Vintage rucksack hip belt replacement

[Woody girl]

Last summer, I acquired a green vintage external frame berghouse ruck, for the princely sum of a fiver, its in good nick, but the hip belt is a total joke. It's barely more than a one inch wide webbing strap.
I'm looking for suggestions on what I could replace it with to be more comfortable and offer more load support.
I'm quite taken with this pack, as compared to all my other packs it's incredibly light, and feels fairly comfortable on. Though I havnt tried it with a proper load, just a couple of coats rolled up inside, I think this would offer me a way to carry a full load, easier than I can presently manage with my heavier internal frame packs.
I may need to change out the shoulder straps too, as they are not well padded. So any suggestions there would be incredibly helpful too. It's a good pack, just needs a little pimping to make it realy good!
Thanks.

 

[Pattree]

That hip strap is very strong. You could cut it short on each side and sew anything to it even a leather belt if you wanted to. If you want pouches on the strap then ordinary 35mm webbing sewn into the short cut ends of the existing.

That way you leave the seams untouched for when you want a more professional approach.

Brain fart as I type: put plastic push buckles on the cut ends of the original and clip in a range of hip straps till you’re happy.

 

[Van-Wild]

Would these help?

Viper Shoulder Comfort Pads Green

Viper Shoulder Comfort Pads in Green colour is currently for sale at Military 1st, the UK based army online store. Visit our website for the most popular choice of tactical buckles, pads and straps. Free UK Delivery & Free UK Returns.

www.military1st.co.uk

 

[Woody girl]

Would these help?

Viper Shoulder Comfort Pads Green

Viper Shoulder Comfort Pads in Green colour is currently for sale at Military 1st, the UK based army online store. Visit our website for the most popular choice of tactical buckles, pads and straps. Free UK Delivery & Free UK Returns.

www.military1st.co.uk

That could be a possibility. Cheap enough anyway. Will do some measuring and see if they'd fit.
I remember on one trip with a new fangled internal frame ruck in France, having to tape several sanitary pads to the insides ofvery uncomfortable shoulder straps to stop chaffing, and make them more comfortable!

It's the hip belt that's the main problem though. It's too thin to keep the pack in a comfy place on my back. I'm spoilt with modern padded hip belts I guess. I'm wondering if there is something like a seperate modern padded one that I can attach somehow to the frame.
I need a bit more lumbar support than the thin strap gives. My Google fu isn't great. I've found pictures of the pack, and they all seem to have a thicker hip belt than on mine. But I can't find a suitable replacement. Maybe something military?

 

[Lean'n'mean]

What about something like this;

Viper Elite Waist Belt V-Cam

Viper Elite Waist Belt in V-Cam Camo is available now at the Military 1st, the UK based online store with a vast range of tactical belts and other MOLLE accessories. Free UK delivery.

www.military1st.co.uk

There are also various 'battle-belt' type options.

Or this prehaps,

The Mo Hipbelt

This is the replacement hipbelt for The Mo. It's now possible to try out different sizes or swap out a damaged hipbelt without having to replace or return the whole pack. Features / Materials 4 Inch Wide Black 210d Robic Extreema Dual adjust with adjusters This hipbelt is compatible with The...

atompacks.co.uk

Or are you looking for something more basic ?

I don't think there are replacement hip belts that will simply attach to a vintage frame without a little ingenuity & some sewing skills. If you look at some photos of Berghaus's old external frame packs, you can get a better idea of how they were attached which should help in adapting the new hip belt.

 

[Siberian Mongoose]

I’m not familar with the pack in question, but the hipbelt for the Särmä TST RP80, made by Savotta, might work, as it is attached to the frame with a band. I have the similar Savotta Jääkäri XL and the hipbelt is the most comfortable that i’ve ever tried, and the complete RP80 harness can be modified to fit the XL (there’s a video on YT showing this on the identical (?) LJK Modularinen frame); and what is more it fits well with girly hips as it is designed so that it can angle inwards.

Not sure whether the Savotta Jääkäri hipbelt is available separately, an email to Savotta might help.

 

[Siberian Mongoose]

Have looked at the Savotta website (it’s been redesigned), and the Jääkäri L/XL hipbelt is now for sale there plus the hipbelt adapter (i called it a band) for the XL plus other bits and bobs. The external frame is also there now, so you can see how well it might fit the Berghaus: should you want to know anything about it i can give exact measurements.

