comfort my hips!

“I recently bought a Osprey Luna and it does help comfort my hips better than a men's pack. I still get really sore by the second day and was wondering if any women could give me advice on what they do. My hips are just bone on top where the weight sets and I didn't know if there was some other way of padding under the hip belt or something. At some point I will buy lighter gear but light gear is also lots 'o $$. Thanks!”

“Is the waist belt on your pack adjustable? Some women's packs waistbelts have adjustable cant-how far in the top edge tips- so you're less likely to have that problem. You could possibly get different pads to put on your hipbelt. Also-is it from direct weight, or chafing from the belt sliding around? THat's another common problem.”

“the osprey luna hipbelt is made to curve and cup for women's hips. when I used a men's pack previously I actually had some swelling. The belt doesn't slide around and I do try to keep my weight so it is on my lower back and hips. At the end of the trip this weekend I put more weight on my shoulders to get it off my hips. maybe there are different hip pads I can place on it though.”

“It's actually better for you to keep the weight in the top of your pack. Keep all your lightweight stuff down low.”

“some chocolate eclaires might help! That's what keeps my pack belt padded.”

“I always thought that female BP's were designed with a lower center of gavity in mind. More attention being paid to the belt and such than elsewhere,,, since that area has the tendency to carry a vast majority of their gravitional pull,, they design the packs the same way.”

“speaking of sweets ~ have you all tried the blueberry cheesecake by mountain house I believe?? what a great thing to have at the end of the day! even when I weighed 10lbs more, my weight goes to my thighs so I'm afraid the hip bones are still a problem.”

“Lunasc, I have exactly the same issue. I have no "natural" padding in my hip bone area either. I'm sorry to say that I don't have any really good advice on how to handle it. I just took the pain last summer. After MTpalooza my hip bones were very bruised. I'm sure if I had been able to make the entire trip, I would have become real creative in order to deal w/ it. One thing I do when I pack my daughter in her Kelty is tie my jacket around my waist and position it under the belt. It helps a little, but if you go any distance it slides around and just creates another problem. I'm going to keep checking this thread. I'm interested to hear what people think we should do about it.”

“I've always gotten the largest hip belt that I could. Not sure that I would like the heavy stuff packed high though. Before I quit smoking & backpacked a lot, (at 155 skinny pds) I always had a backpack that was infinitely adjustable. My external backpack had a flexible composite frame that I love to this day. My Caribou daypack is adjustable (with straps) everywhere. Try shorter backpacking trips for a while. Time will work. Lighten the load (we all can) or try day trips until you get used to the weight.”

“Some of it may just be getting use to the weight there but I don't get to go backpacking very many times in a year. We do day hike a lot, backpacking requires more days off than my husband and I often have together. Newgirl, if I figure anything out I will let you know!”

“Wow, 10 posts and still on topic. I'm amazed.

Perhaps getting a couple of those padded strap covers, the kind you use on baby seat straps, or maybe the bigger ones for seatbelts, and wrapping them around the hipbelt where it contacts your hip would help?”

“I just had a thought... If you can find some kids' football pants at a second-hand store you could cannibalize them for the pads. Or for something softer, get some pieces of closed-cell foam and put them over your hipbones before you tighten your hipbelt (?)”

“You could try a piece of closed cell foam pad for around your waist first.
The new light packs go-lites, do not rly on the hip belt, but loads need to be under 30lbs.”

“More on-topic responses? Buddha Bear must be working today.

I like Tilt's idea best, but you need to find a way to secure the foam to your hipbelt, or it will fall off everytime you take off your pack. Very annoying.”

“this is just a thought, if you are getting pressure on the ponts of the hip bone, you need to remove that pressure. Maybe a donut shaped pad that fits over the points of the hipbone or even open the hip belt and remove some of the padding in that area. Adding padding on the points will just increase the pressure.”

“Bit, your idea seems good. I don't know how bad the problem is for Lunasc, but I seriously had bruises. They were very painful.”

“Wear your pack more often :-)”

“I don't know if calluses are the answer to this problem, le Subtil...lol...”

“Get a really big hipbelt and put a down pillow on each hip?”

“LeSub, I don't think that will address the issue. I think the area would just get more and more tender.”

“The donut-shaped pad is the best idea I've seen so far. It will relieve the pressure on the hipbone, and spread the pressure out over a wider area. I use something similar on some bony protrusions on my heels to cut down on pain in that area.


