Looking for an upgrade from my old Dakine Hot Laps…something with a bit more capacity and better/more secure waist strap. Can be either water bottle or bladder system.
Whatchu got?
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Looking for an upgrade from my old Dakine Hot Laps…something with a bit more capacity and better/more secure waist strap. Can be either water bottle or bladder system.
Whatchu got?
I actually have a Henty I don't use anymore. Overlap with my main pack (Lab Austere). Would sell the Henty for $50.
https://henty.cc/shop/active/enduro-backpack/
EVOC hip pack pro.
To my knowledge no other company makes their style of hip belt, and it’s leaps and bounds superior to a traditional cinch and buckle.
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Hadn't seen these, the belt looks good. I've got the Patagonia Dirt Something waist pack and the buckle isn't always that comfyQuote:
Originally Posted by east or bust
I have a Lab Austere hip pack that Marshal sent me, I never ended up using it. I'm happy to pass it on for the cost of shipping.
I actually just returned one of these. It was a really nice design and the hip belt was interesting, but it just didn't seem like it was going to be big enough once a water bladder was inserted. Especially since it didn't have pad straps built in.Quote:
Originally Posted by east or bust
It did have the option to use dual water bottles or a 1.5L bladder, and it has a belt-pocket on either side if you would use them.
Kept the hot laps 5L instead. Bigger bladder than the Evoc (2L), bit more space, and straps that can hold a pair of knee pads (and if I am not using the bladder, elbow pads fit inside easily). Not perfect though.
Mine came with the older bladder with a non-detachable hose. That combined with routing the hose through a hole and through the strap pocket makes it kind of a PITA to swap out the bladder. Better to have detachable hose that the new models come with and/or a hose that just exits through the main zip.
Interested if OP isn’t.Quote:
Originally Posted by smmokan
I love this hip pack but it’s not high volume. Perfect for before or after work laps.Quote:
Originally Posted by smmokan
This:
EVOC hip pack pro.
I have the other one and have been extremely happy with it.
EVOC HIP PACK 3L + 1.5L BLADDER
I have a maroon Osprey Seral 4 if you are interested. Never used, just put water in the bladder to get the bladder taste out. Will let it go for like $35 bucks.
I’ve got the USWE Zulu 6L hip pack and love it. I think it has a similar overlapping band to the EVOC but maybe a bit thicker. Love the way it fits and functions. If you need something bigger than this I’d probably just go with a backpack. It’s expensive full price but USWE will run some big sales. Pretty sure I got it direct from USWE for half off in the last year. I got my wife the Zulu 2L thinking I’d use it some too for shorter ride but I find the band on the 6L so much more comfortable than a traditional buckle and cinch strap on the 2L that I’ll just use the 6L if I have to use a hip pack at all.
https://uswe.com/en-us/hydration-wai...zulo-6-black-2
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Another vote for the EVOC.
If that doesn't work for you, my wife went through a few and finally settled on the Hydro Flask Down Shift.
Thanks for all the insight y’all! At the water park today with the kids and will reply to people who are selling later today.
On sale and the best pack I have owned. Better than the comparable osprey I have. Honestly imo hip packs like Dakine etc only work well with little to no weight in them aka water.
https://labaustere.com/collections/f...re-riding-pack
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I had the Osprey (Savu?) with 2 bottle capability and got rid of it due to the uncomfortable waist strap/buckle.
Been using the EVOC 3l pro with 2 bottle (no reservoir) and I've been really stoked on it. I do wish it had an external strap system like those Dakines or EVOC Freerider backpack for carrying a jacket or whatever. Been thinking about retrofitting one but haven't. I have carried an extra 1l soft bottle, honestly feels a little heavy/bulky set up this way.
factQuote:
Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian
another vote for the EVOC 1.5L.
Cool, another pack to consider (along with the USWE) when my discontinued Shimano Unzen has to be replaced.Quote:
Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian
All three of these have very similar front attachment systems that lock everything in place really well.
