Hi All,
I finally whipped up a hip belt adapter for my Zpacks Arc Haul. Love the pack…except for the hip belt. It’s fine with light loads, but anything above quick overnighter weights and it starts to sag/collapse. My total pack weight is usually in the high teens for an overnighter, and 26-28 lbs at the start of a week-long trip. I prefer as much load transfer to my hips as possible. The rest of the pack does an excellent job of transferring weight to the hip belt, but the hip belt itself is just not in the same league.
The adapter attaches to the Zpacks frame the same way the OEM hip belt does – by sliding onto the bottom horizontal stay. On the other side is a velcro “clam shell” to attach to the new hip belt – I went with an old school Six Moon Designs Universal hip belt (which I think is pretty much the same as what they now list as a Standard hip belt). In theory it could accommodate any hip belt from SMD, ULA, or any other company that uses the two-sided velcro attachment (I think Atom Packs hip belts attach like this too but haven’t confirmed).
My goals with this mod were increased comfort and improved load transfer. Based on some short walks around the ‘hood, I am happy to report a massive improvement in both. Hip belt collapse is non-existent and I don’t have to cinch it down nearly as much to keep it from sliding down. I really like the design of the SMD hip belt – the ergonomic cut, rigid plastic backing, and 4-point buckle system work very well together to create a belt that carries weight with considerably more comfort. Can’t wait to try it on an actual backpacking trip!
The only downside is the small weight gain. Zpacks hip belt + pockets + MYOG lumbar pad = 8.5 oz. SMD hip belt + adapter = 13 oz. So, a 4.5 oz gain…UL blasphemy! ;)Â WELL worth it, possibly the best 4.5 oz I’ve added to my pack.
