After ripping the failing seams of my modded ion with a wing-style hipbelt, I've decided to move the attachment point for the wings a couple inches towards the middle of the back panel. The central 5-6" will be a foam-padded 3mm mesh lumbar pad, and I plan to use more 3mm and leno mesh to make 2" extenders for the current wings.
I'm hoping to make the hipbelt ride like a "belt style", and add some ventilation to the lower back. The problem I can figure out is if I should worry about hipbelt "loadlifters" and where the best place to attach them along the belt is? I would have just done it already and figured it out, but on one of my wings I sewed a large pocket onto the middle 80% of the surface where I now think the strap should attach.
Also, I'm not sure how if the mesh extenders will be stable enough to not sag right next to the attachment point to the pack.
