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Hip Belt slips down due to Pant material, How to stop?


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Home Forums Gear Forums Gear (General) Hip Belt slips down due to Pant material, How to stop?

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 31 total)
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  • #3540034
    Larry C
    BPL Member

    @sddarkman619

    I have an osprey pack and love it, however when I am actually BPing I wear columbia pants. With the material used for them the hip belt on my pack slips down and no amount of cinching will keep in on my hips. When I am training and walking around the naighborhood with just my regular cotton shorts and leather belt on, I have better success with the hip belt staying put.

     

    Anyone else have this issue and/or how to fix?

    thanks

    #3540059
    Jenny A
    BPL Member

    @jennifera

    Locale: Front Range

    Well, yeah, I also have this issue with the shorts I like to hike in, which are a slippery nylon material.  I usually just crank the heck out of the hipbelt and haven’t taken it to the next step, which if I ever do anything might consist of putting some strips of Seam Grip on the back part of the hipbelt where it contacts my lumbar area.   That ought to make a nice grippy surface that wouldn’t be so prone to sliding.

    Or, since this Backpacking Light, you could just carry less stuff!  (Just kidding)

    #3540074
    Franco Darioli
    Spectator

    @franco

    Locale: Gauche, CU.

    You need to put some weight around your waist line so just start eating more.

    beer is good for that too.

    #3540097
    Larry C
    BPL Member

    @sddarkman619

    I has a belly so that’s not going to happen, hahahaha

    #3540099
    Larry C
    BPL Member

    @sddarkman619

    yeah I’m working on less. but just added some weight with my CPAP.

    #3540109
    Franco Darioli
    Spectator

    @franco

    Locale: Gauche, CU.

    Sorry, I could not help myself…

    Anyway , before you gunk up your trousers (that idea did cross my mind…) if you have a piece of non slip fabric (the shelf liner type)  you could try that to see if it works.

     

    #3540127
    Alex H
    BPL Member

    @abhitt

    Locale: southern appalachians or desert SW

    The strips of seam grip do work.

    #3540130
    Jeff McWilliams
    BPL Member

    @jjmcwill

    Locale: Midwest

    Same problem here.  Cinching down the waist belt for me results in a pinched nerve and pins and needles running down my left leg.  Totally not cool.  Will try the Seam Grip idea.

     

    #3540134
    Axel J
    BPL Member

    @axel-t

    I always thought the hip belt was suppose to anchor on the iliac crest of the pelvis?

    #3540144
    Todd T
    BPL Member

    @texasbb

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    Sounds to me like your shirt’s too short, or else you’re tucking it in which just seems awful.  Switch to a shirt long enough to cover the top of your pants, and prefer a woven fabric of some sort, not knitted.

    #3540146
    Daryl and Daryl
    BPL Member

    @lyrad1

    Locale: Pacific Northwest, USA, Earth

    https://www.ahh.biz/webbing/rubberized/webbing_rubberized_polypro_non_slip_25mm.php

    Would something like this help?

    There are also stretchy exercise bands they use at the gym and for physical therapy that might help.

    #3540200
    Jeff McWilliams
    BPL Member

    @jjmcwill

    Locale: Midwest

    And when it rains and I’m forced to wear my slippery Columbia Outdry Ex rain jacket then what?

     

     

     

    #3540210
    Jenny A
    BPL Member

    @jennifera

    Locale: Front Range

    “I always thought the hip belt was suppose to anchor on the iliac crest of the pelvis?”

    That is correct.  But on some people ME INCLUDED the iliac crest is um, well-cushioned, which can make it difficult to get the hip belt cinched properly.  Not saying that this is the case with the OP, but it certainly is a factor for my middle-aged, post child-bearing middle.

    #3540217
    David Hartley
    BPL Member

    @dhartley

    Locale: Western NY

    I also have experienced this issue and had some luck in the past with seam grip on the lumbar area of the hip belt – at least until I started using gossamer gear’s gorilla and Mariposa packs. I find these packs fit me like a glove, but the lumbar area is a light stretchy mesh over their sit pad foam back panel – so no place for seam grip. Now I am back to the sliding pack problem.

    I can also relate to illiac crest issue. I am relatively thin overall, but I do have a bit of well earned beer gut that interferes with the optimum hip belt position.

