Outdoor Fanny Pack Hiking Fishing Waist bag 2 Water Bottle Holder Lumbar Pack

Best purchase I made for hiking the Camino. Multiple storage options with side and front pockets. Easy access for water bottles. Nice, large capacity pouch for storming foldable jacket and snacks. A inner zippered pocket inside the pouch was perfect for stashing and protecting a passport. Another mesh pocket on the opposite side was perfect for easy access to a map and keys. Zippers and sturdy belt ties on the outside pockets kept items secure. Durable fabric, too. Can be worn with or without the suspenders and can be worn in the front or back without the suspenders. We are ditching our day packs and using these for day hikes! I wore mine in front without the suspenders. Others in our group wore on back with the suspenders and another wore on back without suspenders. Love having options. Create value, too!

Even after reading dozens of reviews about this bag and its capabilities, my first reaction when mine arrived was that it looked smaller than most people described it. But I loaded it up, and sure enough, it’s bigger than it looks. It’s not large enough for an all-day adventure, but it’s a perfect urban assault pack for short hikes, dog walking, a bike ride, or any activity where you don’t want to be weighed down by a large, sweaty backpack or a hydration system. As an urban rattlesnake relocator, I will use this bag for short but frequent hikes to release and photograph snakes. The downside is that the bag barely holds my SLR camera with a medium-length lens, leaving very little room for food or additional supplies. Basically, I can take my camera or I can take my lunch, but I can’t take both. One option would be to use this pack as a camera bag and wear a small hydration pack for food and water. But then I might as well just wear a backpack, thereby eliminating the need for this bag. Or I could use a smaller point-and-shoot camera. Many reviewers objected to the number of straps on such a small bag and actually cut some of them off, and I agree that compression straps on a bag this size are unnecessary. But, as luck would have it, I had two water bottles with loops that keep the lids attached. The compression straps go straight through these loops and prevent the bottles from jumping out of the shallow bottle holders, which is a problem I’ve had with other lumbar packs. This is a definite plus if you can find bottles like these (see photo). The downside is that you have to remove the pack to unbuckle the straps and take a drink. Or, I suppose you could wear the pack in front. The straps can also be tucked into the loops on the bottom of the bag (see photo). Another useful feature is the daisy chains that allow for the attachment of small or frequently-accessed items on the outside of the pack. I use Nite-ize mini carabineers for this purpose, and I was able to add a third water bottle this way (see photo). PROS: Appears to be well-made with no obvious flaws in the fabric or workmanship Shoulder straps add stability and keep the pack from sliding down or sagging Great value for the price Love the color (orange and gray) CONS: Clunky center section with drawstring is too small to be practical Bottle holders are too shallow for anything but the smallest bottles (but they make great lens holders) Belt pockets sit too far back to be accessed without removing the pack Shoulder straps could use some padding To the manufacturer: A larger version of this bag would be awesome!

Enough room and separate pockets inside & out for most uses. I carry two bottles of water, a windbreaker jacket, a spare soft ankle brace and an "ace bandage", whistle, a little trail food, lip balm, identification, spare keys, bandages, small sunscreen, and more, with a bit of room left over! Well balanced with water on both sides. I use the dual straps over the shoulders, as it distributes weight well, but is not as hot as a full backpack on the back, which makes my back really sweaty! The only downside inherent to using the shoulder straps is you can't move the pack around from your backside to your front while walking to get to the water or things inside, & all but the smaller waistband pockets...you (or at least I) have to stop and take off the pack. But you CAN move it around if you decide not to use the shoulder straps. I generally like the shoulder strap assistance for weight distribution, as I have some constant low back pain due to lumbar issues. There are a few slight "cons", which are not big deals: 1. The shoulder straps are fairly narrow and not padded, so if only wearing a tank top, etc., they can dig into your skin a bit if you wear them cinched tightly: It would be a nice design change in another iteration to pad the straps better. Nor is there a strap for across the chest, from one shoulder strap to the other, which keeps the shoulder straps more even (but hardly necessary with this fanny pack design). 2. The design used for the waist strap adjustment is poor making them hard to adjust quickly, like when taking a jacket off & needing to tighten the waist strap more, or vice-versa: The simpler compression strap design, used both on the bottle side straps and the straps over the top of the pack top, are quick and easy to use, and would render the waist strap more usable. Why in the world they chose to use the design they have on the waist strap is unknown, but it's lousy. 3. Putting a couple of loops on the front of the waist straps would be very useful for attaching carabiners to hold something else, even if that added $1-2 to the price. It IS handy that they put pockets in the waist straps, though...nice design! One comment complained about 'extra' compression straps over the main compartment, but one can put a jacket, scarf, towel, back brace, or whatever there, in addition to the using the main compartment, & for easier access on those days when you get too hot, then too cool, then too hot, which occurs quite often in Spring & Autumn, or the wind varies; or for putting a damp towel or shorts on the outside of the pack to dry, after a swim. So overall, this is a well-made, well designed, great little pack for the money!! But I'm taking off 1 star for the lack of padded straps and poor waist strap adjustment method. I had my first one 5 years before I had to replace it, and I chose the VISCNE, though my identical first one was a BP Vision. I noticed the side pockets on the newer VISCNE are an inch deeper than my original BP, which is a BIG plus holding my bottles in place. I have noticed some weak threading, and a small tear in one bottle mesh pocket had to be clued almost right away. The place where the straps attach fine just broke, which is why I bought a new one, but about a year prior a cinch strap on a bottle pocket broke, as well. So the sewing could definitely be better, which is a bummer, as the material is quite strong overall, and with better threading the pack might have lasted years longer!!

Love this fanny pack. It is so well-made and rugged. I've used it for hiking, traveling and flying. It has so many useful pockets. Great for safely carrying your car keys, wallet, water, snacks, dry socks...you name it. The most important is that it fits perfectly on the waist and does not strain the lower back. In fact, if it gets too heavy, you can use the shoulder straps and adjust its bulk by tightening the pack straps.