 

[Woody girl]

Have looked at the Savotta website (it’s been redesigned), and the Jääkäri L/XL hipbelt is now for sale there plus the hipbelt adapter (i called it a band) for the XL plus other bits and bobs. The external frame is also there now, so you can see how well it might fit the Berghaus: should you want to know anything about it i can give exact measurements.

Thanks, that's very helpful. I would very much appreciate the measurements if you'd be kind enough. Cheers.

 

[Siberian Mongoose]

Thanks, that's very helpful. I would very much appreciate the measurements if you'd be kind enough. Cheers.

My pleasure eh! Measurements of the frame and hipbelt (sorry should i give the wrong names for parts ):

Height of frame over main side-tubes: 71.0cm over endbungs;
Width over top of frame: 34.0cm;
Width over bottom of frame: 34.5cm;
Distance apart (height) over two lower crossbars: 14.0cm;
Diameter of main side-tubes: 2.5cm;
Diameter of crossbartubes: 2.0cm;
Height (Width?) of hipbelt adapter: 9.0cm;
Width of hipbelt: 13.0cm;
Length of hipbelt (having been given this as 29”, mine is the earlier longer one): 74.0cm;
Width of ’pillow’ (lumbar pad bit): 27.5cm;
Height of ’pillow’: 19.0cm;
Width of hipbelt strap: 4.0cm (rather than more normal 5.0cm).

The adaptor is tightened by the use of lacing with three holes (each end of course), on the Jääkäri XL the gap between the ends being about 14cm apart; and there are 2cm wide webbing-straps that hold the adapter around the crossbars, these using a buckle attaching upwards with more 2cm wide webbing to the shoulder-strap adapter. The hipbelt is attached to the adapter via MOLLE-webbing, and can be set 5cm higher (two rows of MOLLE) than the standard lower position (i have it this way to get the shoulder-straps to a comfy length as i have a shallower upper body, this also lowering the pack when on) and on the Jääkäri XL the adapter can be moved vertically up to about 3cm. Moreover, the hipbelt can be removed (the RP80 hipbelt is unremovable being attached directly to the adapter) for use as a ’battle belt’…or whatever one would call it…quick to remove but a little slower to reattach—could be useful when base-camping.

I’m not sure that the 2.5cm side adjuster-straps do much with an external frame, they might steady things a bit but haven‘t tried leaving them unbuckled. They’re via tensionbuckles wrapped around the side of the frame and sewn onto the adapter.

I find that the 4cm strap and buckle is more comfy for me than 5cm, being less restrictive when bending forwards. The pack feels when empty like almost nothing on my back despite being 3.9kg without any side-pouches attached, this is how well this external frame and hipbelt work! All that i need to do is to find a way of needing nothing in the ruck! It’s designed to carry insane loads…should one be insane.

Although my being about 5’7” in height i have shortish legs my having an East Asianish Amerindian body build (how i describe it), and am slim (now…dryfasting three days about every three weeks has considerably reduced my naughty fat, my starting doing this when i couldn‘t do my trowsers up! ) but slightly stocky, and rather unmanly haha.

Any further questions please just ask. Cheers!

 

[Siberian Mongoose]

I could describe the shoulder-straps as well, then together with the hipbelt one has a colour-coördinated set, should it be possible to fit it all. The colour is a darkish olive green, but not as drab as is Helikon Tex olive drab.

 

[Woody girl]

Wow, that's a realy comprehensive reply. Thank you. I've just got to get my head around the centimetres as my old brain still works in feet and inches!
We are the same height, so I reckon it would work OK for me. Being greenish it will fit with the colour of the pack too, even if it's a different green. I'm not too fussy about the colour match, I'm more interested in comfort!
Many thanks.

 

[Siberian Mongoose]

I gave most of the measurements in centimetres as that is the measuring system used in Finland, my assuming that it is mostly full or half centimetre dimensions. I also use feet and inches, and yards to measure the Earth. Some calculator apps have a conversion function, or just use a tape measure with both measuring systems on it—i had to find ones connected with socket set brands to get both (have a couple of TengTools ones, a Swedish brand), as otherwise they’re all metric aaargh!

