Why carry your gear on your body.........surely a front/rear bag or both mounted on the bike would be better plus you'd get more storage.....plus water bottles in cages.....leaving your body free.
I’m not a cyclist but I’m a mom of 2 and my smallest baby is 10 months and we go on day trail walks/hikes often. I baby wear my baby on my back in a soft structure carrier I feel this will be our perfect solution to caring our mommy and baby goods while in the great outdoors!
I snipped the threading that separates the front mesh pockets in the front pocket - it fits my big phone perfectly, and adds an extra layer of protection so I don’t loose it
I watched this video like 3 months ago and commented…well I am back after buying this pack. I got the grey and black. This pack for me is all day comfortable. Even in really hot, humid weather. Just yesterday I was about 3/4 a mile from home and ran over a stick and got a flat. Walked the bike home in a hurry to beat the rain…this pack even walks well. I love the bladder and waist belt/strap system. I have a 30” waist, this fits me perfect. I would buy this pack again without hesitation. I would also like to say again, nice job on this video. I let it play while I commented again and it’s a good 2nd watch.
Thanks. I got one of these after watching this review. Sometimes I use it with water bottles and sometimes with the bladder depending on how much stuff I need to put in the main compartment. Your hack for the straw makes the bladder usable, whereas without it, the magnetic system alone is lacking and had me struggling to put secure it at very precarious moments in the ride. I'm surprised no other manufacturers have come up with a better solution for the straw. The thing that sold me on this one versus the others is the wide velcro belt. It makes this much more comfortable than it would be without it. I also agree the cell phone pocket is a joke. My basic iPhone requires too much work to fit. I don't trust the front compartment so I keep my phone and wallet in the main compartment. I used to ride with a big Camelbak MULE, and still use it for long rides, but this hip pack is perfect for short to medium rides and I really appreciate that my back stays cooler and dryer. This thing could be even better with some simple fixes and a resizing of the cell phone compartment.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I was thinking to myself how to balance the lower back pain caused by back packs and the desire to have a water bladder. This was the first video I've watched on hip packs and I feel it mirrors my situation exactly. Thank you.
I use a hip pack for similar reasons. But, not for water. I use a bottle on my bike and use it for the other stuff. On a long, more than 2 hour ride, I break out the hydration pack to carry enough water and extra stuff; jacket & safety gear.
Great review and that tip with the retractable cord is genius. The Osprey Seral was on my shortlist, but man, this one definitely seems like it would better suit my needs.
@@Bike198 I certainly will. It’s looking like I am going with the EVOC, not sure if I will go with the pro. Hydration is not my main focus, although I like the feature. I do like that the pro has color choices opposed to the only black with the non pro. Although I do like the black. Lol Have a great week.
Nice review! To the point and fair to cover the good and the bad, not just an ambassador for the brand. I have always used packs and like them just fine. However, I have started XC Nordic skiing for days between alpine skiing and will be biking in Thailand when things open up. Both activities need to you to run something cooler than a backpack, so this may be just the ticket.
Awesome review! I go back and forth between a hip pack and an 11L backpack but am really starting to lean more toward the hip pack these days (less weight on the upper back).
Thank you for the badge holder idea. I ended up buying this pack about a month ago. I truly love it. Top to bottom it is an excellent product. I come from BMX so I thought wearing a hip pack would be really noticeable and annoying to me. But honestly after 5 minutes into a ride it kinda just fades away. So much so that I even wear it at the bike park because it's that comfortable and convenient. I truly hate how the magnets are weak though. A lot of the time it's fine and isn't an issue. But on rougher terrain it's a major pain. I wish they just sold an upgraded magnet or something. I'd spend like $20 on a proper solution from Evoc. But your solution is nearly as good anyways. Great idea man (and video.)
Osprey SAVU, the waist band may be a tad narrower but they carry 2 bottles, 2 good sized side pockets and a large central pouch witg a seperate phone pouch (easily big enough for the I-phone. They also do a version with hydration bladder.
I have an Evoc Stage 6L backpack which does everything I need it to, including helmet carry and 2L bladder, so not even sure why I'm watching this or considering this product. I guess I want on bike storage for shorter rides, that will fit mini pump, large phone and sunglasses, along with mini tool, spare tube, etc. Amazingly there are very few saddle bags that fit the bill, actually the Evoc Tour 1L is one that does, so maybe that is my solution
I just stopped using a way-too-heavy backpack... I agree that this a great pack and the magnetic catch is better in theory than in practice; I switched to an ID badge clip, also. The funny thing is... I'm a fairly small guy, but not "skinny"- my waist is about 33". I have to cinch this thing absolutely as tight as I can get it and have no room to get it tighter. I can barely clip it, because the two ends of the clip are almost touching once I get the velcro strap where it needs to be. (The left clip can go no further to the left.) Then I need to crank the blue Venti flap straps as tight as possible. I don't see how this would ever work for someone with a 32" waist or smaller. Even with it as tight as I can get it, I still get more bounce than I would want. Otherwise, it built really well, and I like that they used Hydrapak for the hydration part... I've been using them in other bags.
