Fanny pack or hip belt pocket?

[Diane Pinkers]

I’m seeing ultralite fanny packs being touted as de rigeur for thru hikers–keep your phone, snacks, headlamp, other small essentials at hand.  Is this better than hip belt pockets?  Are pockets no longer being supplied on hip belts? I guess the ability to wear it around town as well as when hiking is a bonus.  Is anyone on BPL marching with the trend?

[Todd T]

The hipbelt pockets on most packs I’ve seen are inadequate for much more than some lip balm and a spare $20.  Even on my ULA packs (I have Catalyst and Circuit), which have larger than typical belt pockets, I have to override one of them with an aftermarket add-on to fit my camera (Panasonic LX100), so I certainly understand the advantage of a fannie pack over the teency things on most packs.  But I’d hate the bother of strapping one on separately from the pack.

Edit:  I meant to add that I do have a fannie pack (I use it as a frontie pack) that I wear when I don’t have a pack or have tiny daypack with no hipbelt.

[Edward John M]

I can’t bring myself to use the term f****** pack, here it has a different and much coarser meaning. But if you mean a bum bag I have a big one that I keep all my little things in and when wearing my pack it sits in front just as Todd T does

Mine has been much modified over the decades to incorporate shoulder harness to increase load capacity and enable extra pouches and water bottles to be fixed to it for side trips away from camp

[Doug Coe]

Maybe they’re mostly being adopted by the hipbeltless pack crowd. Like Palante and such.

[David Thomas]

I rarely use or want a pack’s hip belt if my pack weight is below 20 pounds.  A fanny pack would provide a lot of convenience for water treatment, snacks, sun screen, etc.   And, if you stash your main pack in camp, the fanny pack lets you carry a bit of gear on a side trip.

On day hikes, I aspire to get my volume down to a fanny pack because it’s cooler and easy to access while hiking.

I’ve recently done a few overnight business trips with just a fanny pack instead of my usual book bag.  I want to get it down to 1) my phone, 2) a mini-toothbrush and 3) a clean pair of underwear, all in my pockets.

[Rick Reno]

I’ve had great luck with Zpacks and it’s really adaptable: hip pack; over-the-shoulder, etc.

https://zpacks.com/products/multi-pack

Also love these for phone or a small camera and a sham-wow… much less ovbtrsive!

https://zpacks.com/products/shoulder-pouch

 

[Michael Schlesselmann]

I have been using a Thru Pack fanny pack for a couple years and I am sold. I have removable hipbelt pockets on my SWD Long Haul 40 and I have opted to remove them for most trips and just use the fanny pack. It hold A LOT more than both the hip pockets and has the benefit of being more modular. I can fit a 750ml smart bottle, my sawyer, some snacks, headlamp and a windshirt and have a good little summit/dayhike bag. If I was buying a new one right now I would go for Red Paw Packs. I really like the fact you can put the water bottle outside the pack.

[J-L]

How do you use the fanny pack with your backpack? Clip it to the hipbelt? Go under the hipbelt?

[Michael Schlesselmann]

I have it clipped above my hipbelt. The fanny pack strap sits more above my hipbones with the pack on and the pack itself hangs over the hipbelt buckle.

[Victor Hoyt]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>I’ve been using a (ahem) belly pouch for years. I’ve toyed with getting one of the LiteAF ones or something like that, but my old Mountainsmith pouch is still kicking. It fits nicely above any hip belt as someone said earlier.</p>
I mostly carry a GG Kumo which has quite adequate hipbelt pockets. I still find I prefer the pouch. So, I don’t know if they’re de rigeur, but they’re sure convenient.

[David Thomas]

When I do use a fanny pack with a pack that has a hip belt, I clip the fanny pack strap above the hip belt.  One advantage to UL fanny packs versus traditional ones worn like that is that the strap and buckle and thinner.

[Doug Coe]

Anyone care to add a photo of them wearing one while also wearing a backpack with hipbelt? Or providing a link to such a photo?

Sounds a bit fussy, having two belts to clip on. :)

[Link .]