    Dave H

    #3540275
    James Marco
    BPL Member

    @jamesdmarco

    Locale: Finger Lakes

    Actually, most hip belt slippage is caused by excess padding. Remove the padding and it will work fine.
    No, the hip belt does not really anchor *on* or *above* your hip bone(s.) Rather it should lock in just where you have little muscle and pulled moderately tight (you will need to adjust this.) The above-the-hip causes a lot of problems with wet and sweaty belts. Too low and you get too far down below the iliac crest (which is curved.) Usually, a good rule of thumb is to set at the *top* of the belt to be even with the *top* of your hip bones, NOT above it. If you have a loose strap, this should just lock over into your pants belt buckle, now pull it tight. It is OK if it is a little tilted. Wide, super cushioned belts bother me and I cannot use them, they slip easily causing a LOT of shoulder problems. (GG used to make some excellent packs where I could remove the padding.) Nowdays, I think you need to unseam a couple seams to remove anything over 1/8-1/4″, or, substitute 1/8″ for the 3/8″ stuff they use… Otherwise, the packs all creep down as you walk.

    #3540476
    Eric Blumensaadt
    BPL Member

    @danepacker

    Locale: Mojave Desert

    If strips of Seam Grip don’t do it try the thicker Shoe Goo (in a tube).

    That stuff is very durable as well.

    #3540549
    Larry C
    BPL Member

    @sddarkman619

    shirt is long enough, in fact it’s probably the shirt thats causing this and not just the pants. the shirt is down past the belt.

    #3540568
    BPLwiia
    Spectator

    @bplwiia

    There are strips of a very grippy, shiny material on the inside of Sitka Ascent pants. The same material is on the pull tab of the zipper of several North Face fleece 1/4 zip shirts I have.

    The grippy strips are very effective at keeping the pants from moving down.

    #3540574
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    A properly fitted pack with a well designed hip belt should stay put unless you are carrying a LOT of weight in your pack. My McHales don’t slip even if I am wearing slippery running shorts. The belts on these packs have ample padding are are fairly tall with double buckles that allow a bit of adjustment in circumference so the belt better hugs the hips

    In my opinion, the hip belt should extend slightly above the iliac crest. For people who could lose a bit of weight, this can be a problem. I see a lot of people whose waist belts are too low and of course, they’re going to slip.

    #3540593
    Matt Dirksen
    BPL Member

    @namelessway

    Locale: Mid Atlantic

    “In my opinion, the hip belt should extend slightly above the iliac crest. For people who could lose a bit of weight, this can be a problem”

    Belt location is ultimately dependent on both the design of the pack, and “what feels right” to the user. While it may seem that the rule of thumb indicates that most belts rest on or slightly above the iliac crest, there have been too many examples where this rule doesn’t apply.

    Having fit MANY different pack designs while working at gear shops between the mid 80’s thru early 2k, I found that each company created their own rule of thumb – and was primarily based on the specific design of the pack.

    In my recollection, some packs were specifically designed to have the belt either ride entirely Below or entirely ABOVE the iliac crest. (Lowe’s tended to ride higher while Kelty’s rode very low. And Mountainsmith’s lumbar packs all rode waay above.)

    Regardless, it all goes back to the back manufacturer’s “intent”, and what the user believes is comfortable (which may ultimately change during their first couple hikes.)

    #3540595
    Axel J
    BPL Member

    @axel-t

    Maybe a Tumpline could assist in reducing the issue?

    #3540620
    Todd T
    BPL Member

    @texasbb

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    shirt is long enough, in fact it’s probably the shirt thats causing this and not just the pants. the shirt is down past the belt.

    That’s my experience–it’s the shirt that causes the problem. Woven fabrics help. Another thing that helps is a pack that hugs your back. Those silly packs that try to leave an air gap so you “won’t sweat” (ha ha) just focus the job on the hipbelt pressure points. A little friction along your back can help.

    That said, I rarely have any slipping unless the pack is quite heavy.

    #3540633
    Sam Farrington
    BPL Member

    @scfhome

    Locale: Chocorua NH, USA

    Larry,
    Perhaps the Osprey you have is an older model. Lately, they have made innovations to address just the problem you raised. Some of the newer models have much more flexible suspended mesh backbands, and hardware hidden in the fabric that prevents the hipbelt from slipping up, thus making it harder for the pack to slip down. If you haven’t tried out some of the new models, would suggest it.

    #3540638
    Larry C
    BPL Member

    @sddarkman619

    It’s actually brand new, an Osprey Atmos AG, 65L.

    This only happens when I am backpacking with my trail clothes on. the slippery wicking fast drying Columbia stuff.

    #3540639
    Larry C
    BPL Member

    @sddarkman619

    This was actually my first time with it in the field. I had been training around the neighborhood with my regular clothes, cargo pants and leather belt. It wasn’t until this hike that I realized what was happening with the hiking clothes and the pack.

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