Buz Groshong wrote:Maybe my pack wasn't adjusted properly as far as height of shoulder straps goes, or maybe it was the lack of large enough hips to carry the waist belt without it being too tight (I have had a bit shaved off of one hip for a bone graft and the muscles covering it were moved a bit). This being said, I noticed on my way down from Pisco that loosening the waist belt allowed me to breathe a lot better. I prefer to keep as much weight on the hips as possible, but not at the cost of breathing ability when at a altitude.
Fair enough. And as I mentioned, I too certainly go periods where I loosen the belt from time to time. For example, if you're scrambling you might as well loosen the belt since it's basically just laying on your back anyway.