The invention relates generally to backpacks and, more particularly, to backpacks having a waistbelt.
Backpacks have long been used for carrying heavy, bulky loads. Over the years, backpacks of various configurations have been made, including packs having external frames, internal frames, and those without frames. External-frame backpacks typically include interconnected metal bars, forming a relatively rigid structure. A pack body, typically of nylon or canvas, is secured generally within the confines of the frame and, as such, is relatively spaced apart from the back of the user. Internal-frame backpacks typically include internal stays disposed within pockets of the body of the backpack, allowing the backpack to be positioned more closely to the back of the user. Frameless backpacks typically exclude rigid support structures, allowing the pack to conform to the user.
Regardless of type of backpack, much effort has been made to distribute the weight of the load evenly onto the user. The ability to carry heavy loads in relative comfort depends in great part upon the placement and transfer of the load. To that end, backpacks often include a waistbelt to transfer some of the load onto hips and lumbar area of the user. Typically, the belt is attached to a lower portion of the backpack, extending about the hips of the user.
Traditionally, waistbelts have been provided as a padded belt having an attachment point to the sack of the backpack in a rear portion and a buckle in a front portion. Such belts typically were formed of padding material and fabric and were cinched around the user. The belts aided in distributing load onto the hips. However, as a user moved, the weight tended to shift excessively, overloading concentrated areas on the user, causing discomfort. Moreover, such belts tended to be shaped for a generic body type.
More recently, certain waistbelts have been configured with adjustments to better conform to a range of body types to include different hip-to-waist angles. In one example, a belt includes two lateral arms that extend from a support of the backpack and wraps around the user's hips. The arms can be set at three different angle settings to accommodate different hip-to-waist angles, by attaching screws in one of three different positions provided cooperatively by the support and the arms. Once set, the lateral arms are fixed in at that angle. Thus, as the user moves the load still tends to shift relative to the hips, as previously discussed.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there remains a need for a backpack that accommodates wide range of body types and provides effective load distribution. The present invention fulfills this and other needs.