Ultralight Women's Gear: Only In My Mind

I've been thinking about ultralight backpacking gear.  As one does.

I love my Zpacks Exo pack in most ways, BUT it pokes me in the butt.  I emailed Joe Valesko and he's offered to modify the pack for me.  I may take him up on that.  Only problem is, I don't know if the modification I have in mind (shortening the pack frame so it ends before my butt starts) will really do it.  The pack needs to be braced on my pelvis, and shortening the frame means it won't.  With no bracing on the pelvis, it's pretty much a frameless pack again.  Me and frameless packs don't get along so well.  I've tried.  Seriously, I've tried.  I've hiked hundreds of miles in frameless packs.  And I've had seriously achy shoulders.  And an achy back, for that matter - my back does much better when it's stabilized by the pack frame.

Other options might be using a metal frame and curving it away from the pelvis (but metal is heavier, and a curved frame involves more complicated sewing in the pack I think), using a V frame so the point is at the less  voluptuous center of the spine, or adding cushioning around the tips of the frame (again more weight and more sewing).  Or other things.  I don't know, I'm just spitballing here.

I don't think I've run into a woman specific ultralight pack yet.  And there really needs to be one.  More than one, even.  We have proportionally bigger hips.  We store fat in our butts which means they protrude out the back, interfering with traditional frames.  Our shoulders are narrower and less muscled, which means that the straps pretty much HAVE to sit closer to our necks and therefore closer to the nerves emerging from the spine. (Ow.) Our torsos are shorter, not even taking into account the butt thing.  Our breasts interfere with both the shoulder straps and the sternum strap.  (For a number of years I used TWO sternum straps - one above my breasts, and one below.  It kept the pack more tightly strapped to my torso.)

Of course not all women are shaped the same.  Women who are shaped effectively like boys can use a man's pack with no problem.  Apple shaped women will have breast issues but probably no hipbelt issues.  Pear shaped women will need the larger hipbelts but won't have as many breast interference issues.  All the Marilyn Monroes out there will have problems with both.

It would be helpful if I could sew.  Or design things.  Mostly all I can do is try things on and say if they'll work.  And generally I can't even do that quickly, because it takes a few hours or even a few days before a pack really begins to sag into its final position.

The last is why trying something on in the store isn't that helpful.  It's not like I can try on a shirt and know right away if it fits or not. Backpacks CHANGE.  They bulge, they sag, they shift.  You really have to use one in field conditions to know if it works for you.  For the same reason, I'm reluctant to ask for modifications to the packs I already have.  I have no way of knowing if they'll improve the situation.  They might.  Or I might end up with a completely unusable pack, rather than a slightly painful one.