I am looking for a comfy, stand-alone hipbelt that I can modify and use to pull my pulk. Any ideas on what would work well and be comfy in this use? Thanks for any feedback.

When a mate and myself build a pulk we used the Osprey Bio Form.
http://www.rei.com/product/764283/osprey-bioform-cm-ax-hipbelt
I insisted in having a quick release system given that there was the possibility of the pulk (or him) falling through the ice.
No shoulder harness was used.
Max weight pulled about 40kg
You can see it in this shot.

The "pulk" there is just for training, in Alaska a modified Paris sled was used .
Note PVC tubes and climing ropes were used, no metal bits.
(for field maintenance)
The connecting point is where the Iliac crest is.
We tried different spots that worket best.

I went to the army surplus store and bought a web belt for about $10.00. Then I went to Home Depot and bought suspenders meant for a tool belt for about $15.00 and attached them.

I leave the belt a little loose so the load is distributed over my frame.

Edited by davidlutz on 01/01/2013 23:30:43 MST.

I am in the process of making one using 1" webbing, blue foam sleeping pad and duct tape. I am thinking about adding some duct tape loops to tie in to my day pack which I will use to carry water. But i haven't figured out how it will work. Just have to find some webbing and clips which are somewhere in my garage.

I also haven't figured out my anchor points yet but I am thinking sewing a loop using the left over webbinb should work.

Check REI. They have several brands of hipbelts.

I got an REI hipbelt to replace the cloth belt on a large day-and-a-half pack.

Cut about an 8 or 10 inch length of seatbelt webbing for each side.
Place them in a V configuration at the sides of the hipbelt with the rearward part on the outside. On this outside part of the webbing V is where you place a large brass grommet to pin your pulk shafts to the belt. It should be a fairly tight fit to reduce play when moving. Leave just enough room to insert the clevis pin for the pulk shafts. Be sure the shafts form an X from pulk to belt. Put a neoprene O ring around the X to hold the shafts in place. "X" configured pull shafts make turning corners much easier than parallel shafts. (Don't ask.)

You can have shorter shafts for snowshoeing and longer ones for skis.

Next mark on the hipbelt where the (heat sealed) ends of the belt rest.

Take the grommeted webbing and hipbelt to a shoemaker or awning maker and have it sewn EXACTLY with the webbing ends on the marks on the belt. A good box-shaped stitching of each webbing end will suffice. Uee nylon thread.

This has worked for our Nordic Ski Patrol rescue toboggans loaded with patients on a backboard so for sure it will work for a pulk. It does for mine.

Edited by Danepacker on 01/02/2013 15:27:04 MST.

you might find interesting. http://www.wildsnow.com/2875/sled-pulk-polk-gear-skiing/

these guys have given some thought to the process and (maybe over)engineering solution. the comments section also has some useful information.

I tried just a waist belt and it worked fine on flat ground. But going uphill it would pull down too much. I went with a daypack with loops sewn into the hipbelt as seen in the doc at skipulk.com. Worked a lot better for me.

+1, another reason for a day pack without hip belt.