Newt]

I ran into the same problem as you though... In my head, I thought if I move the straps up 1" on the velcro and then tighten the bottom of the strap 1", the frame should ride exactly the same... and not sure why, but it just wasn't the same for me. I've moved it and played with it 5 different times and the frame just feels like its riding too low on my back when I move the straps up on the velcro. As soon as I lower it back down, its feels perfect.

And when I move it, it feels good right away when I just try it on, but it doesnt take long to decide I want to switch it back once I start hiking.

Not sure if the pic is how you had it before or now that you've 'fixed' it, but the color transition there looks good.

The picture is where it feels best. I agree, it doesn't look so bad once you see it in a picture, but it is a good 3" or more away from the collar bone and I just wanted to make sure it was going to still do the job like its designed. I know, I was way overthinking it, but once I start thinking I have to come to a conclusion.

I agree on the straps. It doesn't make much sense in my head, but I am not a pack maker so I do not know the ins and outs of it. However, I know there is a difference in the way it feels like you do. I spent the last few hours moving them up and down the pack. Too far up and the pack feels too loose on my back no matter how tight I pull the shoulder straps at the belt. Too far down and the shoulder straps dig into the top of my shoulder(which seems counterintuitive to me again). I was able to narrow it down to within an inch. An inch, either way, makes a noticeable difference.

So I think I have it set. I am going to take a hike in the morning to see.

I also got a reply back from SG. They pretty much just said that the color change is a guide and pack fit is what matters most. Which is what I figured was the deal, but just wanted to make sure.

This is where I ended up.

 

[cornfedkiller]

What is your torso length? Mine is about 17.5-18 and my straps are even with the bottom of the velcro, which looks to be about an 1-2" higher than yours.

It also doesn't look to me like that color transition is 3"+ away from your collarbone in the picture, but I could be wrong! Feel where your collarbone is under the shoulder strap..

You could also try moving your lumbar pad up a tiny bit.. depending on the shape of your back, it might make it feel a little more snug and feel like its riding nicer. Made a huge difference for me.

 

[Newt]

Had a guy at work measure and it’s about 17”. I really fine tuned those strap heights. Higher or lower and it doesn’t feel as good. I didn’t put an actual measure tape on it, but I’m pretty sure it’s around 3”. But in the long run that measurement really is not an issue.

The pack really feels awesome. Without the extra 40lbs it feels like a glove on my back. I’ll try moving the pad up to see the difference. I did move it down and didn’t like it. Not sure why I didn’t try it further up.