RockChucker, with an internal it is essential that the load be married to your lumbar area. A flat lumbar area makes it difficult, and maybe impossible. However, if you haven't removed the stays and bent them to *your* back, you haven't gotten all you can out of an internal's suspension. You may also consider a thinner lumbar pad. All an extra thick pad is good for is trying to solve the problem of stays not bent to your back. At the same time, it pushes the center of gravity further from your back exactly at the point where you need the load to be directed into your lumbar area. This causes accelerated slippage.