Thanks for your feedback Ron! I found that with the Hydrapak it does make the pack a lot tighter but I like having that over bottles. It is just easier to use while riding.
Got the 2022 version and the waistband is definitely large. I am 186cm and about 90kg. It fits very well and I have enough to adjust. It's the pack without bladder it was 89 euro
Good review and i bought one after seeing this video. First ride felt already better than with a backpack. I had to have this years ago... And who cares how it looks... Greets form Holland 💪
Have always wore backpacks and suffer with back pain ,tried them all and are not overly heavy so orfered this hip pack waiting on it to arrive to give it a test ,I'll report back in a few weeks.
I have disc degeneration in lower 5. L4 is herniated which is a @#$%^. I'm 6ft9 (205cm ish) so put it down to my height. I used to love mtb regularly. When my bike was stolen I used the insurance to pay for driving lesson ( I live in UK). But have always missed my bike. Defo wanting to get back into it. Just found your channel. Your content is very good, you got my sub my friend.
I use a hydration backpack but it's perfect for me because it's not to big and not too small and it hold over 2L of water with plenty of storage capacity.
Thanks for the badge holder hack. I'm going on Amazon now because I agree, I spend a lot of time blindly trying to find that little magnet and not concentrating on the trail. Also, I put my iPhone 12 Pro Max in one of the easy access pockets in the front. It's a big phone, but it fits, just.
@@Bike198 , at my waist I feel is a safe place to have it. Agree with the shorts pocket: that always seems like a risky spot for a phone, so I don't put one there anymore.
Nice review, SO excited about waist strap, great side pouches, Nylon bag easy to wipe off mud, Not excited about how tall/ Big this pack is. < Kudos on tip on rectracting water tube. Cheers
I have a Bontrager hip pack and it’s good, but I was looking for more storage & something I can use to take more water besides using a back pack. I ordered 1. Thanks 👍🏽
@@Bike198 Took new pack out this weekend. Great pack! I found myself packing a lot more than I really needed, but good to know that I can. I think I would only run 1 water bottle on the pack 1 one the frame. 2 water bottles will be too heavy for my liking, but like it so far 👍🏽👍🏽
I have the same hip pack and seen your review had to checkbit out , I wanted it for the same reasons, although I have neck issues and wearing a pack bothers it , but I agree totally with your review, spot on and sounds like we are about the same size , I had the same issue with the hose but on longer rides I carry a small purifier, most areas I ride have creek or lake acess
Great review- I have a full size CamekBak which is great for long Enduro riding but it's heavy as fuck and hate the weight issue. I would need to actually try the Evoc to see how it feels. It looks like it won't weigh you down but spot sum red flags. I'm 6'0 and 220Lbs and it looks like it is made for a smaller rider but maybe a possible solution...
You're the first pack reviewer I've seen who called out their lower back degeneration problem - I too have a degenerating L5 disc that often gets irritated. I usually run my camelback mule about as low as I can, but never equated the shoulder strap weight as a contributor to my back issue (as you mentioned). Curious to find out how your back fared since switching to the fannypack, and if it triggered some new unexpected disc issue?
Scott. It really did help. I made sure that I had it fitting correctly which put the pressure solely on my hips and below my back. That makes it so your back is free to move as it needs to without any additional weight. I put another pack on afterwards for one ride and could tell a difference immediately.
Thanks for the review. I have this pack and like the storage capacity I've looked at the USWE packs but I would need to move into a 8L or 9L USWE pack to get the same carrying capacity (yes with either a 2L or a 3L bladder). On the Evoc pack - and for longer rides I can carry an extra small cycling bottle in the external mesh pockets. At that point the pack is quite heavy and tends to slide down so what I have started doing for these longer rides is to carry that bottle on the frame. if I were hiking - no issues. When MTB with the 1,5L of water plus the bottle the pack slides down too much for my liking . Couple of additional things I dislike. (a) When trying to mount my MTB bike I find that the pack catches on the seat. I have to consciously drop the seat post every time I stop to easily mount again. (b) It is hard to take on and off during a ride - gloves have to come off in order to access the buckle. wish they had a different buckle system that could be handled with gloves on. (c) Once you take the pack off - say to relieve yourself - the only thing you can do is to place it on the ground and if the ground is wet/muddy - then you are either SOL or doing some serious acrobatics. (d) Also - when you do take it off you need to very conscious to not have the mouthpiece touch the ground and get all dirty - this happens ALL the time. (e) not easy to access the camera if and when you want to take a picture. I have a love/hate with this hip pack. If USWE made a 5 or 6 L pack I would be all over it.
