Large Hip Belt Packs

I don't think you can beat the Mountainsmith Lumbar packs. I have the "Day" model and have had it for about 10 years now and it is holding up great. I believe that is the largest of the lumbar packs they have at 14L, and it is cavernous. They have 2 or 3 smaller models in a similar design, but I find the Day very adaptable to large or small volumes.

Also – if you go with this they have a nice accessory you can pick up, the Strapetts, which adds a shoulder harness to the lumbar pack and is really nice for larger loads.

Good luck with the shoulder.

By the way – I see that you are in Color Country and am assuming that is CO? If so, I'm in Northern CO and would be willing to let you try out my Mountainsmith before you take the plunge, just let me know.

Thanks for the recommendation. The day does indeed fit the bill. I can't use the strappetes until i recover though. Does the pack ride ok when heavily laden without them? or does it pull away from you back like my old marmot does?

Thanks for the offer, but i'm currently in San Fran. I normally live in southern utah but I'm out here to live cheaply at my parents house while i can't work.

i would recommend looking for an older mountainsmith daypack. i had one for years that was great, when i finally retired it and bought a newer model i was a little disappointed. its not a bad pack, just like the older ones better. you can probably pick up one on ebay realtively cheap. if you do want a newer one, i would be willing to sell mine to you.

how did you break your shoulder? that's a pretty bad break. good luck with that.

Like most packs it depends on how you pack it. If you pack smart, it can carry the load. There are quite a few compression straps and shock cords that can cinch everything down. Also – the waist belt does have some stabilizer straps to help balance the load and the work fairly well at keeping the load close to your back.

Understood on the strappetes, I only mentioned them since I think they are a great addition you could use down the road.

Thanks again for the advice. I broke my shoulder when a moto-rickshaw flipped over in india. laaaaame

Another pack option is LLBeans sling pack.It is a camo pack found in the hunting catalog.Shoulder strap can be used over either shoulder and has a waist belt.It is extremly comfortable.Can't recall the volume.Item #TA47159 Pack 864cu. in.,pocket 162 cu. in.

Ouch man sorry to hear you broke your shoulder :(

Almost all hip belt packs will sag once loaded. I would look for one with a wider hip belt, kinda like whats on a backpack. Im not a hip pack expert though, but the north face day hiker looks pretty nice, and has some good reviews.

edit:
Just noticed this post on the deals forum.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=21965