Material to make a backpack hip belt more comfortable?

Hello there.

I'm currently using Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) foam sheets that are around 10mm thick. Density is 1.3 pounds per cubic foot. It's typically used for model aircraft but I find that it wraps pretty nicely around the hip.

Hope it helps!
QX

Thanks! Any idea where I can purchase a small quantity? I seem to only find major suppliers online.

Michael

I'll assume you're from South California from your username :)

You can find them from aircraft hobby shops online, I think.

Here's one that sells individual sheets online:
https://www.rcfoam.com/depron-and-epp-foam-suppliers/epp-foam-suppliers/

They have EPP in 1.9 density as well. Let me know if it works!

Cheers
QX

Yes, near San Diego. Thanks for the additional information. I have some experimenting to do!

Michael

I was in the same situation once, and I used a bit of a cut-up ridgerest. Because it has the grooves, it's less stiff than other CCF foam. I had it left over from downsizing my ridgerest, so it was free.

Are you still using it? How did it work out? How long did it last?

I guess it'll come down to finding the right piece of foam. I like your idea and will try to find a similar item. I would hate to have to buy a sleeping pad just to cut it up for such a small segment.

Michael

You can buy the Z-lite sit pads also… the egg crate style.
I've been debating that lately over the CCF 3/8" I typically use. The egg crate would crush out- but it would crush to your body.

Also-
Experimenting with the Darice 2mil foam from Jo-Ann- comes under the "Foamies" label for crafts. Also available in 3mil. The nice thing is it's easy to work and layer as needed. Considering it in combination with some 3-D mesh and adding a layer of foam at the shoulders, two at the hips- and then capping it with some pack body fabric.

Thanks to everyone who replied to this for me. I truly appreciate the time you took to do so.

I used a 3/8" CCF pad, about 6" wide x 20" long on a recent 3 day, 2 night trip. It helped quite a bit, but I still ended up with some sore hips. I think a softer padding material would work better and I'll keep experimenting.

Yesterday, I tried using water wings, those inflatable "floaties" that kids put on their arms when they go swimming. To my surprise, they worked really well. They are lashed to the hipbelt with some string. After a bit of fiddling, I was able to position the hipbelt up high and the water wing down low which allows me to tighten the belt quite a bit. The inflatable bladder kept my hips nice and cushioned. Now, I only walked about 2 miles total with a partially filled pack, but it was very comfortable. I'll keep tinkering with this to see if it gets me anywhere.

Sincerely,

Michael

For someone who has no hips, like me, part of the problem is that the pack slides past those 'phantom' hips. So to try to prevent that I have to tighten the waist belt to the point that my hips hurt.

But if you reduce the slip you can reduce the need to tighten the hip belt to the point of pain.

To that end, I got some shelf liner called Supreme Grip EasyLiner… http://www.duckbrand.com bought at Lowe's (item 47550). It has a waffle pattern alternating foam with holes and it is reinforced so it is difficult to tear (unlike most shelf liners). It is almost 1/8" thick. I cut some of this to the shape of my waist belt and glued it on with one of McNett/Gear Aid's urethane products: Freesole, AquaSeal, or maybe Seam Grip… careful to use it sparingly so it doesn't bleed through the holes in the EasyLiner… and careful to get all the edges so they lay flat… in some places had to clamp or put weights on the edges to hold down until glue dries.

I have used this pack now on one short trip but I saw no problems with the alteration and it helped a lot for the hips.

The EaslyLiner does offer some extra cushion, but I think the biggest benefit is more friction to keep the pack from sliding down and thus reduce the need for a super tight hip belt. I suppose if you wanted more cushion you could double the layers.

Billy

"But if you reduce the slip you can reduce the need to tighten the hip belt to the point of pain."

This is an excellent point. Funny you should mention the grip liner; I have experimented a bit with it. Doubling it over does provide some padding. I may have to revisit this material and maybe combine it with some other padding.

Michael

3D foam, e.g. from thruhiker.com

so, you'de have your CCF, then nylon fabric, then 3D foam

doesn't help with grip or anything, but it is a comfortable material. A lot of commercial products use it for hip belt or shoulder straps

3D foam has a mesh backing, then thin foam, then fishnet front

I believe it is thru-hiker.com; not thruhiker.com

and I think you meant 3D Mesh; not 3D Foam?

thanks,

Billy

yeah

Slippage problem hits it on the head. Another skinny *ss here and have suffered your same pain. Loving my new pack belt for this exact issue, no more slippage. As an added benefit I'm not having to hike up my shorts and undies at regular intervals or worse, walk around like a rural rapper with my pants around the bottom of my *ss.

