I've actually done this too. I need to lighten my load. I tend to take a lot of crap especially when hopping around. Pole saw and pruners add a lot of weight.I've been struggling with this also. One thing that I like so far is on windy days I use the waste strap and hook it around the tree too. No more wiggling pack on a hook. Plus it makes less noise if I bump it because it doesn't swing around.