MindShift Backlight owners: cut off hip belt?

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MatthewK

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I have a Backlight 26L, and it's probably the perfect camera bag, with one exception: the non-removable hip belt. I've never used it, never will, it's still reverse wrapped around the back of the pack, and it serves no purpose for me. So, thinking of cutting it off! I've examined the attachment point thoroughly, and think that as long as I don't shear too closely to the main stitching, it shouldn't affect structural rigidity. However, I wanted to run it by other owners here and get some second opinions before I start cutting. Do you think removing the belt will have an adverse affect on the bag?
 
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MatthewK said:
I have a Backlight 26L, and it's probably the perfect camera bag, with one exception: the non-removable hip belt. I've never used it, never will, it's still reverse wrapped around the back of the pack, and it serves no purpose for me. So, thinking of cutting it off! I've examined the attachment point thoroughly, and think that as long as I don't shear too closely to the main stitching, it shouldn't affect structural rigidity. However, I wanted to run it by other owners here and get some second opinions before I start cutting. Do you think removing the belt will have an adverse affect on the bag?
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I get the desire to remove it some way but I think you would regret it. I have a ThinkTank Airport Commuter and a bigger FStop bag. Most of the time waist belt not used but on a bit of a longer walk you really notice the difference of the weight being on your hips rather than shoulders.

So as I say for me as the others have said I certainly wouldn’t remove it and as Karen rightly points out any re- sale value would be impacted.
 
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MatthewK said:
I have a Backlight 26L, and it's probably the perfect camera bag, with one exception: the non-removable hip belt. I've never used it, never will, it's still reverse wrapped around the back of the pack, and it serves no purpose for me. So, thinking of cutting it off! I've examined the attachment point thoroughly, and think that as long as I don't shear too closely to the main stitching, it shouldn't affect structural rigidity. However, I wanted to run it by other owners here and get some second opinions before I start cutting. Do you think removing the belt will have an adverse affect on the bag?
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It's your bag and your preference, but the point of the hip belt is to put the weight of the pack on your hips, not your back/shoulders when hiking. That's what all backpackers and hikers do with their packs. You really want that weight on your hips.

And I've hiked a fair amount with the smaller 18l Backlight (usually carrying 10 to 15) lbs and the hip belt is essential for reducing fatigue on a longer hike. Even on a shorter hike I'd use the hip belt.

If you are using the backpack mostly to have gear ready to throw in a car and drive somewhere, then take the camera out and just walk with the camera (something I do a lot) then sure, the hip belt is not useful. But for actually walking around with a heavy backpack .... really useful. If you have hiker friends, they could probably show you the way to adjust it.
 
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PhotoLover said:
It's your bag and your preference, but the point of the hip belt is to put the weight of the pack on your hips, not your back/shoulders when hiking. That's what all backpackers and hikers do with their packs. You really want that weight on your hips.

And I've hiked a fair amount with the smaller 18l Backlight (usually carrying 10 to 15) lbs and the hip belt is essential for reducing fatigue on a longer hike. Even on a shorter hike I'd use the hip belt.

If you are using the backpack mostly to have gear ready to throw in a car and drive somewhere, then take the camera out and just walk with the camera (something I do a lot) then sure, the hip belt is not useful. But for actually walking around with a heavy backpack .... really useful. If you have hiker friends, they could probably show you the way to adjust it.
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i have the 15L and use the hip belt
 
I have a similar model and find it helpful for trail walking to use the hip support. But if you were to cut it off you might find someone with sewing skills that maybe could serge the edge so you don't have an ugly mess.
 
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All great points, thank you for the insights. I've done a good amount of hiking throughout the years (Marine Corps, avid camper, etc), so def recognize the value of a good suspension system, which is why this is a tough call. Really wish they'd have made it removable, though it would probably affect the overall effectiveness. I never take the pack in the field, it's mostly as PhotoLover stated: a means to bring my camera gear from home to photo destination, where I'll then go out with just 1-camera/1-lens. Most I will ever carry it is in airports between flights and such.

