10 Mountain Bike Hip Packs Ridden & Rated

It’s kinda crazy: the “fanny pack” was originally used for trail riding in the formative years of mountain biking, but as recently as five years ago, riding with a “bum bag” or “man purse” was a recipe for the kind of ridicule reserved for kooks and ugly Americans abroad in Europe. But, It turns out those early mountain bikers were onto something.

Fast forward to the rise of enduro and racers' need for speed sans hydration bag (and the brilliant creation of the marketing term “hip pack”), and voila! Nowadays there are companies that ONLY make hip packs. Sneer if you want, but for running hot laps under two hours, enduro racing, or any go light and fast but carry the essentials bike endeavor, a hip bag is definitely the way to roll. Here are ten we tried out to help you pick the right flavor for your adventures.

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Camelbak



Camelbak Podium Flow Belt 21oz
• MSRP: $45.00 USD
• Colors: Black, Burgundy/Lake Blue, and Camelflage/Brown Seal
• camelbak.com

For a svelte little hip pack, the Podium Flow has damn near everything on tap. It comes with a 21oz bottle topped with a Mud Cap which fits securely into an ergonomically angled elastic sleeve. Thee's an integrated tool pouch, a zipper secured pocket large enough for a phone, reflective bits for low light visibility, breathable mesh, adjustable waist buckles, and a robust cordura type fabric for the exterior—not crash proof but tougher than skin. Overall, the Podium Flow Belt 21oz weighs in at a paltry 6oz (190 grams) and has 2 liters (120 cubic inches) of storage space. Packed efficiently, that’s enough storage space for a multi tool, some quick links, a chain tool, a tire plug kit, a tube, CO2 cartridges, phone, and energy bars/chews, with maybe—just maybe—space for a tissue thin wind jacket. This little dance number will fit anywhere from a 28” to a 46” waist. Not too shabby…but how does it ride?

The angled elastic water bottle sleeve was the first thing that really called to me with this pack. Not only did it include a secure and functional water bottle holder, but an updated Podium Dirt Series bottle was included with the purchase of the pack. "Secure" is the key word here, because the thing I hate most about hip packs is when they feel flimsy and flop around. While I occasionally had to tighten the waist buckle (like I do on almost all packs), the bag itself felt secure, it didn't slide around on technical terrain, and the water bottle never launched out like a projectile. I did have to stop to remove/replace the bottle due to the tight elastic sleeve, which can be cumbersome if you are used to drinking on the go. Two liters of cargo space were ample to carry all the trail riding necessities listed above, excepting a light weight wind shell. However, If you keep your spare tube affixed to your frame, that would free up enough space to stash a thin jacket.

This is the hot lap hip pack dreams are made of. Its one of the best value packs in this review. What I liked best was the fact that it has a sturdy, yet comfortable design, making it super practical for shorter rides where you need only to carry water and bare minimum supplies.

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Bontrager



Bontrager Rapid Pack
• MSRP: $60.00 USD
• Colors: Black, Black, or Black
• trekbikes.com

Bontrager comes out swinging with their affordable Rapid Pack. Pony up $60 USD and you get a svelte black hip pack (222 grams/7.8oz) with two zippered compartments separated at birth by a water bottle sleeve. The left-hand compartment has internal mesh pockets for gear organization, as does the right, and the right also includes a key fob and a compression phone sleeve that likely won’t accommodate anything larger than an iPhone 5. The exterior fabric has a four-way stretch component (94% nylon/6% elastane) which makes stuffing that sucker easy to do. How much can you stuff? Exactly 100 cubic inches, or 1.64 liters. Svelte this little number may be, but it’ll match up to a dance partner with a not so svelte 46” waist. How well does it dance for $60?

The first thing I noticed (and liked) about this pack was the wrapped design. Unlike most packs that sit above the lumbar, this one is designed to stay close to your body and securely wrap around the waist. As discussed above, I really dislike a flopping hip pack and the Rapid Pack clung to my waist like a limpet, eliminating that potential distraction. Similar to the Camelbak, this pack holds one water bottle (approx. 21oz hydration capacity), making it best suited for shorter rides where the amount of water you need is limited to a single bottle plus whatever you can carry one on your frame.

