Best pack for someone with "snake hips"?

[David M]

I don't think I am alone as being a male with what my clothes seller calls "snake hips" i.e. my hips don't protrude very much. As a consequence hip belts don't have much to grab onto and most of the load gets transferred to my shoulders which causes me considerable discomfort. Tightening up the hip belt super tight helps for a short time but soon the belt slips down and the load is again on my shoulders. It seriously reduces my bushwalking enjoyment. I am considering a AARN pack but it still relies on a hip belt for load carrying, although the shoulder load is distributed between back and front but I don't know if that will help me.

I am not overweight and am of slim build, 172cm tall, 70kg.

Does anyone have any suggestions or a similiar experience?

Thanks.

[byrnesy8]

I would try the AARN pack. The hip belt is more flexible than a traditional pack and is better at fitting your shape. If set up properly you will have very little weight on your shoulders. You should be able to slide your fingers under the shoulder straps even with a full pack. It is worth getting someone in the shop to help with the setup because it is fiddly especially when you first use them

Paul

[ULWalkingPhil]

I would think the Aarn packs rely more so on your hips than most other packs.

If I was you, I would look into lightweight gear, my backpack is 750 grams and more comfortable than a Aarn pack, I know because I've owned a Aarn pack for a year, I'm so impressed with my new pack, I've sold my Aarn pack.

[Maelgwn]

Maybe try one planet. They have the widest and cushiest waste belts and therefore should require less force to tighten.

Waste belts should slip significantly over a short period of time, they should be tight for at least a couple of hours.

[Pongo]

I've just gone through the trials of fitting a pack to my somewhat rotund body, My issue also being a slipping belt. See: http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10306. Extreeme retching gives you functionality, but is uncomfortable and eventually painful. We have different issues but I'm guessing similar experiences. So... I might be able to provide some insights on the aarn pack, which is what I ended up getting. I will caution I've only started testing this pack, but so far am very, very happy with it. A slipping pack was the bane of my existence.

It's also probably worth you mentioning what you intend to use the pack for (Ie. Day walks, overnighters, week long expeditions, world domination etc...) and any deign particulars that are a must for you. This will also help narrow the field and give users here some parameters for recommending gear. For me, I placed fit above all else.

So some observations of the aarn that may help...

- When trying it on, don't be afraid to get hands on with an aarn, you can't break it, and it's better you naff the fit fiddling in store where someone can help you than at home afterwards. Remove the hip belt, take out the metal back supports, play with the elastics on the hip belt, remove the hood etc etc...

- The belt I find tends to sit a little high in comparison to other packs, this works a treat for me but may be a pain for others. That said the belt is very adjustable, so you can bring it in/out and raise and lower it somewhat. When trying it one, adjusting the belt will be a must for you. It is also very hugging, it molds to you unlike any of the other packs I've tried. Even if it's not a pack for you, I would be very surprised if you didn't feel 'snug' in one.

- The compression straps on the belt are dual straps enabling you to tighten the top and bottom of the belt on both sides. Although they're meant to be done evenly, I find this feature helps compensate for an odd body shape... perhaps something that benefited me more than it would you.

- I found that with a conventional pack, having all the weight pitched off my back, there was too much pressure pushing loading onto the rear of the belt which resulted the pack sliding down as I would cover ground. The aarn at worst balances these forces out. So much so that I notice the imbalance when I'm carrying more weight in the front than the back, or vice-versa. I have no slipping issues now.

Byrnesy is right, getting a good fit is crucial and there is a lot to this pack, so you will need to rely on the sales staff to help you through it, allow lots of time. I'd recommend backpacking light for this, although I'm not fond of the service I have received there, their knowledge of these packs is well reputed on this site. I sourced my pack from outsports and found their understanding of the aarn somewhat limited. It left me having to do a lot of fiddling with the pack in the weeks following purchase.

As for the suggestion to go lightweight, well I guess that depends on what you're carrying/planning on doing and is outside my experience, so I can't offer much help there.

