Do you unbuckle your hip belt when hiking down hill?

Pack is light enough it doesn't matter.

I think that you are better off keeping the hip belt buckled so the pack does not sway too much. You can keep better balance, regardless of weight shift.

–B.G.–

No, but I do when crossing rivers. :)

The only benefit I could see is maybe if you were scrambling down a steep slope with no trail as you'd have better control of your pack balance as you move. But descending on a trail I don't see a benefit as you'd just get sore shoulders. You wouldn't need better balance on a decent trail. So no, I don't unbuckle my hip belt. Never noticed a need for better balance issue even on the vertical mile descent into the Grand Canyon on the Kaibab trail even when I did it several years ago with a 50 pound pack which is a completely different problem that my knees still remember.

Now fording running water I understand.

I'm with Malto on this. My pack is normally light enough that it doesn't matter. For a shorter trips I use a GG Murmer that has a 3/4 belt that good as a hip belt holder and not much else.
My "big load" back is a Borah Gear Stealth that has a hip belt that I only cinch up when I'm loaded up with a fresh resupply-total of 25lbs or so. But I've never thought of unbuckling to have any positive effect when going downhill.

No. Never crossed my mind no matter what the pack weight is. However my really small packs don't have hip belts.

sure.
it needs to be buckled on the uphills so the weight is off the shoulders and i can breath deep, so that leaves downhills as the place to loosen it so the leg muscles can "get some air", as well as ventilate the packbelt areas.

downhill as an acquired taste. is hard to find those really sweet multi k' unbroken downs to work out on. but, as in motorcycle racing, there is ample time to be made up once you dial them in.

v.

Yeah, I do know I was given the guidance when I was much younger and doing much "heavier" backpacking. I can certainly see it being entirely moot with a light pack.

I remember that it seemed to offer more "freedom" for my legs to absorb the downhill shock. But nowadays, I don't believe my pack is heavy enough for it to make a difference. I also now use trekking poles.

I was just curious if others have heard of this.

I wish I remembered who told me that (might have been a co-worker at HTO or REI), they were a rather skilled backpacker, if I recall.

No. I've never heard of this practice. I can't say that my legs ever feel confined or like they don't move freely headed downhill. The only time I unbuckle is if I'm doing a water crossing. The rest of the time, I prefer the way my pack carries while buckled up at the hips and sternum.

I unbuckle my hipbelt for about 5 minutes at a time every half hour or so just to give my hips a break and air things out. I do this regardless of whether I happen to being hiking on flat, uphill, or downhill terrain at the time.

Probably best to not overthink this one. Just do whatever feels best.

I haven't tried this although sometimes I'll loosen my load lifters going downhill.