Pack waist belts for the pleasantly plump

Despite my best efforts to get in the best shape possible for my upcoming hunts, which will be my first, I've still got a bit of a gut. I've been shopping for a pack and have been very close to pulling the trigger on a Mystery Ranch Pintler. The only thing holding me back is that every time I cinch the waist belt, the webbing of the belt cuts into my stomach. It didn't happen at first since i would put it around my belt line, but then I learned that the waist belt should ride above your hip bones. Lifting it place that belt right across my belly button. It became an even bigger problem when the guy helping me at the store threw in a 25# bag of lead shot, and then another one for a total of 50#. In order to transfer a good share of that weight to my hips I had to really tighten that waist belt. It then became evident that it would be very uncomfortable to go on for longer periods of time like that. Probably won't be too big of a problem during my late season cow elk hunt since I will have a coat on, but if all I have is a t-shirt or even a hoodie I can foresee it being unbearable. Anyone run into this problem and have a solution? Are there other pack that have more padding than just the webbing...or a different belt that I can replace with the stock on on the Pintler? thanks!

Give the guys (and gals) over at Kifaru a call. I'm sure they could help you out and maybe make a special belt if need be. I know they have done special orders in the past

http://kifaru.net