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....pack wearing people. Tell me about your bum bags.
Now it's a bit cooler I could probably get away with less water and ditch my pack for a quick 2hr blast.
Never really been convinced by them before always thought I'd be swapping a sweaty back for a sweaty lower back and waist.
Can't fit a bottle on my bike.
Needs to be able to hold a spare inner tube, small pump, tiny multi tool, keys, phone.
I was looking at the Camelbac podium flow
Anyone use one?
Dakine hot laps 2l is excellent. I'm a convert!
I’ve got a osprey savu or something that holds 2 bottle and has a lot of storage. Great bag and super comfy, doesn’t bounce around and after 2 minutes I forget it’s there. Have a dakine hotlaps 5l that has a 2 litre bladder. Great for longer rides as it holds a good amount of stuff plus has the bladder. Did have a dakine hotlaps 2l but gave it to a mate as I didn’t use it. Not as feature packed as the others but holds a bottle and has a good amount of storage for some bits like tube, tools, snacks etc
I've got a camelbak repack, it's great for shorter rides and making sure you only carry the minimal amount of kit, the more weight you put in it the more it bangs around which is really annoying, I wouldn't take it on a jumpy ride though, it does this really irritating thing where you leave the ground then a fraction of a second later the bag start to come up, then you hit the ground then a fraction of a second later the bag comes down, and it just gets on your nerves, preferable to a big bag and a sweaty back on a suitable ride though. If I were to replace it I'd look at one of the ones with shoulder straps as that would probably stop the annoying bouncing up and down.
Ive got an evoc hip pack pro, pretty good, holds everything i need on a short ride and plenty of water for 2-3 hours.
No real issues, other than getting it to stay put, do it tighter than you think and you should be reet.
Where will you put your jacket/extra layers you have to peel off?
I use an Ortlieb hip pack. It's heavier than many others but that's due to the excellent hip belt which makes it very stable and comfortable. I've used mine on some very long days and just forget it's there most of the time.
It's also fully waterproof which is important in the coming months.
Needs to be able to hold a spare inner tube, small pump, tiny multi tool, keys, phone.
Small frame pack? This is exactly what mine holds - inner tube, repair kit, keys, buff and phone all squeeze in.
I've just purchased a camelback repack from the evil Amazon empire for £37. I left my last one on a wall after a ride.
Seller on Amazon is onogo.
Osprey Seral 7 here, I find it pretty secure and not too bouncy, decent length hose with magnetic lock. In terms of sweatiness, it's leagues ahead of a full pack, you're left with a really good chunk of back to shed heat through.
No layering or jacket just effort to keep warm on short rides.
Small frame pack? Yuck! don't even want to enduro tape an inner tube to frame, and would still need a bottle.
the Evoc ones look good but probably more than I want to spend.
CRC seen to have put the price up £10 on the podium flow since yesterday
I've got that exact pack, can just about squeeze phone, 29" tube, pump, levers & multi-tool
and a couple of cereal bars in it. Just. I've not ridden with anything else since i bought it. Is a bit unwieldy with a full 750ml bottle in it, but still prefer it to a backpack.
We have a Dakine Hotlaps 5 and Osprey Savu in my household. I tend to use the Hotlaps and a kid uses Savu.
I'd happily use either but as I have a bottle cage on my bike I tend to use the hotlaps with just spares/tools/snacks in it.
I tend to take a bigger pack in winter as I generally carry a proper jacket with me.
I've got an Osprey Savu 5. Holds 2 water bottles and plenty of storage for ride essentials.
Osprey have stopped making it now but it's still available from some places for around £40.
I use an Aiguille bum bag which is the best fitting BB I have ever had. Doesn't take a bottle though but I have fidlock non cage fitting mounts on my bike.
Had both iterations of the Evoc one the Hip pro is miles better. Its got a velcro strap, buckle and these odd pull cords on the side that some how make the bag extremely secure. I use mine all year and couldn't recommend it high enough. massive 2 thumbs up from me.
Camelback Repack user. Holds all I need it to for short rides. however, I rarely use it with the bladder. Sticking a minitool, pump, tube and packable waterproof along with keys and phone in it is fine. Add a full 1.5l bladder and it doesn't want to stay put. Do it up tighter to stop it moving and it shifts to cut you in two. I've been looking at fishing braces to try to up the support, but the reality is I should just stick to the backpack for longer rides and keep using a bottle and the repack for short ones.
if like me, you wear a jacket throughout winter it tends to pull the back down if fastened outside, and feels really odd if worn underneath the jacket.
generally I use it for shorter summer rides, where I like having a unrestricted back to manage heat better, along with a couple of bottles on the bike. Not really an option for you though.
I have a Dakine Hot Laps, really like it though I can't use all the capacity or it gets uncomfortable. I can get it snug enough to not move even with a mid sized bottle in (it does flap a bit more with my big camelbak bottle, just because of the weight and distribution). Really pretty impressed.
It's not a backpack replacement though, in my mind- but great for shorter rides.
Fine at the trail centre but will carry rucksack otheewise. Osprey pack here and a full bladder and usual pack bits mean that it needs to be pulled tight to stop it sliding down. Once it's on, I don't really feel it.
Hip packs are ok - I’ve had a couple. An ONN one as a cheap option to try to see if I liked them. Don’t buy one of those - the straps loosen themselves off as you ride.