My main question though: if I cut the belt off, do you all think will it compromise the structural integrity of the pack? I've actually heard of people removing the rigid foam inside the walls of the pack, allowing it to collapse flatter and save weight, but no way I'll be doing that.

As to resale value: this is my long term keeper, so it isn't going anywhere unless I get out of long lenses/bird photography. That's to say, its condition will eventually be such that it won't net me much if I were to sell.
 
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I don’t own that pack so I can’t answer your specific questions about it, but…

If you do go forward, consider talking to a seamstress about the feasibility of cutting off the hipbelt in such a way that one can reattach it at will.

Often I find such people by asking around at a backpacking store.
 
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The decision to cut off the waist belt is completely contrary to my interest in a pack especially one that can carry heavy equipment during a hike.

To me what makes a backpack great is its ability to transfer weight off of the shoulders and onto the hips. There is no question that the lower part of the body is better built to handle weight than the shoulders and upper back.

I have worked with great backpacks in my life and I have experienced what a truly great pack is capable of doing. My current backpack is a custom fitted backpack made by a zen master of pack design.

A really good backpack requires both a stiff and properly proportioned internal frame and a really robust waist belt as well as a suspension system that keeps the pack close to the body and encourages the shoulders to be upright in good posture. In fact many years ago I did a six week tour of various countries in Asia. I had my first zen master backpack and I used it as my only suitcase. It weighed 50 lbs loaded and I walked all over the place with it with complete comfort. It was heavy to lift into position but once on it was effortless and I could walk around that way all day.

With a pack like that I can carry 50-70 lbs of gear with minimum strain and zero back pain.

My problem with most of the photo specific backpacks I have used is that they don't have a good understanding of backpack design and they do not have a good system of weight transfer compared to backpacks designed for-the name speaks for itself-backpacking.

If you are going to lug around a lot of heavy equipment for miles you need a real backpack, one that uses a waist belt to transfer weight to your hips.
 
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PhotoLover said:
It's your bag and your preference, but the point of the hip belt is to put the weight of the pack on your hips, not your back/shoulders when hiking. That's what all backpackers and hikers do with their packs. You really want that weight on your hips.
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The basic principle is using a waist belt to put some weight on the hips makes it easier or much easier and more comfortable to carry weight longer distances.
Any doctor will tell you carrying a lot of weight in a shoulder bag is a medical no-no.
On steep rough terrain shoulder bags can affect balance and slow progress.

A few people are "super strong" and can carry lots of weight without utilising the clear benefit of a waist belt.
To me this is like alway like keeping IBIS or in lens VR switched off instead of switched off some of the time - though everyone is free to make their own decision.
 
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MatthewK said:
All great points, thank you for the insights. I've done a good amount of hiking throughout the years (Marine Corps, avid camper, etc), so def recognize the value of a good suspension system, which is why this is a tough call. Really wish they'd have made it removable, though it would probably affect the overall effectiveness. I never take the pack in the field, it's mostly as PhotoLover stated: a means to bring my camera gear from home to photo destination, where I'll then go out with just 1-camera/1-lens. Most I will ever carry it is in airports between flights and such.

My main question though: if I cut the belt off, do you all think will it compromise the structural integrity of the pack? I've actually heard of people removing the rigid foam inside the walls of the pack, allowing it to collapse flatter and save weight, but no way I'll be doing that.

As to resale value: this is my long term keeper, so it isn't going anywhere unless I get out of long lenses/bird photography. That's to say, its condition will eventually be such that it won't net me much if I were to sell.
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For what it is worth, when using the backpack during air travel, I will use the hip belt as I stand in line at the airport, as I walk through the airport, etc. Then before boarding the plane, I reverse the hip belt around the back, so it will fit neatly under the seat (as I have the 18l). For one trip, I had two camera bodies and multiple lenses, along with a laptop and ipad in the pack, totaling 22 lbs. Definitely used the hip belt walking around the airport on that trip (I was pleasantly amazed at how much I could stuff in the 18l backpack).

I've also used that pack a lot for day hiking, where I happened to be carrying a camera (1 body, 1 landscape lens). This is heavier than a true day pack (due to the padding to protect camera gear, which of course can be mostly taken out), but it still worked nicely as a day pack. In fact, even if I wasn't carrying a camera, that's still the best day pack I own right now.

