$7 Waist Belt

…

I'll try your coupon link next time.

I had one but I had accidentally torn part of the number off it.

I did ask for the flashlight but they were out.

Daryl,

How is this belt working with your pack? I'm planning on making a pack based on your light external frame pack and was wondering how this belt has been performing. Thanks!

-Michael

On a somewhat parallel note….

Has anyone ever made (or considered making) a belt buckle similar in function to Kelty's famous "Cam lock buckle", but made for 1" webbing and perhaps out of titanium? The one great thing about those buckles was they were very easy to clip on/off, and never known to have ever failed.

just wondering,

Matt

But, I've never known the buckle on the original link to fail and it's easy to clip on/off

Maybe the old Kelty cam lock buckle is necesary for a heavy Kelty pack, but not necesary for light pack

The only time I've actually seen "fastex" buckles fail is when they are inadvertantly stepped on (typically in group situations…)I must admit, we took returns on many more broken 2" fastex buckles than the 1" buckles, so your point about a "light" pack is well taken.
In a bind, I guess, a 1" belt is certainly more tie-able than a 2" belt.

Michael,

I should have followed up with a post on this earlier but thanks for the reminder.

I only used the belt around town with loads up to about 30 lbs. It felt great and worked fine. Can't find anything to not like.

The buckle is 1.5" and given the price of the belt it has to be brand X. So I would guess that might be the weak link over time with prolonged use. My general experience with such buckles, however, has been quite good, especially (as Jerry says) with light loads. The rest of the belt is very heavy duty. Hard to imagine any other part of it giving out…ever. The loops I added could eventually wear out as they are made from 1/2" light (grosgrain?) webbing.

Here are a few photos. It weighs 5 ounces, including the pack frame attachment loops I added. The belt is about 2.5 inches wide. The padded part is about 30 inches long and the total length is about 4 feet.

Okay, I give up – how do you use the loops you attached in connecting to the pack frame? I'm having trouble envisioning it. If I recall correctly, the small loops are on the bottom, and you run a cord through them and through a hole in the end of your frame; am I right? But what are the large loops for?

dk,

The photos below should clarify the attachment to the two vertical stays of the pack frame. Mock up of only one shown to illustrate. It is similar to the loop attachment used on packs for ice axes.

The small loops are used to keep the waist belt upright and to keep everything tight so the belt doesn't fall off. I run a cord from them to a point higher up on the vertical stay.

I'm just experimenting with this ice axe like attachment because it simple. I don't have a lot of experience with it.

The plumbing T can be removed from the stay and rolled upward to shorten the distance from frame-end to waist belt.

The plumbing T can be removed from the stay and rolled upward to shorten the distance from frame-end to waist belt.

Aha! Thanks, Daryl – that is very clear now.

Thanks, Daryl. I am surprised the grosgrain is strong enough to withstand a heavy load like that. I am planning on using some webbing but nothing too heavy duty. I recently purchased a bulky hip belt but it will require me to make some substantial changes to it to accommodate the loops, so I would rather try this belt first to see how it goes. Can't beat that price.

-Michael

I ordered one of these and plan to use it to upgrade the waist belt on my heavy pack:

http://www.rei.com/product/798143/rei-xt-85-hipbelt

Larry,

That's a great looking belt at a great price!

Could you give us a weight on it when you get it?

Daryl

I will weight when I get home (already have it). I wasn't concerned with its weight when i bought it as it is for my heavy load pack. But, it didn't seem overly heavy, but looks can be deceiving. ;^)

Not exactly light at 356 grams (12.5 oz), but it is robust.

Nice find, Daryl.
No luck here, either, with sewing foam. Sometimes, if the foam is already sewn, sandwiched between two layer of fabric, by an industrial machine, I can get away with sewing over the industrial seam (to add webbing, or whatever).

To make really light belts with home machines, we might try making them like sleeping bags, by sliding the foam into pockets when nearly all of the stitching is already done. Seems like it would be a challenging project, but would allow making belts with ergonomic shapes out of very light materials. Maybe some reinforcement would be needed where most of pack weight falls on the belt.

Daryl,

I picked a belt up today and attached the two loops. Thanks for the tip. I will send you a pm as a follow up.

