I’ve looked on the forum but can’t see anything since 2023 about hip packs.
Was looking at the Collins Cycle Works Hiproll V4 which scarily £150 but is totally waterproof and has got great reviews (GuykesTv) and comes with a Fidlock bottle that attaches to the side of the pack. They’re all handmade with loads of options of colours and made in the Uk.
I then saw the Osprey Seral 7 for £62 but isn’t waterproof and comes with 1.5L bladder but isn’t waterproof.
Has anyone got one of the above or any recommendations?
Evoc hip pack pro. It is the only one I have seen that has a wide waist band v that doesn't feel like it is cutting into you
Evoc hip pack pro. It is the only one I have seen that has a wide waist band v that doesn't feel like it is cutting into you
Cheers, that’s probably important as I’ve got older my belly has slowly been getting bigger.
I’ve not heard of the brand you’ve mentioned. But I’ve been through a couple of hip packs and use one for almost every ride.
My first was a Camelbak Repack. Then I bought a Seral 7. The Seral 7 has loads of space, but cannot accommodate bottles. And I hate using a reservoir in a hip pack - the hose always seems to end up dangling about, getting in the way. I now use a smaller Fox hip pack (after seeing so many people using them in the Alps). I only use the 2 litre one, but I still have space for everything.
So the reason I moved from the Seral was the lack of bottle pockets. And I use the bottles all the time now with the Fox. I actually keep a spare tube in one bottle holder, and a bottle in the other, with another bottle on the bike.
Another thing I rate as really important is the ability to strap a jacket on the outside. The Fox doesnt have straps, so I bought some bungee cords on Amazon. If I don’t start a ride wearing a jacket, it will be strapped onto the pack.
So bottle storage and bungee cords were my priorities. I personally find the Fox equally or more comfy than the Seral.
Also, I’ve ridden in ridiculously wet conditions and the material on the Fox seems to be surprisingly water resistant. This also means that I can hose it off after a ride. And everything inside still stays dry.
Thule Rail. It's ace. I had a dakine hot laps 5 for years that was never comfortable but refused to die.
I've got the Serial 7 , so far so good, I don't find the hose flaps around too much but then I'm not a gnarly rider 🙄
I've tried a few hip packs and don't seem to be able to get on with them, I find the Camelbak Skyline much more comfortable .
I've got a Thule rail as well. As long as you don't mind having some bits on the bike then it's great. If you fill up the water, then it's not massive inside. But it's a 4l pack with 1.5l of water, so that's not surprising. Great for short rides. Or long rides if you can put water and tools on the bike.
I've tried a few hip packs and don't seem to be able to get on with them,
Yup,same here ,I managed to get a Wingnut Hyper, it's ace.
I’ve a Camelbak repack an Osprey Seral 7 and an Evoc Pro.
As above Evoc is most comfortable, but the Osprey has a great bladder design and is easiest to get into the pack when full.
Repack is good as the lifetime warranty meant I got a replacement bladder for free after about two years usage.
Mate has a cool Specialized pack that converts to a backpack.
Osprey - there's a few versions and sizes.
I've had a couple and they're great. Well made, comfortable, useful internal space...and their customer service is amazing
I broke the buckle on my pack (totally my fault, I stepped on it!) and when I asked about a repair they replaced the bag foc.
Small dakine with a space for a bottle.
Great.
Medium. Size dakine with a 2L bladder
Great up to 1.5L water.
2L is too much for me, it sloshes and is uncomfortable after a while. If I only used this bag with water in it I'm sure I'd get used to it. Disappointing I don't do that many MTB rides where I need 2L of water without topping it up anymore.
Neither claim to be fully waterproof, but with my jackets over the top have been effectively water proof
I am a great fan of the idea but not so much the execution. My current favourite is the Evoc mentioned above after trying several different types. The Osprey drove me crackers because the bite valve wouldn’t stay on the magnet. Every time you moved on the bike the hose would flap about and the valve would attach to the frame. All of them share the problem of lack of space for water or contents. You can have one or the other but not both. I too fancied the Collins but the price did put me off. Still I wouldn’t go back to a backpack!
lowe alpine nijmegen 6l belt pack
I e had it for a while now and it works really well and has space for 2 bottles. It’s the first one I’ve had that doesn’t slip down
Cheers all, I’ve decide on the Osprey Seral 7 as I could get it for £61 from Amazon. It’s my first hip pack, so hopefully doesn’t keep slipping down, as I fancied a change from my Camelbak Mule, which I’ve had for years.
For the folks with the Osprey, is it more a medium distance ride instead of an all day thing?
Hip pack pro for £58.41 at Bike parts.co.uk
https://www.bikeparts.co.uk/products/evoc-hip-pack-pro-3l-2024-stone-steel-3l
OP I tend to use mine for medium rides , I've got an Evoc with back protector and a smaller capacity Camelbak for all dayers
I'm currently exploring how I can modify my Evoc hip pack to mount fidlock brackets. If I do I'll make sure to update this thread.
But I would always go with the EVOC, the waist band is one of the things that stands it above others for me.
I like using hip packs but only without the bladder, IME once you add 1-1.5kgs of water to them then they aren't as comfortable and move around a lot more plus the tube always comes unclipped and ends up dangling around the rear wheel, so I now only use smaller ones for tools and tube and have a bottle on the bike.
When I want to carry extra water then I have a decathlon vest pack that takes a 2L bladder, which is really comfortable to the point where more often than not rather than switch the tools/tube across to the hip pack, I'll just grab that and take out the bladder.
