Steadman,

It would probably work well for a waist belt too. I haven't tried it, however.

You can eliminate shoulder straps completely if you use a front bag. I haven't used shoulder straps for years.

The simplest waist belt would be one made of 2" wide nylon with a 2" wide quick release buckle that adjusts on both ends (you don't have to sew the buckle onto the webbing). Check out the 2" double adjustable side release buckle at this link:

http://www.seattlefabrics.com/side.html

I have been using unpadded waist belts for a couple of years now. If they fit well I don't miss the padding at all. The belt fits me well if I simply cut it in half and sew it back together so the two pieces slope slightly upward from the back center (where the belt would cross my spine).

dj2