Waist belt position

[NYRifleman]

I'd like to know where the majority places the waist belt. Does it cover your belly button or does it go over your belt?

Or, covering your hip bones? When I position the belt here it pushes my pants belt down.

 

[kcm2]

Put the bottom of the waist belt above your hip bone. Tighten as tight as reasonable with your stomach in. Let the pack settle with, say, 40 lbs in it. That's where the pack should sit.

 

[Dustin the wind]

Watching as I’m sure this is based on personal preference

 

[KineKilla]

Was fitting my new pack today and found this placement to be the most comfortable. You can see that the pack did push my belt and pants down a bit.

This had 20lb in it is all. I suspect I will adjust it more than once and each time I add layers to my wardrobe.

I welcome any input or critique.

Sent from my SM-N976U using Tapatalk

 

[Corvus Corax]

The center of the hip belt should rest on your iliac crest (top of hip bone).

 

[Kevin_t]

We design our packs to have the center of the belt ride on the center of the illiac crest. That being said, some people have a preference for lower for a multitude of reasons while very very few prefer higher. If it is lower, it really sort of depends on fit and becomes more of a body type issue. Our wide frame, is designed really to load part on hips part on lumbar. Without the hips, it is sort of a it has to be figured out.

Regarding the pants belts, those can often be an issue and cause rubbing underneath. Most of us at SO , find belts integrated like the Prana pants to be improvement .

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm firmly in the "around my waist" camp. That places the belt tight above my hip bones so it couldn't slip below if it wanted to. That's why I prefer a thinner one piece belt, rather than a 3-piece that wraps around the hips with a lumbar pad.

 

[RockChucker30]

I'd like to know where the majority places the waist belt. Does it cover your belly button or does it go over your belt?

Or, covering your hip bones? When I position the belt here it pushes my pants belt down.

Pants belts cause major pack fit issues for me. A leather belt or even a web belt is a no-go. One of the reasons I like Prana Zion pants is the built in belt they have. With those pants I can go beltless and still take up slack as I slim down on a longer trip. I also found a cheap elastic belt on amazon that works well under a hipbelt.

As far as where to wear a belt, the best for most men is centered over the top of the hipbones. Guys with a paunch often wear them lower which can cause nerve or hip flexor issues. Women can be different as well.

Lots of body types, so there are lots of correct answers. Do what works best for you.

 

[Brendan]

Center of the belt, center of the point of the hip bones, after the pack settles under load. I start it a little higher than that which puts the center of the belt closer to my belly button starting out.

if I wear it too low, I feel like the lumbar pad starts working it's way out my butt without staying in the small of my back, and the pack drops over time. I am definitely a curved-back profile and not flat-back.

@KineKilla - Yours is too low IMHO. 20# won't tell you much of anything. Put 50# in it, move it up higher and cinch it down hard. I am a 33" waist, wear 32" jeans, and I am almost bottoming out a Kifaru small belt under load when it's really tightened down. Where this matters is when you're hauling out meat, or hauling a full pack with all your gear for several nights in the backcountry.

 

[NYRifleman]

Thanks gents. My belt roughly sits at the center of my hip bones, so I will center the pack belt there as well.

Thanks for the Prana Zion tip.

 

[Hunt_Jefferson]

I'm struggling with this too. I have the pack belt centered on my illiac crest but when I hike (especially uphill) my pants and underwear contact the bottom of the pack belt causing horrible chafing. My hips are raw right now just from day hikes with a 25lb pack. 33"x32 pant size, Kuiu Pro L/XL pack suspension with the extra lumbar pad in.

I try to wear my pants/underwear right under the pack belt because any lower and they are falling off or I have to cinch my belt so tight that it cuts off circulation to my legs. It doesn't feel comfortable to wear the pants directly under the pack belt either because I would need to hike them up so high I would be talking in a higher pitch

It almost feels like I can't get the top of my pack belt to sit on top of hips, and when I crank down on the pack belt it tightens the bottom and flares out the top. Then my pants hit the bottom of the pack belt causing the chafing.

This is my first "real" backpack with a suspension and something is wrong, I just can't figure out what needs to change and I don't know anyone in person that I can compare with.

 

[shaneroyce]

The center of the hip belt should rest on your iliac crest (top of hip bone).

I second this. I also want a pack to stay there naturally...even under a load (50+ lbs). I’ve tried many that feel great and ride there with no load. Only a few have stayed there under a load.