Mountain Bike Hip Pack Vs Backpack

This article was updated on 11 07 19.

Mountain bike hip pack vs backpack.

While most mountain bike backpacks range from 10l up to 35l most fanny packs offer anywhere from 2l to 8l. It s an easy way to take a load off your back. Ample pockets and webbing provide plenty of easy to access storage and it comes with 3 liter bladder so you can venture further afield without running out of water. It s like bike backpack manufacturers haven t caught on to what ultralight hiker.

What those storage volumes ultimately translate to is space to carry things. For water bladder users these might even be the better choice because the load is more evenly distributed fixed more efficiently and usually also turns out larger in. Perhaps even more so than weight distribution the difference in breathability between a hip pack and a backpack is a pretty major factor for most riders. Some hip packs for cycling now come with hydration options inside so you can fit water in there as well.

The ergon ba3 mountain bike pack is a part of ergon s gravity line. We rode with these waist bags as much as humanly possible and scored each on six performance metrics that we feel represent the most critical aspects of a mountain biking hip pack. For ripping up trails a hip pack is an easy way to ditch cumbersome backpacks. Besides offering a fashionable look there are actually some very practical benefits to the hip pack versus a backpack on the mountain bike trail.

Moving weight down the back lowers the rider s center of gravity which may enhance bike handling. Hip packs are smaller so riders are forced to carry less and sometimes. Any core repair items and snacks can go in the pack along with pressure gauges tools and co2 canisters. This means that it is intended for the more extreme disciplines of mountain biking such as downhill and enduro.

The hydration backpack isn t dead but it s certainly ceding popularity out on the trail to the latest generation of hip packs offering adequate storage for tools and gear and water carrying capacity without sweating up the rider s back an important benefit as the riding season kicks into high gear and sweltering summer temperatures approach. Also the weight of my hip pack is a pound lighter than my backpack osprey syncros 10 vs. How we tested mountain bike hip packs. We then rated each bag on ease of drinking ease of filling storage comfort weight and ease of cleaning.

Aimed to meld the benefits of hip pack low weight and a backpack better stability the henty enduro 2 0 keeps weight low and stabilized while also minimizing back sweat. The camelbak chase bike vest source rapid hydration pack or uswe vertical 4 plus or airborne 3 models offer a similar amount of storage room at the same weight of a hip pack. Where the extra space of a backpack enables you to bring more the reduced capacity of hip packs means you re not tempted to carry any unnecessary extras.