Even that stupid potato-sack pack could be made reasonably comfortable if we could put a large percentage of its weight on the hips. The bones of the pelvis can bear a far heavier load that our relatively wimpy shoulders. Add a hipbelt. The standard approach is to use one or more aluminum stays, curved to fit the bend of the spine. The stays extend from the top of the pack down to the hipbelt, typically two stays in a V-shape that meets near the center, i.e., the small of the back.
Many packs add a framesheet across the back.
It also prevents sharp, bulky items from poking your back. All rights reserved. Privacy policy .