Construction - Hip Belt Webbing Assembly


	9.	Construct the webbing hip belt assembly from your choice of hip belt width. I used 1 1/4" x 50" nylon webbing and of course a corresponding size of side release (SR) buckle (figure 6). For the snugger strap connection, cut 2 pcs. of 3/4" x 15" nylon webbing. To produce a properly fitting assembly, sew first an end of the hip belt webbing to the non-pronged side of the SR buckle. Afterwards, thread the other end through the pronged side. Now you have a loop connected by the SR buckle. Unclip SR and wear around hips (sacrum area) and clip shut. Tighten belt by pulling the webbing end emanating from the pronged side. Center SR buckle in front and mark with chalk on the webbing 2" forward from where your iliac crests protrude (do this on a per side basis). These two points are where you'll sew the ends of the snugger straps (they're the yellow 3/4" wide straps in the respective photos) to complete the entire hip belt assembly (photo 6; laid out on top of the back pad/panel assembly).