TLDR; even if you mostly use the pack as we discussed -- holder of gear to transport by car -- I'd still leave the hip belt on. I have that exact same use case for the 36l I got, and I don't find the hip belt annoying, even though so far it has not been used. It sits there out of the way, yet available if I actually do some walking with it.
 
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I have tried a varieravety of self-described photo backpacks. They are certainly useful for carrying equipment onto a plane, storing equipment while traveling or at home, and in and out of a vehicle.

When I tried to use them for a hike of more than a mile or two while carrying a good supply of lenses and camera bodies, I have experienced back pain and discomfort even while using a waist belt.

I know backpacks, I used to do a lot of backpacking and wilderness camping, but that was before I met and married She Who Must Be Obeyed. I found out SHE does not camp, Not even one evening in a tent. So there went my backpacking adventures.

I don't get back pain while hiking miles with a properly configured and fitted backpack. I now have a custom fitted backpack with photo inserts. That equipment, while not appropriately configured for carrying onto a plane, really works for me.
 
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I've decided to keep the hip belt; while it's a useless appendage 98% of the time, it's also not really in the way, so might as well keep it. There may come a day when I'd regret cutting it off. My current kit isn't that heavy, but sometimes on longer trips where I bring my laptop and Fuji kit too, it can get a bit chonky. If I were an avid backpacker and had to carry a pack for miles/days at a time, I'd opt for an insert for my actual hiking pack (an Arcteryx Altra 65).

Examining the belt/padding setup closer this morning, if one were so inclined they could remove the padding and just keep the belt strap; the padding could also be re-inserted through the cut, if need be, and in the meantime i'd be able to be collapsed/rolled up and more out of the way.

The new Backlight Sprint 15L has a removable hip belt, and that's the feature I hope they someday bring to the regular Backlight packs.
 
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MatthewK said:
I've decided to keep the hip belt; while it's a useless appendage 98% of the time, it's also not really in the way, so might as well keep it. There may come a day when I'd regret cutting it off. My current kit isn't that heavy, but sometimes on longer trips where I bring my laptop and Fuji kit too, it can get a bit chonky. If I were an avid backpacker and had to carry a pack for miles/days at a time, I'd opt for an insert for my actual hiking pack (an Arcteryx Altra 65).

Examining the belt/padding setup closer this morning, if one were so inclined they could remove the padding and just keep the belt strap; the padding could also be re-inserted through the cut, if need be, and in the meantime i'd be able to be collapsed/rolled up and more out of the way.

The new Backlight Sprint 15L has a removable hip belt, and that's the feature I hope they someday bring to the regular Backlight packs.
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That Sprint is a neat little pack. I hadn't seen it before; thanks for mentioning it. I don't think it would fit any need I have now, but it is another nice addition to their line of excellent backpacks.
 
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I tried out a Sprint as a super-light, minimal pack for my Z8 + 600PF, and it's soooo close to fitting, but the Z8 stuck up and pushed past the compartment enough to make closing the pack difficult. A Z6III would probably fit nicely though.
 
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I agree with the comments about the value of the belt, but I avoid using it at the airport checkin desk and the gate. I would hate the staff to think that my backpack was over the weight limit and decide to weigh it :eek:, so I try show that it is light enough not to need the belt.
 
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MatthewK said:
I have a Backlight 26L, and it's probably the perfect camera bag, with one exception: the non-removable hip belt. I've never used it, never will, it's still reverse wrapped around the back of the pack, and it serves no purpose for me. So, thinking of cutting it off! I've exmined the attachment point thoroughly, and think that as long as I don't shear too closely to the main stitching, it shouldn't affect structural rigidity. However, I wanted to run it by other owners here and get some second opinions before I start cutting. Do you think removing the belt will have an adverse affect on the bag?ack
Click to expand...
I have the 36L and would agree on the comments about weight bearing but what I like best about my Mindshift bag is that I can swing it around and access my cameras and lenses without dropping the bag on the ground. In sandy or wet ground, that is a real game changer.
 
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