I'd suggest trying an aarn, at worst you'll get an idea of what you don't want, and at best you'll be a happy camper like myself.

[christophermoore]

I also have hips that don't protrude, and I found switching to lighter weight gear to be the answer. I've found that I don't mind carrying 10-13 kilos on my shoulders for long periods of time.

Part of this may be to do with the pack I'm using (Lowe Alpine Zepton). The harness is not very padded, so it brings the weight really close to your back.

[ULWalkingPhil]

I think packs with a thin padding are way more comfortable than thick paddings.

Personally I would be very wary of packs with thick paddings such as one planet. I also have narrow hips and have sustained this problem of packs sliding down. I've tried many different packs and finally have found a solution,

One planet packs I've found to be the worse for me, for my hips, I've found the one planet was a torture machine for me. The Aarns are much better, but still not perfect for me.
I know how you feel by the end of the day with having to pull the straps so tight, to the point feeling discomfort.

What's worked for me, is going lightweight and finding the right pack.

My base weight currently is less than 7kg. This is my winter base weight.
I've recently completed a 7 day hike, I was able to complete the hike with no discomfort, at the end of my 7 days of hiking, I was able to keep wearing my pack while waiting for the taxi. I just did not feel the weight.

Going lite weight is your best solution to your issue. It worked for me. Unless your going to start bush bashing, there's just no reason to have a 3 kg pack. In saying this I've done some off track hiking during the 7 day hike and had no issues with durability on any of my gear.

[Miyata610]

I have smallish hips and have had HUGE problems with slipping hip belts.

My solution was Aarn. I now have five different Aarn packs.

I am slightly taller and heavier than the original poster, but I suspect waist and hip dimensions will be similar. My jeans are 31" or 32" waist.

Firstly, Aarn packs have several different hip belt systems depending on the pack and it's carrying capacity. However they all rely on a very flexible system that wraps around the hip bone gripping from above and below it to anchor the belt to the hip. This is enormously different from one planet or Macpac, both of which I have used, they rely on a big wide padded hip belt. This may work for some but it is truly horrible for someone with narrowish hips. With these packs I found that I just kept tightening and tightening the belt to a ridiculous degree.... And they still slipped. This is not so bad with an average load, but when carrying 35kg or more it is pure hell. I know.

However, Aarn isn't perfect. For my big heavy load pack, the Load Limo, I wasn't able to get a size "small" hip belt so I am using a "medium". It works, but I run out of adjustment completely. If I lose any weight it wont fit me.

[nq111]

Possibly Osprey packs with their heat moldable hipbelts might optimise the grip on your hips.

Packs are a little bit like boots so probably best to keep trying them on (and annoying sales staff!) until something fits you. If you are serious about one try it on fully loaded before buying.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

What clothing do you wear?

I've found the type of t-shirt and walking pants I wear has a big influence on my pack slipping down at the back.

[jackhinde]

we are the same height and weight!
i have suffered a similar problem, solved it by tucking my shirt in, hitching the pants up grandpa style with a belt. looks pretty ridiculous.
i now use a camelbak 40 litre pack, with the lightest gear i can afford (have done a week at only 13kg), tried quite a few packs to get one that worked.
other trick is to slacken off the shoulder straps so that the pack leans back at a silly angle, and weight rests where most people have a decent bum!

[JoshT]

I'm also quite narrow and had this problem in the past. I've never used an Aarn, but have walked in a couple of Osprey's and have found the double strap hipbelt to make a huge difference. Each side of the belt has two straps which sit above and below your hip bone, and it tightens 'backwards', in that you connect the belt while loose, then pull the straps forward from your hips to tighten. Hard to explain but makes sense once you try it. I've also found the less padding on the hipbelt, the more comfortable it is (to a point).

[Wolfix]

What pack do you have, Philipsart? Is it a Zpack?

[ULWalkingPhil]

What pack do you have, Philipsart? Is it a Zpack?

Gossamer Gear 2012 Mariposa Pack.