I have essentially completely replaced using hip packs with vest style packs. I've got a Camelbak Chase vest which rides great and I like the back pockets better on and breathes better, but the right strap pocket inexplicably doesn't have a zipper on it so things fall out. I also have an Evoc vest, and it's great but a little warmer. It probably rides a tad better than the Camelbak but I feel like the rear storage is less versatile being 2 vertical zippers rather than a couple of compartments and a stuff pocket.
The only times I use hip packs:
* for trail work when I'm going out solely to trim back brush - I've got a Camelbak Repack that fits my pruning shears perfectly. The bottle pocket goes unused.
* for longer rides that I drive to and consequently need to stash my keys, wallet, and maybe a bar someplace that's not my shorts pockets, but am able to swing by the truck to swap water bottles mid-ride. I've got a Dakine Hot Laps waist belt (forget the exact model, might be "stealth" or something similar). No bottle pocket.
I used a Hot Laps for a few years but I picked up one of these a year or so ago and while it's similar to a Hot Laps, it's a little bit bigger, modular, and robust as fuck. Hand made here in SLC. I can't recommend them enough.
https://waveproducts.com/collections/bike-bags
https://waveproducts.com/products/th...43551538184384
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0327ccd8e6.jpg
The Lab Austere pack rides and wears more like a vest than a traditional pack. It is snug and rides up high and the fit doesn't change much because the strap adjustment is all velcro.Quote:
Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian
Very cool non-traditional pack design. I just got one and will be trying it out for longer rides this fall.
I find that the larger the hip pack gets the worse it performs. Anything bigger than a couple of bottles and a small pocket and it loses its shape pretty quickly and doesn't stay put.
Thanks all for the feedback! There are so many options out there for packs it’s crazy. My old Hot Laps (OG vintage, non padded strap, no bladder or bottles) just doesn’t cut it and flops around a lot. I’ve had my eye on the EVOC as it seems to check all the boxes. Someone has one available over on Gear Swap so I’ll snag it. Also may grab an osprey from same thread from Hicks as it’ll be a cheap way to compare (and Mrs Waterbird needs one as well).
I also ride with a Henty and love it. Have the same model but it didn't come with the bladder. I have used a 3L 2/3 full and bought the Camelback lumbar bladder (which fits fine). It is great in utility, but you will want to consider how you pack things like first aid kit and larger crap on long rides. I think that if I had my emergency tube, pump and first aid kit on the bike, the pack would always have tons of spare room. There is a great phone pocket, good molle style elastic bands to secure gels, shirts, jackets, etc. I store a small sunscreen in the back mesh pocket as a reminder when we are out so we all re apply.Quote:
Originally Posted by Whiteroom_Guardian
Only qualm is that it is black and cordura, so dust will coat it and that means you might be inclined to wash it off more. But I suspect that will increase the lifespan. Incidentally, it also makes a lot of sense for a number of other activities.
Y'all making me think I made the wrong choice returning the evoc...
So far the current incarnation of the Hot Laps 5L has felt pretty stable both with and without bladder.
I switch between bikes so I don't like to have anything besides a water bottle on the bike. I suppose I could get an even smaller pump (or do the oneup EDC combo), but pump+tube+multitool+plug kit and a couple of bars was already starting to fill up the the Evoc, even without a water bladder. Not truly packed to the gills, but pump and tube are bulky and get in the way of anything else you put in there.
The extra space in the Hot Laps 5L seemed necessary if I wanted to be able to carry anything else that I might want on a longer ride (first aid stuff, thin layer, more food, etc.) and the pad straps are handy for long climbs. Plus an extra .5L of water vs the options that only fit a 1.5L bladder.
But maybe the Evoc pro with some DIY pad straps would be the ticket. Can always cram a layer or food into the water bottle holders if needed.
Just a thought, but why not carry a voile strap in the pack and lash your pads to the top tube. Idk what bike you ride but my hudge knee pads don’t get in the way at all when using this method on my enduro.Quote:
Originally Posted by singlesline
IME it’s easier to climb with a bit more weight securely fastened to the frame than with an unbalanced/floppy pack.
Why carry a pump?Quote:
Originally Posted by singlesline
CO2 and a tube can be taped/strapped to the underside of the saddle on each bike for emergencies, keep the chuck and tools in the pack. I don't even carry a tube anymore on the MTB, stans darts have solved any tire failures I've had in the last few seasons.