.. HERE is a video with a review of the LiteAF fanny pack showing him wearing it with his Gossamer gear kumo(with the hipbelt and without)

[Dale Wambaugh]

If you want to wear a waist pack with your backpack, look for one that has the buckle on the side of the bag. Gossamer Gear makes two.

[J R]

I have two of the Zpacks hip belt pockets, they are big and hold everything I want to have at my fingertips. I agree with the fiddle factor of having two belts. But, I do see an advantage to a waist or chest pack in that the pockets are on the sides and can get in the way of your natural arm-swinging motion. I have the pockets clipped as far forward as I can so that they come around a bit to the front and stay out of the way of my arms, but a waist/chest pack would be completely clear of swinging arms.

[Michael Schlesselmann]

As Dale said, sometimes the buckle BEHIND the back will be annoying. Get a buckle on the side of the pack for sure if you can find it. My Thru pack has a floating waist belt so it is not rigidly attached and you can rotate the buckle to the most comfortable place. There’s pros and cons to this method though.

[Dale Wambaugh]

It would be easy to create a floating waist pack with a simple webbing belt and an accessory waist belt pocket.

[Brad W]

Just got the Thrupack Summit Bum and love it. High quality material, lightweight-4oz measured-and can store plenty of stuff.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I’ve been using this in my every day life to carry my phone and my airpods. https://zpacks.com/products/travel-zip-pouch

They have this front utility pack that says it attaches to their packs. https://zpacks.com/products/front-utility-pack-accessory

My hip-belt pockets (also Zpacks) are plenty huge enough for tons of snacks, chapstick, odds and ends, phone and airpods and whatever else.

I think the advantage of a fanny pack or something that is worn separately on your body from the pack is that when you take off the pack, you have the fanny pack with you wherever you go.

[Aaron]

Been considering this so I can get some small heavier stuff around to the front, then just have big puffy things in the back.

is there a quote option on this forum?

“On day hikes, I aspire to get my volume down to a fanny pack because it’s cooler and easy to access while hiking.”
Ha I had to learn to get the volume up. I’d go on day hikes with friends and always wonder why they carried backpacks. I have 2 hands. That’s enough for 2 water bottles. One time I even stuffed some trail mix in my pockets.
Now I have learned a backpack is useful for stopping for lunch and beers

[Link .]

Or you can forget taking a backpack all together for overnighters and just use a fanny pack Super Ultralight Backpacking Trip .

[John S.]

Link..do you know what waist pack is used in that sul video?

[Dale Wambaugh]

I couldn’t see enough to get the exact model. Mountainsmith and Jandd both make larger lumbar packs like that. There are many small backpacks that are lighter, have greater capacity and carry better.

A kit like this is workable for dry conditions and lowland forest in the height of summer. It really lacks many essentials and relies on a campfire, which may not be an option in most of the Western US in the summer. It borderlines on bogus for a complete  wilderness kit.

IMHO waist packs are most effective when small and light—- an extra pocket vs a pack.

[Link .]

He did a whole series on everything he carried on that trip( I don’t think anyone is thinking this kit is for anything but a short fair weather kit and it was not only to show how light but compact, and not having a pack against your back especially in very warm temperatures is very nice and freeing indeed) here is the series

. Super Ultralight Backpacking Gear – Part 1 .

. Super Ultralight Backpacking Gear – Part 2 .

. Super Ultralight Backpacking Gear – Part 3 .

. Super Ultralight Backpacking Gear – Part 4 .

. DIY Homemade Down Sleeping Bag .

he has had a lot of very good videos over the years, especially on finding cheaper alternatives and homemade gear, I did an overnighter with a friend years ago and we both used fanny packs(inspired by this video from 7 years ago)and we had a great time, I think I may be inspired to do it again this summer it is a totally different feeling than carrying a pack, I am glad this came up again.  .

[Doug Coe]

.. HERE is a video with a review of the LiteAF fanny pack showing him wearing it with his Gossamer gear kumo(with the hipbelt and without)

Link—Thanks for the…link! I couldn’t really see how the two belts interacted, but I get the idea.

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