When the pack weight is on you… finding a backpack for the hefty amongst us.

Check out Dan McHale Custom Ultralight Fitted Packs. You pay for the custom fitting, design, but in the end you get a pack that fits you comfortably and a design you select for the application you want it to serve.

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/when-the-pack-weight-is-on-you-finding-a-backpack-for-the-hefty-amongst-us/

I’m about the same height and weight as the OP. After experimenting with a number of off-the-shelf packs from Osprey, Gregory and the like, ULA was the end of my journey. Call them, explain your past frustrations, and follow their recommendations for combinations and/or custom modifications. Awesome products and services.

That said, they don’t (to my knowledge) offer a chest harness option, so if your personal preference/needs run in that direction you’ll be looking elsewhere. The Swift X looks great.

I’ve had the same issues. 5’10” 235. I went with a Dan Mchale custom backpack. It was expensive.

IF I didn’t go with Mchale I would have gone with Superior Wilderness Designs and have them make a longer belt for me ( you just have to email them ).

At about 6’4” and 280lbs – am I in hefty hefty territory? 😂

ULA is also a great option. Brian (founder) made my first UL pack in his garage when I happened to be in Logan for a day and he measured me up and churned one out. But the current owners and mgmt are also freaking awesome. Just send them a note and they could make the shoulder straps longer.

HMG in tall with a large hipbelt seems to fit me pretty great.  Can get from REI and return if it doesn’t fit you

I have maybe 5 LiteAF packs. These are my pack of choice. And Chris can literally make anything you can dream up / so if you have a custom body get a custom pack!

long story short, I agree. You’re not going to find something that fits great at REI. But all the cottage manufacturers that make their packs (LiteAF, ULA) I know from experience will go out of their way to help you out!

I probably qualify as “hefty” (5’11” and 260 lbs) and, quite honestly, I found it much easier to cut pack weight than to lose body weight.  By getting my pack weight down to around 20 lbs (including food and water), I’ve found that I’m really happy with the ZPacks Nero.  I have hip belt pockets and use the hip belt only to keep those pockets in place (i.e. no load transfer to the hips) and simply carry the full weight on my shoulders.

Oh – and chest straps?  Not happening for this boy!!!

look into an external frame pack that carries weight off your shoulders and onto your hips/legs.

Oh, and a plush comfortable hip belt.

and no, this will not necessarily weigh more than an internal frame pack.

Thanks to all of the responses to my post. Sorry for the long delay in doing so. Family crises. And I apologize for not responding to each reply but I haven’t figured out how to yet.

I’m glad that I’m not the only one on this journey. Great packs, great suggestions, all of them. I researched each and every pack maker suggested (unless I already had, like ULA, and BTW I agree, Brian is great). It was fun.

I believe vest style harnesses may be a good fit for hefty people for two reasons. First they sit above the iliac crest which aids in a hip belt, if there is one, from sliding off a big belly (I have a particularly impressive one). Second, the double sternum straps keep the vest straps from riding up the arm pits, a problem that seems exacerbated by wide chests. Third, and this is for everyone, I think the wide widths of vest style straps are more comfortable and aid in weight distribution. Rotator cuff problems–this may be a solution for you. Still, it’s a snug fit and not for everyone. But, if you’re big chested and/or big bellied, and you are struggling with conventional J or S shaped straps with a single sternum strap, this may be an answer for you. It was a revelation for me.  Give em a try. REI carries a bunch, including the Zerk 40 & UD Fastpack 30 (I don’t love either but you may and really it’s just to try out the concept with REI’s ridiculously generous return policy).

As for custom made, I am always curious because of the risk that it won’t fit and it isn’t returnable. What has been the experience of those who have suggested this? I did talk to Brian at ULA about it but the non-returnable thing makes me nervous (and I went for a vest harness system).

Finally, while I love my SMD Swift X, there are things about it that drive me crazy. I posted about it on BPL. But if you’re looking for a comfortable, stable, pack it is still an option you might consider.

Recently, I have been looking at fast packs (it’s all about those vest harnesses that I love). Here’s my contenders for a day/fast/overnight. I have inquired about sizing for the following packs. So, for reference, I am 5’11”, 230 lbs, 44 inch chest, 46 inch hip circumference.

1. Bonfus Altus 28 (Customizable and non-returnable)

2. Bonfus Fastus 23 (Niccolo the owner, says that the Fastus should fit my girth. I may order it, and if it fits return to GGG and order the Altus directly. I really like his packs)

2. Gossamer Gear Grit 28 (It’s a new drop, I think. I’m waiting to hear from them about sizing)

3. Z-Pack Nero 30 (they replied that it should fit me).

4. Nashville Packs Cutaway (would have been a top contender but it is really, really expensive for good reasons, just out of my price range).

5. HMG Aero 28 (Also too pricey for me but worth a look)

6. The Joey Palante (Alas it won’t fit me according the boys up in Bishop, CA BUT they did say they were planning on an XL version by the end of this year. I love this pack and the price. It made me sad that it wouldn’t fit or I’d be hiking in it now.

7. Outdoor Vitals Skyline 30: too small in a M which was the suggestion for me on their size chart when I tried it on.  They suggested I try an L, but either way, the webbing belt (I like them for technical terrain) is too small, I’d still take a look at it for the reasonable price.

I hope this helps someone, somewhere.

All the best,

Mati

I have tried to harness systems and they feel like I have a bra on. I only tried the mystery ranch bridger and the bonfus fastus.

From my experience, for someone with a big belly, having something with a thick help belt that actually puts some weight on your hips does wonders. I’ve used an HMG and after about 10 miles with it all on my shoulders, I started getting some back pains. I could go lighter, my base weight is 15 lbs with my 4lb Mchale pack. I really want a pack that I don’t notice it on, like an HMG, but also can distribute weight to my hips around my big belly. I’m also trying to lose my big belly but it’s tough. I’ve started training for this backpacking season for the past 5 weeks. I’ve built up to 7 hours ( or 5k ft elevation/ 13 miles per week ) of hiking each week and get about 11k steps in a day and weight has stayed exactly the same. 5′ 10″ height and 252 lb weight.

Hi,

I’m Hope a 5’10” 200 lb female. I loved when I came across this thread 😜. I’m a bigger gal with a belly and I find the vest style straps to work best even with boobs (not sure if I can say that…sorry in advance if I offend anyone). Just like already mentioned above, the vest distributes the weight really well (for me anyway). I’ve used many backpacks (many of the ones mentioned above) and my fave is the MR women’s Bridger 55. I pack about 30lbs total. Is this bag overkill…sure, but it’s fits like a glove. Most of the time I pack extra gear because I take people out on trips and the requires extra equipment. I do think the hefty hipbelt works wonders as well. I’ve never had a bag fit so well and carry 30lbs like it’s wasn’t there. I was a wilderness guide so packing 40-50lbs wasn’t unusual for me 10 years ago. Then I used an external frame because it managed the weight the best and was so much easier to pack. After that job I needed to downsize and needed something that worked better for my more basic needs. MR Bridger 55 is my go to and has been for a couple years now. Only bag I’ve found to evenly carry weight and not be a problem with a belly and boobs. After reading others experiences…it’s the big thick hipbelt and the vest style combo. Anyway, I hope this is helpful to others. Thanks for starting an excellent conversation.