That Henty does look rad…but stoked to try the EVOC.
I’ve never really warmed to CO2, and it is a 1 shot deal. Say you try to plug and your plug leaks…No way to top back up. If the plug then totally fails then you have nothing left to blow up the tube. You could have multiple CO2s, but that could take 3 shots in one ride. This is roughly what happened to me the last time I had a flat. Didn’t have my pump and plugs because they were left on another bike…borrowed stuff from someone else and got moving. Later got dropped from the group ride and the plug started to fail and without the pump I had no way to pressure back up.Quote:
Originally Posted by jackattack
Also I’ll admit that I often forget/don’t have time to pressure up my tires before leaving home so I use my pump at the trailhead a lot. Could leave a pump in the car instead of carrying it, but there’s something nice about being able to adjust pressure on the trail.
people who's EVOC (or any hip/bladder pack) that starts to get loose/floppy as you drink water, just blow some air back into the bladder. no added weight, but it snugs up and stays in place.
Damn that's genius!
Also good practice for keeping growth at bayQuote:
Originally Posted by N1CK.
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Mine has straps to address that. They work great if you have the full waist strap adjusted correctly to begin with. I don't always have that, but it gives you about that bladder worth of adjustment.Quote:
Originally Posted by N1CK.
The black strap under the blue:
Attachment 468080
blowing air is a solution I've used as well when they aren't quite snug enough.
So yeah, good suggestion.
Another vote for the Evoc Hip Pack Pro- be aware there is also the Evoc Hip Pack- which does not have the handy features the Pro has.
I easily fit a large CrankBros tool, tire lever, and pressure gauge in the back zipper tool pocket. That's also the designated dog poop bag pocket for riding with the dog as it's separate from the food.
Main part can fit a OneUp 100c pump, shock pump, ultralight rain shell, gloves, large cell phone, and I can still throw a bottle on one side pouch, and bear spray on the other side. If you're the type that still carries a tube, what the hell are you doing carrying a butyl tube? Get a tubolito and it takes up almost no room.
Not sure about US availability, but this is what you want and I think the best hip pack on the market: https://www.sport-conrad.com/en/prod...tektor-sc.htmlQuote:
Originally Posted by singlesline
Just their marketing is too bad to even list it on their own website…
I have it in sand colour and have been using it since late May. 5 litre capacity = small enough for afterwork laps or bikepark, but it has a clever function to zip out and make an extra two litres capacity, which is good for longer rides and to use a water bladder. Extra to that it has a zip out carrier for helmet or pads + two pull-out water bottle holders.
I think it’s the only hip oack on the market with all that plus the wide/velcro waist belts (which are waaay more comfortable and stable than just a thin buckle/strap system).
Expensive but does actually deliver.
well heck, THAT'S what those straps are for. scientific garage test proves it works. Thanks man!Quote:
Originally Posted by grskier
That Henty looks kinda cool. 1 thing stopping me from getting a hip pack is lack of 3L water capacity. So that solves that.
Plus the name sounds like hentai, so it's got that going for it?
I snagged one of these, plus the extra bottle holder. Only got it out on one ride so far, but I liked it.
https://www.pnwcomponents.com/collec...rover-hip-pack
Updating this thread because I caved and reordered the evoc pro 3L. The hot laps 5L is just too big and bouncy (with or without the bladder). If I need a totally full 2L bladder and a bunch of stuff I’d rather bring my backpack.
That said, I tried this Thule:
https://www.thule.com/en-us/backpack...k-4l-_-3204481
Holy shit, it has the best drinking hose attachment system I’ve ever encountered. Instead of one tiny little magnet that has to be in just the right place, the end of the hose is lined with a 4-6” row of magnets and the waist band is lined with a similar row. You just slap that thing down and it holds firmly in place. No need to fiddle around to get the right alignment.
It won’t work for me for other reasons (mainly the inner Velcro waist belt is a bit too short for my waist), but it’a pretty nice pack and I think it was $77 on Amazon including the bladder. Similar design to the evoc with a double belt for stability, but a different pocket/feature layout.