Performance wise, the bottle sits securely in the middle of the pack and up against your back. That's a hard to reach location. As a consequence, I had to stop pedaling to drink. And, it's held tight enough that slipping it back in one handed while on the move simply was not happening. The pack has cool little storage compartments within the zippered pockets designed to stash your tools in an organized fashion. I was able to fit all my basic necessities, including a lightweight jacket, thanks to the stretchy nylon fabric, dual compartments, and separation of that cargo capacity. One problem I did run into was finding a hand pump short enough to squeeze into the pocket. A long, hard, non-malleable item doesn't fit comfortably into a curved pocket. Luckily, I found a sweet Crankbrothers Gem in my stash that I squeezed in and solved the issue.

I wouldn't trust the nylon fabric to last forever, and you might not want to get caught in a rainstorm, but all in all, Bontrager has designed a great performing product that stays put on your back like nothing else. It's perfectly suited for shorter rides with a limited but useful cargo capacity for basic necessities.

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Platypus



Platypus Chuckanut Hip Pack
• MSRP: $50.00 USD
• Colors: Carbon, Green Ranger
• platy.com

Available in a 3 liter size, the Chuckanut (named for a small mountain range in Bellingham, Washington) features a .5 liter Flexible Soft bottle (taste free hydration on the go!); a fleece lined device pocket to protect your phone, or whatever breakable things you ride with; a comfy, mesh covered foam back panel designed to channel heat away from you; a couple waist belt stash pockets; a securely zippered main pocket with internal organization; a “shove it” style external pocket for pads or extra layers; a loop for a bike light; and a carry handle that doubles as a hang loop for drying. Overall weight is a par for the genre, and it weighs 8oz, including the Soft bottle. Construction is a mix of stout 160 denier and 210 denier water resistant nylon with YKK zippers.

This small low-profile hip pack falls into the same hot lap category as the Camelbak and Bontrager packs. The main difference, however, is rather than having a storage slot for a traditional water bottle, the pack comes with a .5 liter (16oz) soft bottle that is stored in the inside compartment. This amount of water is likely only sufficient for shorter rides, but is a good supplement if your frame can accommodate a bottle. With this design, you definitely have to stop and take the bottle out to drink, but an added benefit is that as you drink, the flask flattens out and it weighs less than a traditional plastic bottle. The pack itself has a nice, 3 liter capacity with a built in organization system for storing essentials. I was easily able to pack it with my hand pump, tube, dynaplug tool, tire wrenches, multi-tool, bar/gel, keys and phone, alongside the water bottle. The pack also has wings with small elastic cargo pockets that wrap around the hips to help keep the bag in place while riding (I didn't notice any flopping or sliding during my test rides). The little side mesh pockets on the wings are pretty useless for anything other than a single gel pack, but allows easy access if you like to eat on the go. What this pack had that the others didn't, was a bit of a kangaroo pouch with two compression straps in the front that is perfect for stashing a jacket or armor. This feature allows a nice bit of extra capacity without having to go to a larger bag.

The Chuckanut is a sweet little hip pack perfectly designed for shorter rides with just enough storage for everything you might want to carry. I really like the addition of the kangaroo pouch for stashing random accessories especially if you don't like to climb with your knee guards up or around your ankles. The pack has a competitive price tag and if water is the least important part of the storage equation, this is a great option.

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High Above



High Above Lookout
• MSRP: $100.00 USD
• Colors: Black Camo with Maroon, custom options
• highabove.net