Got a Camelbak repack with 1.5l bladder - it’s ok. The straps stay done up and it’s fairly roomy. With the bladder in it I find it bounces a bit with the weight. Without it’s fine for short rides if you’ve got a bottle on your bike.
I’ve been finding myself riding with a full pack recently - I wonder if the halfway house thing is a better option the small bags with shoulder straps but which don’t cover your full back. Wonder if those hold water / small tools - but is less heavy / moves around less than a full backpack.
I've got the Camelbak Podium. It's fine and does exactly what you'd expect. I can carry a tube, repair kit, multitool. The only thing that's a tight squeeze is my pump but it goes in. Bottle isn't huge but it can hold a bigger one. Perfect for a quick lap without getting a sweaty back.
My new bike has bottle bosses so I can use the bottle part to carry a scrunched up jacket.
preferable to a big bag and a sweaty back on a suitable ride though
You lot know you can get small back-mounted Camelbaks as well as big packs, right?
I wonder if the halfway house thing is a better option the small bags with shoulder straps but which don’t cover your full back. Wonder if those hold water / small tools – but is less heavy / moves around less than a full backpack.
Well, just because a pack is large doesn't mean you have to fill it.. but I use small Camelbaks with success - just make sure you get one with a waist clip for technical riding, however thin the strap. Otherwise if you go down something steep it whacks you on the back of the head. The Lobo seems to be the smallest in their range with a waist strap.
I've got a Podium Flow, but given the price increase since I bought it I'd be going for the similarly priced Repack now.
Another Camelbak repack user here.
Although, I don't use the bladder and use a water bottle. Its big enough to fit in my Pump, CO2, Snacks, 1st Aid kit, spare inner tube, tool kit roll, mobile phone, waterproof jacket, keys
I will use the Repack for any rides <30 miles and if one water bottle will be enough.
Alpkit are knocking out their 6l packs for £25 in the sale at the moment:
https://alpkit.com/products/vora-6-waist-pack
Another frame bag user here, the small Cotic/restrap bag on my Solaris holds phone, pump, keys, glasses case, 29r tube, ecig, exposure flare, tubeless repair tool and an old puncture repair container with things and bits in it, still has room to spare.
Lightweight jacket in a hummvee map pocket if needed.
Clear bottle on the frame so as I can see/ration water consumption.
I’ve got an Osprey Savu 5. Holds 2 water bottles and plenty of storage for ride essentials.
Osprey have stopped making it now but it’s still available from some places for around £40.
Think it's what I've got too. Waterproof rolls up into one of the bottle holders, multitool / keys / tubeless jabber into the little hip pockets, room in the main bit for a small first aid kit, foil blanket, bit of food. Spare bottle holder handy for long rides or for a can of beer when the pubs were shut.
Bontrager rapid pack is great. Bottle holder middle bit fits an emergency jacket just fine as I have a bottle cage on the bike. I think there's a new version with a bladder
If you just want to try a "Hip-Pack" without a large cash outlay, Regatta do a nice sized one with a small water bottle, for under £18
Ive managed to get my packable coat, massive stupid phone, Van keys, energy gells and bars, and other assorted detritus in mine, Sits nicely in the small of your back and you dont notice it after a few minutes
https://www.regatta.com/blackfell-iii-hip-pack-with-bottle-surfspray-blaze-orange/
Not really a bum bag, but I use a Veshmeshok bag with a small tie around the middle and it auto forms into a bumbag with straps.
Packed correctly it carry 30l down to as little as you like.
Very cheap (if you can get one) or use a pillow case ;).
Here is one in action on a bag.
Could look a bit tramp like, but who cares I cant see it 😉
Might dye it black.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g-gaeqAPk8Q
Like or Subscribe 😉
and yes I'm Captain Slow. But the trail was fun to me 🙂
Alpkit are knocking out their 6l packs for £25 in the sale at the moment:
I've used one of these for a few months. Quite happy with it. You can get 2 water bottles in it (one each side) and/or a bladder if that's a priority.
If it's for short rides on a bike without a cage, I've got an old thing that looks a bit like this:
The pocket is tiny but some tools/key/phone can be stashed, having a bottle at an angle is good as it makes it less likely to poke you in the back...
My setup is:
Dakine Hotlaps 5L: Really good! I only really fill the bladder to about 1L max. Refilling in a steam if it's real hot. Can easily swallow up a waterproof jacket along side a 1L filled bladder and some snacks. The new one has a hip pocket which is really handy for quick access snacks / phone for the gram shots. The straps do need tightening a bit if you take out a bulky jacket or drink all the water but it's a minor issue.
Wee Cog Dropper Saddle Bag: Tube, multi tool, Co2 and spares in here. I don't like frame bags as they rub away the frame paint in the winter grime.
I used to use the smaller Dakine Hotlaps 2L but my new frame doesn't have a bottle cage so I upgraded to the 5L version with the bladder. The 2L one does have a bidon pocket but it's not really possible to use it whilst riding along - you have to stop and use two hands.
My packless set up is-
Tube strapped to the frame
One-Up pump with EDC tool
Small Fidlock bottle (frame design)
Dakine stealth waist pack with phone, snacks, CO² and anchovies. The pack will also carry a 700ml bottle.