Underwear & 100lb+ loads

Gznokes

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 5, 2012
Messages
122
Location
Utah
When I haul over 100lbs with my backpack (usually hiking an elk off the mountain) I find that it requires me to cinch my waist belt EXTREMELY tight to get as much weight on my hips as possible. When I cinch the belt and hike for more than 2 miles I find that I get very sore from the results of pressure and chaffing on my hip pointers. The soreness originates when the pressure from the waist belt sandwiches and creates folds in my belt, underwear, and pant waist band. I've thought that there might be better options in terms of how to minimize this. Have any of you had the same problem? Is there a way to mitigate this? I think 100lb +loads are just a bear to deal with no matter what, but I thought I'd ask some of the experts on here.

Side note. I have what I would consider an good load hauling pack--Osprey Argon 85 with some weight transfer and balancing features as well as a belt that I feel is well thought through and seem to do what they advertise. That being said, with any pack I've ever used if I have to haul a load of 100+ lbs or more than a mile or two I experience the problem described above.
 

duchntr

WKR
Joined
Mar 31, 2013
Messages
752
Location
Anchorage,Ak
I wear pants with a built in belt, Patagonia rps and prana zioneer. Cutting the belt out helps Imo, but after awhile with that kind of weight on long humps I end up getting tore up a bit and I feel there is no way around it, just ways to mitigate the damage. I started leaving a baggage scale in my car so I can see how close I can guess the weight, generally there is a bet involved with my bud.
 

7mag.

WKR
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
1,412
Location
Buckley, Wa.
I'm no expert, but I'll give my opinion. I've experienced similar issues, and I've mostly mitigated it by upgrading to a pack with a better waist belt made for heavy hauling. I also found that you need to condition your body to carrying a heavy pack. All my cardio is done with at least 40lbs, but usually 50. I occasionally train with more weight, like 80lbs, or 100lbs. I've also found that some pant/belt combinations tend to be more uncomfortable. The more I train with a weighted pack, the more my body gets used to it, and most of the discomfort goes away.
 

philos

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
Messages
1,384
Location
Behind you
You might try compression shorts-they are tight against the body-look for long ones that cover about half of your thigh.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
15,527
Location
Colorado Springs
I've come to the conclusion that I'm the odd man out in regards to carrying a pack. I guess that's why I hate lumbar pads and don't use them, because I cinch the "waist" belt down around my "waist"......which is above my hip bones and my pants, belt, and underwear. So I've never experienced the chaffing.
 

Beendare

WKR
Joined
May 6, 2014
Messages
8,247
Location
Corripe cervisiam
I don't know you can ever completely avoid compression on your hips with heavy loads but you can make it better. I have a McHale and it still does it to a small extent. A quality designed belt does make a difference; that Aragon has a very good belt [I used one for a yr or 2]

The McHale is better by design, it has the 2 compression straps instead of one, this makes perfect adjustment possible. With light loads, i run one belt tighter than the other, with heavy loads I can play with it a little until tension is just right to wrap grab your hips.

One thing that helps with bunching is the lower cut pant like the Sitka Ascent or Kuiu attack and the very thin belts. The waist band isn't quite as high up on you so you can comfortably keep them below all of your pack belt pressure.

Pictured,
My McHale and a 70# load of elk meat, without the extended load lifting stays.
Mchale with 72# red.jpg

And here is my old Aragon packing in for comparison
bow on argon pack re.jpg

These are good size packs, though they might look smaller in the pics, I'm about 6'4" 235#


FWIW, I try not to pack anything over about 70# anymore for the reasons you mentioned. It has had a cumulative affect on my hips, knees and ankles. I would caution anyone that training with loads over 50# is probably doing more harm than good IMO.
 

Beendare

WKR
Joined
May 6, 2014
Messages
8,247
Location
Corripe cervisiam
I've come to the conclusion that I'm the odd man out in regards to carrying a pack. I guess that's why I hate lumbar pads and don't use them, because I cinch the "waist" belt down around my "waist"......which is above my hip bones and my pants, belt, and underwear. So I've never experienced the chaffing.

Well you are even taller than me so no doubt, you've probably never owed a pack that actually fit you right....so you just got used to that is my guess.

I did that for a few years back in the day....carrying a very heavy 100#-120# loads like that caused some pretty bad shooting pain in my legs for 2 days afterward. That set me on my 10 year trek to find a pack that actually fit. YMMV
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
15,527
Location
Colorado Springs
Well you are even taller than me so no doubt, you've probably never owed a pack that actually fit you right....so you just got used to that is my guess.

Most of my height is in my legs, but then again.......when I had a chest x-ray one time the tech said he had to take two pictures because my lungs were so long.

But the belt around my waist with heavy loads just made sense to me. No chance at all of it slipping down if it's cinched down above the hip bones. But with less weight in the pack for day hunting I cinch it down lower to make the entire pack shorter behind my head. I'm not saying it's the right way, just that it has always worked for me.
 

LostArra

WKR
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
3,435
Location
Oklahoma
The best way to avoid this problem is to never even consider a load approaching 100 pounds. It's working well for me.


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