Free the Hip

Personally, going ultralight is more than just a trend. Using the hip belt with a heavier pack weight has caused certain stomach problems on my overnight trips. These stomach problems have come and gone over the past 2 years, even after several appointments with my doctors and getting a number of tests done. Since all of the tests were inconclusive, I try to do what I can to lessen the nausea on my own. I believe that using the hip belt after eating was a contributing factor to some miserable days on the trail. In the end, I hope to have a base weight of less than 11 pounds so I can reduce the amount of time using the hip belt by over half.