Here at WIRED, we love fanny packs (or waist belts, bum bags, whatever you want to call them). Before the resurgence of all things 1990s, this might have been an unpopular confession. But now, we’re just happy to share our affection with a wider audience.
Fanny packs don’t make your back sweat or twist your spine. You can carry the weight in your front, swing it around to the back, or sling it over a shoulder. They can go from the hiking trail to the bar without skipping a beat, and they can hold your train ticket and fit into a backpack while traveling. Best of all, they’re so much more convenient than trying to fit your enormous phone into a pants pocket. These are our favorites. You’re welcome.
Be sure to check out our guides to the best camping gear, running shoes, and bike accessories.
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Photograph: Mountainsmith
Best All-Day Pack
Mountainsmith Tour
This is my favorite bag to take on an all-day excursion. Why? Pockets, pockets, pockets! The Tour is loaded with stash spaces, and the bag’s large size technically makes it a lumbar pack, since it sits on the hips but covers the lower back as well. I can typically fit a change of clothes and a couple of meals in here, all in addition to the gear I’ll need for a full day on the trail or on the bike.
The Tour has compression straps on the sides to keep it snug, and a bungee cord on the face is a good place to lash a windbreaker. There are two water bottle pockets on the sides, a zip-shut phone pocket on the hip, and a half-dozen pockets in the interior, including a padded tablet sleeve where I keep my Kindle for post-lunch relaxing. When it gets heavy (which believe me, it does), shoulder straps come out of hiding to stabilize the load.
—Michael Calore
REI
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Photograph: Patagonia
Best for Running
Patagonia Ultralight Mini Hip Pack
I’m a big fan of minimalist fanny packs. They are a welcome alternative to crossbody bags that tend to swing around and smack me in the face when I tie my shoe. I’ve written about Patagonia’s small travel fanny pack before.
This year, they’ve made it even better by using 100 percent recycled, ultralight ripstop nylon that’s been treated with a durable water-repellent (DWR) finish. It comes in a bunch of delightful retro colorways and fits a phone, wallet, and lip balm. When I cinch it, it stays tight against the small of my back on miles-long runs through the woods, but it easily expands to fit a hat or pair of gloves when I strip them off. It also packs down into a small stash pocket while traveling.
—Adrienne So
REI
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Photograph: Dakine
Best Cheap Pack
Dakine Hip Pack
Dakine’s small hip pack is simple, durable, and preposterously affordable. I’ve taken it on trips to the United Kingdom, Iceland, the Philippines, and Turkey. The wide strap fits comfortably both around a shoulder and around my waist; it clung to the small of my back while I clung to the back of a motorcycle racing through busy Philippine streets. It’s just big enough to fit a wallet, phone, and my passport, and when I go inside, I can store my sunglasses in a special, fleece-lined exterior pocket.
—Adrienne So
REI