 

[Moondog55]

Was there a picture of the pack in question?
Without actually seeing detail pix of the pack frame and bag it's hard to give an answer but hip belts are one of the things I find harder to make

 

[Siberian Mongoose]

Was there a picture of the pack in question?
Without actually seeing detail pix of the pack frame and bag it's hard to give an answer but hip belts are one of the things I find harder to make

Having searched for a photo of a Berghaus external frame pack without success in finding one, i gave the measurements of the Jääkäri XL hipbelt, adapter, and where and how it fits onto the frame. The Savotta frame is from the 1980s, with three different bags and harnesses: LJK, 2010 (i think) LJK Modularinen (Modular), and the current one since 2019 (i think) the Jääkäri XL.

 

[Moondog55]

I had a Berghaus external frame when I was in the UK many years [ 40 +] ago with the old Geant rucksack, but I swapped it out for a better CampTrails frame after a short while and my memory of the frame and belt is foggy I do not think however that it was a simple web with buckle,

 

[Siberian Mongoose]

Perhaps Woody girl could supply a photo of it: i could then see whether the Savotta hipbelt is a viable option.

The main problem that i have with the Jääkäri XL is the lower centre strut of the frame, as i have mild scoliosis with kyphosis in the centre of my spine, and as such my spine sticks out like i’m a Reptilian! (Fortunately the centre of kyphosis is not near the top, otherwise i would have to be called Igor and swing from Cathedrals.) When i curvingly bend my back with the pack on, the lower part of my spine just touches this centre strut, which could possibly fracture vertibrae should it be forceful: i could be able to fix this problem with some closed cell foam wrapped around the exposed part of the centre strut, but it took quite a bit of adjusting the harness system to minimise this—and it’s a very adjustable harness too.

 

[Woody girl]

Woody Girl is happy to do so.

 

[GreyCat]

That's really helpful- I have that frame and also a later version (later version uses the same bag but there are differences to the frame/carrying harness).

The later version has a different way of doing the belt, and a much better design of belt. The belt is padded, wider with a plastic clip buckle.

The attachment is a bit different though and it's not a direct swap. It is difficult to describe but basically runs straps from bottom of the arm straps to the base of the frame- special bottom end-caps hold the strap ends. The belt wraps around the frame and has verticals which attach top and bottom, feeding into special lugs which are plugs pushed into the bottom of the frame.

I have stripped the harness gubbins off the other frame, but happy to take photos.... could also discuss a trade (or swap out the bottom end-caps as they are plugs which push in)- I wanted the older frame with metal buckles and don't use the belt, and the bag will go on either, so open to discussion about the frame.

Don't know what your timescale is Woody Girl, but I travel quite a bit for work and don't mind bringing you the other frame and seeing if it could be set up/adapted to work for you. Just won't be immediate- could be 2 or 3 weeks.

Having the harness stripped off also allows preparation of a pattern (which is why I did it actually because I wanted to re-make the harness), I do quite a bit of sewing and it's easy to get the webbing and decent 30mm wide clip-buckles.

A replacement belt based on the original design would be an idea as the some of the original plastic fittings were stretching, the later configuration was putting a lot of stress on the fittings (OK they are prob 40 years old so done OK for plastic).

I think I will also be able to make a design up for a belt for the bottom- would then cut off the bottom belt on the old frame and lace on the original.

They are really comfy frames to carry, so certainly worth a bit of effort to make them better!

Let's know what you think, maybe need to discuss further on a pm?

GC

 

[Woody girl]

Grey Cat, you are so kind. I'd appreciate some expert help with this as I'm not great at sewing, (knitting is my bag) and having difficulty visioning things, I'm very much a visual learner.
I'm on the edge of exmoor, so not too far away. It would be great to meet you, and sort it out properly with someone who knows what they are doing and has fettled this type of pack before.
I'll pm you this evening with my location and phone number and we can have a proper chat.

 

[Moondog55]

Woody Girl that pack looks a little like mine, are they Scotch pockets of about 8 litres capacity? The hip belt on mine was a bit more sophisticated more like one of the Karrimor belts, a bit shaped and padded and secured to the frame with [ I think] webbing and a couple of D-rings