[Ammers]

The plate is quite comfy (can't feel much difference between ali and steel), I do the same as Dom and carry the twinset up and down 4 flights of stairs to the house with just a top between the plate, wing etc. Same at dive sites.
The simple answer as to why I can't have weight anywhere on my waist is that my pelvis was shunted out of position and I cracked a load of ribs after a bike accident. The ribs have never set properly and my pelvis will never be the same again and it winds me to carry weight anywhere on my waist.
Perhaps other people can carry blocks on their sides/back/front with no problems, but I can't. I find it easier to accept my own personal limitations and work around them than to make them into an issue and cause further damage and unnecessary pain.
Safe bubble blowing.