What High Above brings to the table for $100 USD is a hand crafted hip pack with all the details sweated out by JC, a passionate rider and pack designer. "What kind of details," you ask? Waterproof and bombproof VX shell material for one. Heavy duty nylon webbing? Check. Three internal pockets to organize your riding essentials? Check. Breathable back panel? Check. Super durable YKK #8 zippers for max weatherproofing? Check. Plus an extra zippered external pocket for still more stuff. And extra long para-cord pulls to make opening/closing easy, even with cold numbed or adrenaline shaky fingers. Yup—it’s got those, too. Oh, and a water bottle holster (aka “rocket” in High Above lingo) is included with each pack, or for $20 extra dollars you can purchase a second one—the Lookout has been engineered to accommodate two. But wait....there’s more: each pack includes two stretchy shock cords that mount onto matching external points to secure knee guards for the pedal up. Last, but not least: a key clip. Don’t like camo? A few dollars more allows you to select custom colors for wings, body, webbing, and buckles. So, not cheap, but this pack is hand crafted and engineered to go the distance. Carrying capacity for the Lookout, according to JC, is a very unscientific, “three beers or so.” Overall weight with the included bottle rocket is twelve ounces. This little black dress of a singletrack slayer will fit anyone from a small (25”) to a size large (38”-ish) waist.

The Lookout is a super versatile hip pack that checks all the boxes. For most of my testing, I only included one water bottle rocket (attached on the right side), but having the option to attach a second is super useful. The strap that holds the bottle rocket(s) is pretty straightforward and once attached, there is no need to worry about Velcro failures or projectile bottles—they're not going anywhere. As for the flop factor, so long as I cinched the waist tight during my rides, there was no flopping and minimal side to side movement. The cargo capacity was sufficient for all my tools and snacks, and while the Lookout doesn't offer a lot of cool little compartments to hold each and every item, it does have more than enough pockets to keep everything from mixing together into a "find the widget" blob. I also really like the addition of the simple shock cords for on the go extra storage of armor or a jacket. But, the thing that really wins for me with this bag is that you can customize the colors and have your own unique hand made, exceptionally durable little bag for trail missions.

Everything coming out of Bellingham, Washington these days is pretty awesome: the people, the bikes...all quality. And this hip pack is no exception. It has the cargo capacity that you want for short or longer rides, the water storage to match, and the coolest customizable color options around. The only thing I would love to see added is a little waist pouch for on-the-go snacks, but when you are hand making a product, adding something like that may not be as simple it seems. For the price, this little number is high on my list as a "go to" pack for hot laps and three-hour adventures.

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Mission Workshop



Mission Workshop the Axis VX Modular Waist Pack
• MSRP: $185.00 USD
• Colors: Black, Gray, and White
• missionworkshop.com

I know, I know—some of you reading this are saying, “$185 USD for a bum bag?!?” Well, uber hip Mission Workshop goes there with the Axis VX Modular waist pack. Why the hefty price tag? Maybe because designing a top shelf waist pack with cutting edge fabrics isn’t cheap. Or maybe just because they can. The nitty-gritty: VX-21 diamond ripstop fabric makes up the body of this pack. This fabric has greater abrasion resistance, tear resistance, and weather resistance per gram weight than nearly anything else you can use other than knitting together pixie wings sprinkled with powdered unicorn horn. Inside the Axis, VX you’ll find a key clip, an internal zippered pocket, and 2.5 liters of storage space—enough for tools, tube, a packable shell, your phone, and a beer or two. Outside you’ll find a mini U lock holder and a laser cut waist belt that keeps a comfortable low profile for “forget about it” use that snaps together with a unique magnetic clip. Bonus: the straps can be stowed away to allow the pack to be fastened to any of Mission Workshop’s Arkiv line of bags (hence the “modular” in the pack name). With the waist belt deployed it will fit up to a “Fat Bastard” sized 50” waist. Total weight is 8oz. But, is it worth the money?

It's hard not to compare this pack to the High Above Lookout. Both are hand made in the USA using the same top-shelf fabrics, zippers, and buckles. The main difference between the two is price and functionality. Price: California vs. Washington. The High Above is almost half the price. If you go onto the website of Mission Workshop for this bag, you find a sexy model dude maybe riding a bike with his fanny pack tossed over his shoulder. Go to High Above and you see mountain bikers. Functionality: the Axis VX bag is a sweet little storage pack with ample cargo capacity for your basic supplies. It sat comfortably on my back with minimal flopping or sliding. What it doesn't have is a place to stash a water bottle. Nor does it offer a built-in water bladder. It also doesn't include any waist belt storage pockets or cool little compartments to organize tools. Mission Workshops does, however, have (hands down!) the best buckle (Fidlock) out of any of the bags I tested!