I have several and the Evoc Pro is the clear winner for me, because of the strap you can actually put lots in it and forget it’s there! 🙂
We love a hip pack in our house, we have a cornucopia of them as we have 3 people riding...
My go-to shorter/local ride pack is a Dakine Hot laps 5. Holds my tools, snacks, tube, pumps (mini and shock), emotional support jacket/vest and phone/keys. Bottle on the bike, I occasionally use the bladder with it (1/2 full) if it's really hot. You can use the side straps to properly cinch it down so it doesn't move. I have the old version without the hip pocket.
I do have a EVOC Enduro backpack for big rides/full face carry/need extra sandwiches rides.
We also have...
Dakine Hot Laps 1L - good for snacks, small multitool, tyre levers and phone, bottle carrier on the side works well (we haven't had any premature ejections) and the straps on the bottom will take the inevitable removed layer. I haven't used it but my teens like it and say it doesn't move. You can't fit a 22cm minipump in it, but that's not really the point of it.
Osprey Savu 5 - 2 bottle pockets, so good if you don't have bottle bosses. You can everything that goes in the Hot Laps 5 in it but will need to use of the bottle pockets for the jacket, which we have successfully. Hip pockets are great and big, good for snacks wouldn't put anything hard in them after crashing on a multitool - ow. No bungee or extra layer straps but that hasn't been an issue. Same version as reviewed here: https://nsmb.com/articles/osprey-seral-and-savu-hip-packs-reviewed/ which they still seem to be selling. The teens like it also but not as much as Hot Laps 1L.
Not used it for Biking (just hikes) but I have a Osprey Heritage 8L hip pack which is massive and great for hikes with the dog - water, bowl, snacks (dog and human), etc etc. Tempted to try it on the bike.
What are you looking to carry OP?
I use a Camelbak Podium Flow for the big majority of my rides - that holds a pump, tools, snacks and a bottle.
Tried an Osprey Seral 7 for a while, but didn't get on with the bigger size.
I use a EVOC hip pack as a camera / drone bag, works well, fits nicely, well made.
What are you looking to carry OP?
I use a Camelbak Podium Flow for the big majority of my rides - that holds a pump, tools, snacks and a bottle.
Tried an Osprey Seral 7 for a while, but didn't get on with the bigger size.
Just general stuff really, with the Seral 7 I’ve probably gone too big. But as I ride an e-bike now, I don’t have to worry about carrying too much stuff. Would love to take my DJI Mini 4K out as well sometimes but it probably too big to go in the pack.
Found the bracket so did some further modification to the test pack.
Chopped the compression straps off (never use them) both sides and the elasticated netting on the right side. Keep the left to stuff stuff in. Am playing with the idea of making a small dump style pouch that can be unfolded to stuff in a jacket or such like.
I'll do a proper load test this weekend and see how it fairs at the local.
Not much use to you now OP but..
Have a Savu 5 as mentioned above. Really like it over the repack i had before. Water bottle holders each side mean that the pack is for your stuff. Side pockets are handy and quite big. Had it out in some biblical days and it seems to hold out ok. Also put some loops on the top so i can also carry my jacket when i need to. With all that i can carry quite a bit in it
It's not super hip (ha!) but the hip packs from Decathlon are good. Sit securely. Lots of space. Comes with a 1.5l bladder.
Also put some loops on the top so i can also carry my jacket when i need to. With all that i can carry quite a bit in it
Each to their own, but with that much stuff, I'm wearing a back pack.
I do generally tend to use a hip pack more in summer and in more changeable conditions where I might want to change layers, I'll use a back pack.
I have some Camelbak stuff, but most of my gear carrying kit is now Evoc of some description
Well it now seems Amazon have done me over and after expecting delivery today it no longer has a delivery date.
I’ll look at the other options now. I’m not sure if I’m going with a bladder or bottles now, what’s the preferred option for you guys?
You can use either bottles or bladder with this
Totally bottles with hip-pack for me. I use a Cube Hip Pack Vertex 3 - with bottle(s) in side pockets - it isn't waterproof but does have a good rain cover.
I use the bladder in my evoc, but then it is used for evening rides in the spring, summer and autumn so I don't need to carry much
what’s the preferred option for you guys?
Bottle on the bike.
Don't like the extra weight of carrying water, be that a bottle or bladder.
Haven't used my backpack for years when cycling. I suffer from a sweaty back at the best of times.
As I said in my earlier post, I changed hip pack specifically to use bottles.
Now, having said that, I did finally find a hack which works. If you do use a bladder, then you can use those little retractable work-pass-holders to keep the hose from falling down. However, I had a fall at one point because of the hose falling into my back wheel on a steep techy trail. So I decided bladders in hip packs are not for me. (That was pre hack discovery, but I got grumpy about it and refused to use a bladder out of spite).
here’s my Fox, with the jacket stashed on top mid ride. The jacket will fit inside, but i really value the ability to strap stuff on top mid ride if I want.
I like the fact that I modded my pack with the bungee cords, even though it was a totally simple mod. But to be honest, the new Mule pack has the bottle holders and the bungee cords already fitted. So it has all the features I want. I just like the look of the Fox more. And I find the Fox really comfy, where’s with my Repack, I was always fiddling with the straps. Perhaps the Mule is different, but that was a negative point for me (against Camelbak hippacks in general).
To go against the grain - I've tried using a bottle with my hip pack and didn't like it, prefer a bladder. I don't really have any problems with the tube magnet staying put either