Contrary to "proper fitting technique" I also where my hip belt slightly higher grabbing what I can of my barely protruding hip bones. Still comfortable, less slip. YMMV but stopping slippage as mentioned does make a great deal of difference.

jimmyb

Just wanted to circle back on this topic now that I've had some time to experiment with various options…

I have been using wool seat belt cushions–those pads that go over a seat belt so the belt doesn't rub against your neck or collar bone–around my hip belt. I have to connect two of them on each side to go around my hip belt. They are a bit baggy and could be altered with some sewing for a more snug fit, but the bagginess allows me to easily grab my pack's straps for adjustments so I'll leave them alone for now.

Adding these allows me to cinch down on the hip belt a little more than usual and they grip well on my body. They work great. My hips are not sore from cranking down on my belt, no marks or bruising from rubbing, etc. I am quite happy with this solution.

An added bonus: On a recent trip, my feet were cold at night so I wrapped the pads around my feet to keep my toes toasty warm. Not a bad multi-use feature!

Michael

That is pretty good, Michael. I bought an REI hipbelt that is full of stiff foam, and with the exception of about 5-6 inches at the small of the back where the belt connects to the pack, maintains a hefty foam layer all around the pelvic girdle. Much less slippage, but the weight penalty is considerable. I'll live with it. It's at: http://www.rei.com/product/844655/rei-crestrail-70-hipbelt

You can see in this picture how the previous belt, an Osprey, left gaps on either side of the small of the back where there was no support. The REI belt corrects this by filling the gaps with foam that allows the belt to rest on the bony protrusions on each side of the small of the back:

Also experimented with the Osprey belt by slitting the back center, inserting foam from Home Desperate knee pads into the gaps, and sealing the slit with flexible epoxy.
That's a work in progress and is lighter than the REI.

That is a nice hip belt, Sam. I didn't have the option of swapping out my belt. Instead, I am stuck with my hip belt and making adjustments to it since I have a Granite Gear Nimbus Meridian and the belt locks to the frame sheet. I am happy with it so far.

Michael

I’m planning on testing out

Supreme Grip EasyLiner (wrapped around the hip belt), and then wrap that with an outer layer of Self Adherent Sports Wrap.

I wonder if its not the material , but more the design of the hip belt that matters. Ive been looking for packs with dual strap hip belts that truly cup your waist. Such as  Aarn (NewZealand), or One planet Australia. I’m seeking 100 L capacity , im straight up and down  body type a<span style=”-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);”>nd </span>typically carry winter loads of 31kgs or more. Preformed single strap hip belts don’t work for me no matter how solid the preform. You need two straps. Does anybody know of other twin strap packs out there ??

Kuiu. SWD.

Thanks Terran Terran. Not sure what  kuiu meant ? But pack model SWD  ‘big wild 95L’ looks the go 👍

Kuiu makes a carbon fiber external frame with a well padded suspension meant to carry a variety of their pack bags or a dry bag. Paired with a Bow bag as a talon from SWD and a DCF stuff sack, it comes in around 3 pounds. Designed for hunters carrying heavy loads.

“Bad Larry” by Sockdolager Gear.https://sockdolagerequipment.com/products/bad-larry-90l-packrafting-backpack

SWD is down to a 4 month lead time. It was 5 months which turned out to be 4.5 months.  Money up front. A bit of a hassle, but really good folks to deal with.

Kuiu with SWD Bow Bag talon.

McHale, Seek Outside. Maybe look at other hunting packs if need that much load carrying capacity. Exo Mtn has a good system as well. Not sure two straps is the single determining factor.

Yes, the belt is the main thing that makes a pack or frame carry well. Yes, design matters. Most modern, quality, makers use two-strap belts these days. Durston and ULA also use two-strap belts (although SWD, Seek Outside, Kuiu, and other hunting/kayaking packs/frames are designed to carry heavier weights).

However, some great packs use single-strap belts: LuxuryLite, Mystery Ranch, Dana Designs, and Kelty all make good packs with single-strap belts (usually wider).

The shape of the belt matters as well: You want the top circumference to be slightly smaller than the bottom circumference. This is what a two-strap belt enforces: It allows you to adjust two different circumferences to fit your body. McHale calls it “conical”, although virtually all makers of load-hauling packs/frames use belts shaped that way these days.