The bottom line is that, while this is a super cool looking fanny pack with a very MADE in the USA feel, it isn't designed specifically for mountain biking and therefore. it lacks some of the key features dedicated bags offer. If all you need is a bit of cargo space for your rides, and you have a extra money to burn, this is a great option. Funny enough, I got the most compliments when I was testing this pack. With a couple additions, this simple, but expensive, hip pack could be great.

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Neon Retro D.A.R.E.



Neon Retro D.A.R.E. Fanny Pack
• MSRP: $17.00 USD
• Colors: High Vis Yellow with Hot Pink lettering
• amazon.com

As simple as simple gets: an adjustable waist belt and two zippered compartments. Zero water carrying capacity. Cargo capacity? Unknown. Weight? About 5oz. Waist size it will fit? Probably yours. Zebra skin tights? Not included.

You asked for it, you got it. Here is the thrift store "affordable" hip pack for all you complainers who scream at high-dollar, activity-specific designer gear, and who swear the cheaper stuff is just as good. Yes, I actually went on a couple rides with this pack, and the resulting experience filled me with complete appreciation for the design teams of the other packs. First and foremost, the only positive thing this pack offered was just enough cargo space that I could (barely) cram all my basic necessities into its two storage compartments. I had to use short hand pump, though. The width across this pack is rather small. Second impression: without the cool little internal storage pockets for organization, everything amassed to the bottom of the pouch in a messy pile. But yes, it did successfully carry my essentials. When it came to actual riding, the waist belt continually loosened up and it flopped around so badly on my back that I found myself constantly stopping to slide the effing thing back into position, and re-cinch the belt. I didn't verify whether or not it was waterproof, but I'm sure the neon color will scare off aggressive wildlife or Tinder dates.

For under $20, you get what you pay for: retro style without comfort and trendiness or functionality. But hey, if cheap is your thing and you prefer to save your dollars to buy new tires for that twenty-six inch bike, this pack proves that there are options out there.

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Osprey



Osprey Savu Lumbar Bottle Pack
• MSRP: $55.00 USD
• Colors: Slate Blue, Obsidian Black, and Molten Red
• osprey.com

There is a helluva lotta bang for the buck with Osprey’s Savu Mountain Bike Lumbar Pack. This little single track dance number is made from a reassuringly burly 900 x 600 Denier polyester fabric, and utilizes a cushy foam back panel with breathable mesh on the wings. It’s got a zippered main compartment with internal tool organization, a smaller top zippered compartment, as well as two zippered wing pockets for stashing whatever your trail riding essentials might be. All in all, the Savu has 4 Liters of stash space. That's enough for a tube, food, a packable shell, tools, and a phone, with room to spare. There are also two compressible water bottle holsters, a tail light hook, and a hang/carry loop. All that weighs in at .81 lbs, and it will fit anyone with a 25” waist on up to the same fat bastard 50” waist of the Mission Workshop’s Axis. It’s got a lot going on, and the price is right.

I was most intrigued with this hip pack. I tend to waffle on whether or not I prefer bottles to a bladder hydro system, so having a bag that can go both ways is ideal. The Savu, however, only goes one way—one bottle or two bottles. But, when you're not using the water bottle storage option, you can unbutton a flap and the pack then molds seamlessly to the curvature of your hips. Complicated in words, yes, but super functional if you decide you only need one bottle instead of two. For the price, this bag is competitive with other 3 to 4 liter cargo capacity, bottle-carrying hip packs. It has a single, amply sized, open storage bay on the interior for all the tools and snacks I need for a longer ride, but four liters of cargo space means I can take my pump, tube, food, keys, phone - and my whole tool roll - which has my spare hanger, chain link, bandaids, electrical tape, Benadryl, emergency blanket.... you get the idea. So long as I snugged up the waist belt, the bag stayed put whether or not I had one bottle or two bottles stashed, and it didn't feel as awkward and unbalanced as I expected with a single bottle. A couple things to note, like the Bontrager and Camelbak, a small jacket is about all I could squish into this pack and there was no place to strap knee guards if that is something you prefer.