I will carry an extra one on the frame as well. I also found that I don’t like just having one bottle in a hip back as it ends up weighted it kind of weird on only one side.
ended up selling the EVOC and buying the USWE. It is awesome. You can attach a couple of pockets to the chest straps for additional pockets. No going back
Appreciate the vid, it helped convince me to get this pack about 4 months ago. After some time with it, it's just as good as you made it out to be. It's a really stable, comfortable pack that fits quite a bit inside. Great suggestion on the lanyard. One thing I noticed, and something you brought up, is the possible concern of the zippered pocket dropping the phone out. I have been stuffing that strap that spans the two zippers into the pack BEFORE folding over the velcro flap. Had the zipper loosen up a few times prior to doing this, and it hasn't happened since. Definitely a pricey pack but I haven't been disappointed and don't regret the purchase one bit.
Great review thank you. I'm considering one of these but have a similar sized phone to your iPhone pro max. Does that fit in that central mesh pocket vertically?
I like EVOC and also this product but I need easy access to my cell phone. Ergon has a better fit for me here. I also don't like the straps on the side which will fladder around while riding.
Hip pack? Who cares about A hip pack? Let’s hear about the gadget mounted on your frame!!!😁😁😁 But jokes aside… Great review bud! Ordering one tonight. Much appreciated! P.S. I still want to know about the gadget bellow your bike computer.
Nice review. I'm an older rider in Texas and have never used a hydration pack, but now my rides are getting longer and more remote. So, I now need to pack in additional hydration than just my bottles. One of my trail acquaintances let me try on his small USME, and my thoughts afterwards was that it felt like there was a noticeable weight on my back. I ride blue and black trails pretty aggressively and love the freedom to move my body around my bike at will in flow. Now, with your video, I'm beginning to think that the weight of a lumbar pack like this will be better for center of gravity balance. May I ask your opinion relative to my situation?
Hey. Nice review. I'm considering one of these (or an Osprey Savu 5) to replace my ULITIMATE TorsoPac hip pack which is getting on for 25 years old. It's held up well, but belt and back-plate comfort has come a long way in a quarter of a century, so I'm looking around. I typically use bottles rather than a bladder, so the mag clip issue doesn't bother me. This could be the one. Cheers
Thanks for the review. Can you tell me, if using the side water bottle holders - how hard is it to get the water bottle back in? Can it be done one handed while riding?
I don't think one could put the water bottle bottle back in on-the-fly while still riding your bike. In fact, I think one would have to take off the pack to put back a water bottle in the holder.
I totally get the removal of shoulder straps. However I sometimes need to carry a second battery for my emtb, the Evoc FR trail e- ride let’s me carry everything I need, with a back protector which works. The smaller pack is great but sometimes you need bigger.
Are you talking about this one? bit.ly/2URYV07 I agree that for longer rides it might not be possible to run a hip pack. Unfortunately for me...I think those longer rides are probably out now anyway. I have a lot of friends that use hip packs for most rides and then use the backpacks for the epic ones as kind of a balance.
I hate saddlebags, but just started using one because the tubes are taking up too much space in my pack (Osprey backpack, not even a hip pack)... mine stays out of the dropper operation too...thoughts?
My little camelbak hip pack has a water bottle holder and the smallest phone pocket known to man. It’s very minimal. Sometimes I wish I could fit more stuff in it... priced around $30.... I think water bladders are a bit over rated and awkward. And they don’t even hold that much water. A bottle in the hip pack and one on the frame...
I am riding a Trek Rail so that is the Kiox that controls the e-bike motor. I am still recovering from an injury that doesn’t allow for me to ride without one yet.
@@Bike198 sorry about your injury but thanks for the reply. I just got a diverge after a decade of being a roadie so I’m trying to learn more about efficient trail/enduro riding. I find that the MTB/gravel scene is more immediately welcoming than the road scene, but then again I’m guilty of being in that ‘pack’ for a while now too lol.
Ive been thingking of grabbing one of these but i still cant justify the price. Although i have seen many people even some of my friends who uses hip packs for like a decade and they love it. Also this i think is like once in a lifetime purchase, so...that justifies the price? Hmm LOL
How much does it weigh with 1.5L full?.. and with add'l 2 full water bottles?.. is it that heavy?.. i have some issues with some packs as the straps are constantly pressing my stomach that i have troible breathing with 1.5L full... your thoughts pls.. tnx..
A pack that is over $120 that is part of the “premium” side of the market and then one has to go on Amazon or Walmart to buy a $3 fix for the hose. Plus it can’t fit modern phones and if you happen to wreck with your phone in the pack it will get smashed. 🤣 GTFOH with that shit. What a crap pack.