I'm in the process of trying to cut back on the overall amount of things I take with me. Part of this is finally realising taking a big bergen for a couple of days just results in filling up the empty space.
This has also come with a switch to tarps instead of tents. With all this in mind I am ideally aiming to get down to 25-30l pack & belt kit for spring/summer and no more than 45-50l pack & belt kit for autumn/winter.
I have already made a start by switching the type of gear I use, I had used mod gear in the past and it's good fine kit but I have grown weary of dpm and so made a change for plain kit.
As things stand now I have a plain olive 25l pack which is meant for holding sleeping gear, spare clothes, cooking gear and little else.
I've changed to a molle style belt system with two maxpedition fatty packs (one is my personal medical kit, the other a bushcraft/survival/utility kit). I am intending on adding a maxpedition map case, and considering their Proteus bag for carrying things like food, water proofs, binos/phone etc.
My main concern is how this weight will all hang, obviously with a good framed bergen there is never any problem, load it up & fit the straps correctly and hike till dark. I have little experience though of how the human body copes with weight on the waist, at what sort of weight would most folk say a belt kit will need shoulder strap support? Also what sort of effects on the lower back will be felt when having a belt kit like this?
In an ideal world I want this to work as it will mean other than a camel back I can happily just grab my belt kit and poles and set off for a full day in the mountains without the hassle of a backpack. But obviously that is no good if there are going to be anatomical issues at hand.
Thanks in advance for any help offered.
This has also come with a switch to tarps instead of tents. With all this in mind I am ideally aiming to get down to 25-30l pack & belt kit for spring/summer and no more than 45-50l pack & belt kit for autumn/winter.
I have already made a start by switching the type of gear I use, I had used mod gear in the past and it's good fine kit but I have grown weary of dpm and so made a change for plain kit.
As things stand now I have a plain olive 25l pack which is meant for holding sleeping gear, spare clothes, cooking gear and little else.
I've changed to a molle style belt system with two maxpedition fatty packs (one is my personal medical kit, the other a bushcraft/survival/utility kit). I am intending on adding a maxpedition map case, and considering their Proteus bag for carrying things like food, water proofs, binos/phone etc.
My main concern is how this weight will all hang, obviously with a good framed bergen there is never any problem, load it up & fit the straps correctly and hike till dark. I have little experience though of how the human body copes with weight on the waist, at what sort of weight would most folk say a belt kit will need shoulder strap support? Also what sort of effects on the lower back will be felt when having a belt kit like this?
In an ideal world I want this to work as it will mean other than a camel back I can happily just grab my belt kit and poles and set off for a full day in the mountains without the hassle of a backpack. But obviously that is no good if there are going to be anatomical issues at hand.
Thanks in advance for any help offered.