-Michael

Samuuel,

I’ve also had good luck making shoulder straps with adhesive backed insignia cloth over foam. It avoids the sewing-thru-foam obstacle. Here’s a link:

HERE

I used the same technique to make a waist belt a few months ago but haven’t had a chance to use it for anything more than a trip to the mirror. It felt good and looked good in the mirror, however.

Daryl

Thanks, Daryl.
What happens when you cut up that cloth – doesn't it create a raw edge than can unravel? I've seen insignia tapes that I assume have finished edges, but not sure about the fabric sold by the yard. Would appreciate hearing about your experience with that. I'm also concerned about using the cloth on a waist belt that will be subjected to heat and pressure with the gummy adhesive on the inside. Thanks.

I use 200 D fabric (because it stretches less than silnylon) and 1/8th inch foam for waist belt. Sew fabric into tube. Sew 3D cloth on the side that's against me. Put in foam. Sew one row of stitches through foam. And sew through everything to my pack which is one layer of silnylon. My home sewing maching does it but it's just barely. One thing is, I don't push or pull it through machine, that will form bird's nest underneath.

Same thing for shoulder straps.

I sew webbing just to ends. No need to go all the way around. The 200 D fabric is strong enough. If I had to sew through foam, webbing, 2 layers of 200D, 3D, and silnylon pack, my machine wouldn't work.

Samuel,

The edges do sometimes roll up a bit through prolonged use if the fabric edge repeatedly rubs on something. No fraying, however. Applying another piece of fabric over the rolled up area takes care of the problem.

One could allow enough fabric to fold it over and sew it outside of the foam piece edges and thereby eliminate raw edges.

I applied the fabric to a piece of closed cell foam and used it as a sit/knee pad for 5 years or more with no rolling or fraying.

The adhesive hasn't gone gummy on any of my projects.

Don't know about finished edges on insignia tapes. I don't recall buying any.

Sew up a simple tube of fabric. Something grippy is nice for hip belts, jerry's 210d for shoulder straps, fleece for climbing gear slings.

Slide the foam in. Wrap the foam in silnylon first so it slides easily into the tube. Once the foam is in place, pull out the silnylon.

Sew up both ends of the tube.

Then attach the webbing with line tacks using heavy needles and heavy thread and perhaps an awl. A one inch line tack every three or 4 inches works for me. Saddle stitching is the best I believe (Google it). Sear the thread ends after tying off.

If you need extra stiffness to prevent rolling, sew some 1 1/2" webbing on the fabric before forming the tube.

Thanks again, Daryl.
And thank you David O. for the silnylon slider idea. Might never have thought of that.

Jerry, you must have a pretty good machine. Mine would never sew through a thick fabric & foam sandwich without a monster presser foot that would flatten the sandwich at the stitch line.

So it sounds like a toss-up between the tubes and the Insignia cloth wrap.
That is amazing that the cloth adhesive holds up so well.

To obtain a good fit over the hipbone crest, I like hip belts with a seam separating the top and bottom of the belt. So, two tubes. And since my belts attach at the small of the back, the belt would have two sections, one for each hip, so four tubes.

Anything to be sewn to the belt where there is foam underneath would be sewn on before the foam is inserted into the tubes.

But the ends of the tube, that extend beyond the foam, could be sewn shut and to webbing or whatever after the foam is inserted.

Sounds like the big MYOG advantage is the ability to select exactly the foam and fabric desired, with the best strength for the weight. Of course, if one can find a replacement belt made by a pack maker who has already made these choices wisely, and it is for a reasonable price, that might be another story.

If possible, I like to buy the smaller parts, like shoulder straps and hip belts, ready made, and turn full attention to the pack itself. There is so much testing and decision making involved in MYOG, that making every part of the gear can be overwhelming. For example, choosing the best mesh material for the inner surface of the belt. Wouldn't know where to start, and it would be quite expensive and time consuming to try to test everything out there. Guess that is an argument for the ready made parts if they come from an experienced craftsperson.

Just some thoughts.

Samuel,

Good points.

Personally, I prefer to buy if I can find what I want.

I only make it if I can't find it already made by someone else.

My workmanship is always way below what other people provide.

Daryl