I've always been a fan of Osprey and the Savu just drove home the point that Osprey sure knows bags. This hip pack is a durable and clean looking no-frills design that will get you through a three-hour ride any day of the week.

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Dakine



Dakine Hot Laps 5 Liter Waist Bag
• MSRP: $75.00 USD
• Colors: Black
• dakine.com

Dakine was in the hip bag driver seat from the beginning. They’ve whipped up the Hot Laps 5-liter waist bag for those days where a pack is overkill but their smaller 2-liter bag isn’t quite enough. This pack is constructed using burly, 200 Denier bluesign approved nylon, and includes a nice Hydrapak 2 liter/70oz lumbar reservoir with a hose that slips around the waist and snaps into a magnetic buckle, a breathable “Air Flow” back panel, a “Phaser” bite valve, a divided, mesh-lined pocket to keep your stuff neatly organized, and a couple straps for attaching armor for the pedal up. The Hot Laps 5 liter weighs in at 16oz/.471 kg, and has 5 liters of cargo capacity (keep in mind that the included water bladder will claim 40% of that space). Worth it?

With a whopping 5 liters of cargo capacity, you can take just about everything you ever wanted on your ride, along with your partner's ego, as you fly past them while wearing this pack. Dakine has a done a great job with winning the water capacity game with a bladder that holds 70 fl. oz. (2 liters), that's way more water to ride with than a traditional hot lap would ever require. The pack has two separate compartments: one open type on the back for the water bladder and another with multiple storage compartments in the front. While the pack doesn't offer any zippered wing pockets, it does have a small mesh pocket on one side that will fit a gel or small snack. The waist buckles from one side while the hose wraps around the waist and connects to the other side magnetically. There are two small cinch straps on the wings to help adjust tension, too. Fully loaded, this bag can seem a bit much for a hip pack, but once you put it on and start pedaling, you'll barely notice it's there. Another nice feature is the addition of two hook and clasp straps on the bottom of the pack to hold armor or a jacket. While I would prefer to have them on the top (less trail debris), that also wouldn't be super convenient for accessing your tools or snacks mid-ride.

At the end of the day, this pack is as close as you can get to the cargo and hydration capacity of a full backpack minus the shoulder straps. It holds plenty of water for long days on the bike and has an ample amount of storage for everything I find necessary to carry. I wouldn't mind a zippered wing pocket or a flap that comes around the front to better hold my jacket, but for the price, this is one of the best deals you will find.

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Patagonia



Patagonia Nine Trails Waist Pack 8 Liter
• MSRP: $119.00 USD
• Colors: Forge Gray, Tasmanian Teal, and New Adobe
• patagonia.com


"Patagucci’s" Nine Trails Waist Pack features a removable 1.5 Liter HydraPak reservoir, stretch pockets that will accommodate a variety of bottles should you opt out on using or desire to supplement the included reservoir, robust DWR treated 210 denier Cordura material on the outside, 200 denier polyester lining on the inside, one zippered waist belt pouche for gels or bars, two zippered compartments for tools and what not, a padded waist belt, a breathable back panel, and it weighs in at 380 grams (13.4oz). Size wise, according to their website, it will fit anywhere from a 26” to a 34” waist. So, How’s it ride?

This do-it-all hip pack has been in my hands for the almost two years. I've taken it on more rides than I can count. It's big, yes, but that means it has gobs of carrying capacity. It also has all the features, storage pockets, and quality that you find in some of the top packs in this review. While this pack only buckles and tightens on the waist buckle from one side, once you cinch it down, it stays put. Depending on how loaded it is, there is minimal flopping (stuff any pack to the gills, though, and a certain amount of flop will arise). I never noticed it sliding around like I did with some of the smaller packs, and the weight feels pretty evenly distributed, regardless of whether I'm using the water bottles or the bladder. The pack has one zippered waist compartment (as compared to two on the EVOC and zero on the Dakine) that is perfect for easy-to-grab snacks or a multitool. The other side has a hook system to adjust the length of water hose to your waist. The water carrying capacity of 50 fluid ounces is on par with the other large hip packs reviewed here. For me, that's usually sufficient for a three to four hour ride. You can also carry a bottles on the two side sleeves (the EVOC bag has a slightly better design for this that includes cinch straps). Another really cool feature of this pack is that if you unzip the front panel, there are two compression straps which allow you to strap a jacket or armor onto the pack.

