And is it worth a hoot?
I bought a fanny pack (the Brits call ’em bum bags, I love that) at REI when I first started hiking … just big enough to hold my wallet and a couple of water bottles and a small jacket lashed onto the outside. Handy on training hikes but I have to carry a shoulder bag for anything bigger like my camera and Gorillapod.
I’ve seen discussions of day packs and overnight packs but I can’t really recall seeing much chitchat about fanny packs, so what the heck: tell the class about yours: what’s good, what’s lousy, why it’s better than a shoulder pack, etc. Mention the actual brand if you can to help out the googling masses (half my traffic comes from search engine queries, so I must show a bit of kindness to the searching ones).
I still have a Christmas gift card from a sporting goods outfit back east, so I might splurge on a bum bag if I get some good guidance here.
OK, I’ll bite.
I actually own a bunch of them. Sad, huh?
I’ve owned a series of the Mountainsmith Lumbar packs, mostly the rather large ones that can handle almost as much as a day pack. These are really wonderful and well made packs that can hold enough extra clothing, food and water, and so forth for a day-long adventure. (OK, they can also hold significant gear, and they make decent carry-on bags for air travel.) If they have a downside it is that they are so large the you can fill them up with an amount of stuff that pushes at the boundaries of what rides will on the, ahem, fanny. Fortunately, the Mountainsmith packs have a decent shoulder strap – and I often keep it over a shoulder bandolier-style while hiking. This takes a bit of the load and also permits me to detach the waist belt and swing the whole thing around in front for access.
But there’s more!
I also have an somewhat smaller The Northface fanny pack (model not important since I’m sure it is out of production). This one is more basic but still holds a pretty decent amount of gear in normal situations.
One of my favorite fanny packs was actually not a fanny pack at all, but the top pocket of an old Mountainsmith Crestone II backpack. I don’t use the pack anymore because it is an old-school pack that was overbuilt and hence too heavy compared to modern packs. But I loved its top flap pocket – it could be removed from the pack and because it included a built-in waist strap it made a decent day hiking fanny pack on layover days.
Dan
Trust me Tom, the Brits get even more mirth out of the name you yanks use!
Actually I’ve been having a similar question since I started carrying my DSLR around with me and didn’t want my prized electronics sharing the same bag as my 2 liter camelbak reservoir. I now have a Kata Torso Pack for the camera, but that leaves little room for water etc. Plus I want to carry my gps receiver on it, and furthermore I was toying with the idea of pepper spray (though it looks like I’d have to carry a huge bottle of that to be anything close to effective against bears and lions)
I’ll watch these comments with great interest.
I had a great one by Gregory, although glancing at their website it seems they got out of the business. It had space for two 32oz. Nalgenes. That’s right, two of ’em. The compartment space was big enough to put a hefty lunch in. It was great for the summer bike commutes to teach sailing.
That said, the hip pack wasn’t hip, and in general, if the load is light enough for a hip pack I’ll go with my trainrunning backpack.
I’ve tried jogging w/my REI pack and the bounce factor is a bit annoying… probably more comfortable with a backpack of some kind.
I have one that I carry with me every day in urban situations. It holds a cell phone, glasses, ham radio, pen, checkbook, biz cards, and a few other small things that are nice to have handy.
I have a larger one, even larger than the one you have pictured above (about 350ci), that I use on my once or twice a week Alum Rock training hikes, and other half day and less trips, to carry water, tiny first-aid kit, a couple of compact items of clothing, some snacks, and perhaps a few items transplanted from my urban pack.
Mountainsmith makes a 1,300ci waist pack that I’ve had fantasies of trying to use as an overnight pack. I recall that someone ran the JMT in 4 days using one of these for al of their food and gear. I’m not a runner, but having a kit that compact has its appeals.
Way back when I started hiking I had a fanny pack, but generally found that I don’t like weight that far down on my back.
Much prefer a daypack/camelback that sits higher on ones back.
If you see me without my “fanny”, I’m in a coffin.
Like Steve, my fanny pack is my man purse. EVERYTHING essential, aside from my lap top, is in it.
For hiking I always attach a camera to the belt.
Over the years I often wear two fanny packs, trying not to open the pack unless absolutely necessary.
There’s no discomfort wearing them for me.
The ZIPPER normally fails first. I buy the least expensive brand with a reasonable quality zipper.
What ever you do do not call them a fanny pack in Australia. Fanny is a pejorative euphemism for a female body part, in Australia.Or so I have been told.
Ok, the closest I have ever come to a fanny pack is my camera bag that features a waist strap. I have never known whether to wear it with the bag front side or rear side. Usually I wear it rear side and swing it around if I want to get at the camera.
When hiking, I don’t use it at all, because the camera is around my neck and the extra lens is in my pocket. All other camera essentials are in the top pocket of my backpack.
I have never found much use for something that small. I always want to be carrying a first aid kit, enough water for the hike plus some, enough layers to survive a night, plus binoculars, a bird book, camera gear ( and yeah I have been know to throw in a tripod).
So I tend to pack heavy… but I burn more calories with every step.
I have a small one more designed for running than carrying serious gear. It has holsters for two water bottles and enough room for keys, wallet, and a snack on the trail, and that’s about it. But, it hold in place very well, and doesn’t move while running, which I like.
If I need more than that with me when I’m out, I’ll take one of my daypacks instead. Personal preference, but I prefer to have my gear resting on my back rather than my fanny. Plus, I love my packs! 🙂
Regarding the comment from “cheflovesbeer”, yes the fanny is an impolite term for female bits in Australia and New Zealand. If you find yourself Down Under, you should always use the term “bum bag” or “waist pack” instead!
The only waist pack I have is a little one I use to hold my MP3 player when I’m on a fitness machine or jogging. The day pack I use has a waste belt and shoulder belt combination with a sternum strap. When it’s adjusted properly the weight is evenly distributed between the lumbar and shoulders, and it won’t go anywhere when wearing rain gear, or scrambling. With the hydration bladder in the center the weight distribution is even better. I hate the way it makes my back sweaty though. Can’t have everything.
I have 2 fanny packs, a small one for my camera and monocular and a larger one for short hike. I use the small one when driving and I want get out and view something or walking nature trails. Much easier to carry than a shoulder camera bag and I’ve attached a bottle holder.
I use the larger one on short hikes when I don’t want to carry my daypack. It is a middle sized Kelty and has 2 bottle pockets plus room for camera, monocular, jacket, and lunch. Since I tend to pack too much into my daypack, this is useful to reduce my load.
I found an REI fanny pack at a garage sale. Could not pass it up… It has a center “compartment” between the two storage sections with straps to open or tighten it. What is this center area for? It is deep but not closed at the sides. What is it used for? To carry what? a blanket, a jacket?
Please let me know so I can start putting it to good use and thanks.
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