Stop the violence!

[GreatDivide14]

Another long, rambling, overly detailed post, so stop reading now if you hate them.

I've been using my JanSport Tahoma II rucksack for a few years now (2600 ci, frameless, too short for my torso, comp strap tearing out, all-around POS), but until this past weekend, my shoulders hated it more than anything else, as it's frameless and too short anyway. This time, though, it scored an ugly red scratch on on each hipbone. I've never cared for this pack, but it hasn't done this before. I can't help but notice that these scars are flush with the bottom edge of the belt, directly upon the load-bearing shelves that a proper hipbelt should wrap around. My guess is that the same forces that keep it from bearing weight also allow it to slide around and file down my tender flesh. The scars also happen to line up exactly with the top hem on the pants I was wearing (cheap microfiber khakis from Wallyworld, if it's relevant here), so they could conceivably be at fault, but I've worn them before. I'm pretty sure I've worn that pack and those pants together a few times, and I know I wore them with my Mountainsmith Day lumbar pack. For 40 vigorous, almost nonstop miles, no less. Another quirk: on a normal pack, the two sides of the hipbelt point slightly up, forming a hip-shaped curve when wrapped around a 3D object like a set of hips. So why the bloody hell does the belt on this one slant down? Did the JanSport engineers have a reason for this, or should someone with QC get fired for passing this thing? In any event, if anyone knows anything about hipbelt violence, its causes, or possible solutions, let me know. And please keep reminding me that I need a new bloody pack.

I'm hoping to get on with the RMNP trail crew this summer. Can I haul a chainsaw in an Osprey Aether 60 or Ceres 50? Other suggestions for someone who wants to carry a chainsaw but pack light when unarmed?