Hip Belt

The Ray-Way Backpack-Kit - Hip Belt

Although Jenny and I have never felt a need for a hip belt on any of our Ray-Way Backpacks, we understand that many hikers prefer using a hip belt. In keeping with our philosophy of simplicity, function and lightweight, we designed an optional Hip Belt type Ray-Way Backpack Kit that you can order.

Our hip belt is lightly built, which makes it easy to sew together. The components are basic: a padded belt with webbing and a side release buckle so you can adjust the fit.

But please note that our hip belt cannot be added to an existing Ray-Way pack. It wouldn't fit. We have two designs for our Backpack Kit - one without a hip belt, and the other with a hip belt. The first pack is the most comfortable to carry. The second is 2" longer so the hip belt reaches the hips.

So if you choose the hip belt option at order time, you will be getting a whole different size of backpack.

And once again, we don't care for a hip belt, personally, because we don't want the backpack to reach all the way down to the hip area where it would interfere with the biomechanics of the hiking motion in the all-important hip area. On a shorter hike this is not important, but on a longer hike this starts to get more important, and during a summer-long hike we consider it critical.

Of course, for this to work the load must be reasonably lightweight to begin with. Personally, if our loads are over 50 pounds, (when high-altitude mountaineering for example, humping loads between camps) then we use a heavy-duty backpack with a hip belt. But when just hiking a trial, we find our hip-belt-less Ray-Way Backpacks are much more comfortable to carry. Especially when we are trying to make the maga-miles.

Always think for yourself. But personally if we feel a need for a hip belt when hiking, we know our loads are too heavy, and it is time to rethink our gear section with an eye to lighten our baseline loads.

Zippered Pocket

A functional add-on to our Ray-Way Backpack Kit, we are offering a zippered pocket for your small items that need to be handy yet secure. Comes with an optional storm flap.

The Pocket Kit can be sewn into an existing, finished Ray-Way Backpack, much like the Closure Kit, or it can be purchased along with a Backpack Kit and installed during the pack construction. Weight of the finished pocket: four-tenths of an ounce. The optional storm flap adds just under one-tenth of an ounce.

The Pocket Kit is a separate item and must be ordered separately.

The Zipper Pocket Kit contains zipper, the pocket fabric, the storm flap fabric, and of course our excellent instructions with illustrations.

In early 2007, while I was trekking and climbing solo in the Andes, I seemed to always be searching in the main body of my pack for smaller items like sunscreen, dark glasses, and small snacks. I wished I had some kind of secure zippered pocket, accessible from the outside of the pack to hold these often-used items.

When I returned home from the Andes and began preparing for my Himalaya trek, Jenny and I designed a small, secure but unobtrusive zippered pocket on the front of my Ray-Way backpack, just above the front mesh pocket. In short order, Jenny sewed the zippered pocket onto my pack.

During my one-month trek to Everest Base Camp, I was extremely pleased with how well this pocket worked. I could get to my things right away, without having to dig into the pack for them. I knew right where my dark glasses were, or sunscreen, and could access them quickly. And I knew that with the zipper, these items were secure.

I realized right away that this would make a great addition to our Ray-Way Backpack Kit.

This kit can be sewn into an existing, finished Ray-Way Backpack, or it can be purchased along with a Backpack Kit and installed during the pack construction. Weight of the finished pocket: four-tenths of an ounce. The optional storm flap adds just under one-tenth of an ounce.

The Zipper Pocket Kit contains zipper, the pocket fabric, the storm flap fabric, and of course our excellent instructions with illustrations. We recommend a zipper foot attachment for your sewing machine for sewing this add-on. The project is fairly simple, and in the process you will learn how to do a professional job of installing a zipper. This skill will be handy for sewing some of our future kits, like the insulated jacket.

The Ray-Way Backpack Pocket Kit is listed on our Order Form underneath the Backpack Kit.

Note that the pocket is not waterproof. The pocket, made of silicone-nylon, is protected inside the pack; but like the pack itelf, the seams are not waterproof. The storm flap helps shield the zipper and sheds the rain or snow, but will not make the pocket waterproof.

We have used white silicone-nylon for the pocket fabric, so that the contents of the pocket are somewhat visible from the inside of the pack. For example, looking into the pack, you can see your keys are secure inside the pocket. For the optional storm flap we have used gray silicone-nylon.

We think you'll enjoy making this add-on to your Ray-Way Backpack. And we feel that learning how to install a pocket zipper is an excellent addition to your sewing skills. Most of all, we think you'll love this handy pocket!

Carrying a Foam Pad

For camping, we recommend a thin closed-cell foam sleeping pad, (as opposed to a thicker pad or inflatable) in order to save weight. We also recommend carrying this pad in the backpack, internally, to protect it from catching on brush or blow-downs.

One method of carrying a closed cell pad internally is to roll it up and place it in the empty backpack, vertically, and then un-roll it part way so that it takes the shape of a hollow cylinder the same size as the backpack. This leaves no space between the pad and the wall of the pack. Then load the other gear inside the hollow cylinder.

This works in a pinch, but is difficult to load into the backpack, and then more difficult to extract from the pack at day's end.

A better method is to make the foam pad foldable.

Our Ray-Way Sleeping-Pad Kit will allow you to make an ordinary thin closed-cell foam pad foldable, so it fits snugly into your Ray-Way Backpack, placed against the back. This works so well that we use it on every trip.

I show how I load my foam pad into my backpack in my AT Gear Video. And you'll find the Ray-Way Sleeping-Pad Kit listed on our Order form: Ray-Way Sleeping-Pad Kit, along with the AT Gear video.

To carry a foam pad in the backpack, whether folded or rolled, the backpack must be somewhat over-sized, to compensate for the space taken by the foam pad.

How much over-sized?

First, multiply the pad's width by the length by the thickness.

For example, if I have a foam pad that measures 20" x 72" x 3/8", that would be 540 cubic inches. If I were determining my needed pack capacity, I would add that number to the volume of gear required. So if I needed a 2,400 cubes backpack, I would add 540 for the pad, so my volume requirement would be 2,400 + 540 = 2,940 cubic inches.

Then if I needed to use the 540 for other things, for example if I am hiking away from a grocery store with a load of food, then I might remove the pad and tie it temporary on the outside.

This works for the type of foam pad that folds, or rolls.

Of course if I were to plan for a hike in summer time, a 20" x 72" x 3/8" pad would be overkill, at least for me. But I am simply giving the general idea of how a person can figure the pad into one's capacity requirement.

Carrying an Ice Axe

A good method of carrying an ice axe comes to us from James Gibling:

James has apparently sewn a loop at the top of the backpack (not visible), and one at the bottom. The head of the axe rests on the top loop.

Carrying a Bear Canister

A bear-resistant canister is required to carry your food in some areas - mainly some National Parks.

A typical bear-resistant food canister is cylindrical in shape and measures about 12.2" long by 8.5" in diameter. It will fit horizontally in a 2,600 cubic inches Ray-Way Backpack, or larger (and maybe 2,400 cubs in a pinch).

If not full of food, you can fill the canister with clothing, phone, maps, and so forth. So the canister itself doesn't take much more room that the items carried in it. However, it does add weight.

If your backpack is already full, or if you have a smaller backpack, you can lash the canister on top of the backpack using two webbing straps and four short lengths of cord, as depicted below. These webbing straps must be cinched tight to prevent to prevent the canister from sliding out sidewards. In addition, you could also sew four short tie-down loops to the closure.