I love supporting companies that try to do the right thing. There is something to be said about knowing where your materials come from, the impacts of DWR treatments, and reducing our footprint on this planet. For those reasons (plus more), I am a big fan of Patagonia. With the Nine Trails hip pack, they have designed a competitively priced, "go out and shred for hours" pack that has all the bells and whistles you need for single track missions.

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EVOC



EVOC Hip Pack Pro 3 Liter
• MSRP: $115.00 USD
• Colors: Black-Carbon Grey, Sulpher-Moss Green, and Carbon Grey-Chili Red
• evocsports.com

Evoc has the 3 liter Pro for longer go light and go fast singletrack missions, where a single frame mounted water bottle isn’t gonna cut it, but a pack would be too much. The bag weighs in at 430 grams (.95lb), plus a HydraPak (130 gram, 2.9 liter bladder) with a magnetically secured hose. The back panel is well ventilated, and the wings have a breathable mesh against the body. There’s a separate compartment for the bladder, as well as a zippered compartment with internal mesh sleeves for tool storage, and two zippered wing pouches for smaller essentials. Don’t feel like carrying that bladder? You can max out the 3 Liters of cargo capacity, and carry two bottles at either end of the main compartment. There’s also a hanger hook and a tail light loop.

There is a saying that good things come in small packages. This hip pack is everything you could want smashed into 3 liters of perfection. For starters, the pack has a very unique EVOC designed waist cinching system that includes a Velcro strap under a secondary buckle that allows for extra tightening along with two Ventiflap pull tabs on either side of the closure strap to adjust the tension. Fully loaded, the bag barely budges when riding, regardless of how technical the trail gets. I was out on trail for almost five hours and, once I had this pack fitted to my torso, I never once had to adjust things. After filling the 1.5 liter (50 oz) bladder, I was able to pack in all of my tools and food for a long day out on the trails. Packing a full day's adventure into a 3 liter space was a tight squeez. After I had loaded my tool roll, tube, pump, food, phone, and more food, there wasn't room for my jacket. But, thats where those extra mesh pockets on either side of the storage area came in handy. They're designed to hold bottles, but are perfect stash spots. I used one for my Patagonia Houdini jacket (it compresses down to about the size of my fist), and I could have brought along a bottle to increase my water capacity if the included 1.5 liter bladder wasn't enough.

Fully loaded, I thought the bag would feel hefty on my lower back, but it was designed to distribute the weight evenly and I barely noticed it once pedaling. The back ventilation system was also really good—no overheating or sweating, despite the muggy, post summer weather. At the end of the day, this hip pack was one of my favorites. I could pull the bladder and put a bottle in it for shorter rides, or pack it to the gills for longer ones. EVOC nailed it with this versatile hip pack.

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Summary

When purchasing a hip pack the things you need to focus on are what length ride do you want to cover, what features do you want the bag to contain and do you prefer a bladder or water bottle storage?

• Camelbak Podium Flow Belt 21oz: Hot lap hip pack dreams are made of
• Bontrager Rapid Pack: Curved to fit your body and carry the bare necessities
• Platypus Chuckanut Hip Pack: Small yet mighty design, perfect for hot laps
• High Above Lookout: The best 'choose your own adventure' hip pack available
• Mission Workshop the Axis VX Modular Waist Pack: The pack you want to be seen in
• Neon Retro D.A.R.E.: I dare you to try to tell us cheap fanny's work just as well
• Osprey Savu Lumbar Bottle Pack: Solid reputation gets the job done pack
• Dakine Hot Laps 5 Liter Waist Bag: Everything you want at the right price
• Patagonia Nine Trails Waist Pack 8 Liter: Clean design with room for all day adventures
• EVOC Hip Pack Pro 3 Liter: Nailed it with this versatile pack

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