And let me say, I continue to be shocked that no one has come forth with a more, uh, shall we say, "personal approach" to solving this problem.”

“Another Rube Goldberg Idea:

Why don't they make packs that have an integral air chamber like a thermarest pad? You strap it on, then squeeze a inflation bulb 4 or 5 times... ?”

“Then you put a CO₂ cartridge on it and turn it into an air bag for trail falls...”

“just come (LOL) packin with me...and you'll be nothing but "in comfort"...hehehehe =[:-p”

“Only took 24 posts...”

“only????? 24 posts is a record I think”

“Could be, but I'm too lazy to do the math to figure out what the median number of posts it takes to degenerate a thread is.

Especially one with the name "Comfort my hips!"...”

“LOL @ le Subtil. :)

i have the same problem - and i always though it was because my pack didn't fit me well. the doughnut shaped padding sounds like it would work.”

“and the Missouri heat has fried my brain and let my evil self out...Sorry for the inuendo...NOT!!!!”

“i tried using a couple of hunks of lambs wool - but that didn't work... i think the chaffing comes from haveing shoulder straps to tight so when you stretch up a high step or something that cause your shoulders to move up... it pulls the hip belt... ? try experimenting with the torso length etc etc... and lighten the load... that helps with everything.”

“lunasc - How much does your pack weigh. I bought a cheap postal scale and started weighing everything. You would be surprised how much taking just two to four pounds off you pack weight can help. This year I am about 5 pounds lighter than last year (pack weight not me) - it is great!

BTW - it is alot easier to loose 5 pounds in you pack than 5 pounds from your diet

dawn”

“Actually, I was only half kidding. If I haven't worn my pack in a while, I get sore in the same spot. I don't have hardly any padding on my hipbones, either.”

“I think lunanc was on the right track with the end of her own post. She shifted the weight to her shoulders when her hips got sore. I shift the wieght of my pack several times a day while backpacking. On uphills I move more wieght to my hips and on downhills I move the weight to my shoulders. I think your hips are taking on more wieght then they can handle and you need to increase the strength of your upper body to take some of the pressure off. Of course, a properly fitted, padded hipbelt will also help.”

“In the majority of cases soreness is caused by the clothes you are wearing under the hipbelt and not the hipbelt itself. Any seam, underwear band, belt loops or other things that can cause any pressure points can cause even the best fitting and properly designed belt to be uncomfortable. Maintain smooth lines between your skin and the belt by selecting the right clothing to wear for hiking. More padding can in some cases make the problem worse and it isn't really needed. A belt that has much surface area can spread the load out better, results in fewer pounds of pressure per square inch and doesn't need to be thick. Thick belts with plastic that concentrate the weight in one area can create too much pressure in that area. McHale has proved that 1/2 inch of evazote foam in a properly fit belt can support a load of 100 pounds with his full wrap belt. Work on finding clothing that is smooth beneath your hipbelt before you give up on the hipbelt. If that doesn't work then it very well might be that the hipbelt just doesn't fit or is poorly designed to begin with.”

“I have to say I am shocked at only one personal request myself! Are my hiking pictures that awful?! OK I am going to try to cut five pounds off my weight. We actually have two different scales for weighing our pack items. My packed weighed right at 31 lbs last weekend. I am going to try some type of padding under my hipbelt also. I am just not sure how to keep it in place without it being permenant. My boxer briefs are very smooth but maybe my shorts/pants are creating more friction that I realize. My husband found a type of padding that a lot of athletes supposedly use for extra comfort. I don't know if I can get some before my trip to Glacier next week. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!”

“Let me state categorically that no, your hiking pictures are not awful, especially the one in the sports bra.

I think everybody (except stikmon) was just trying to keep everything on topic. I don't know why.”

“I don't get much in the way of sore hips.

Maybe I'm just lucky to have packs that fit me well.

But then again, I don't suffer from noassatall.”

“well that is good to know bitpusher! ok, I plan on buying lighter rain gear, sleeping bag and sleeping pad. Those three iems are about a week of my pay though so will take me time to purchase. It will shave about 2lb off my pack though. my hubby is going to take the cookset and fuel which will be another 1lb. I also need to plan my food better. I always have gorp and snacks left over after a trip.”

“LOL @ Tom T. Some of us aren't blessed!”

“Cheeky, huh?”