Recommend Me a Fanny/Waist Pack!

In My Humble Opinion
1

I need a new fanny/waist pack. I need it because the one I bought just 2 months ago already has holes in it, the buckle is broken, and the strap is pulling away from the pack part. I needed that one because the prior one also has holes in it (although everything else is great).

This is what I want, and I’m willing to pay for it because I’m tired of having to buy a new one every few months. This time, I don’t want to have to buy another one for several years.

Capacious: has to be able to hold, at a minimum, my PDA in its heavy-duty rubber holder, my cell phone (bonus if it has a cell phone pocket to prevent scratches), large numbers of pens and pencils, a large-ish wallet, a coin pouch, loose coins, a heavy key ring (lots o’ keys) and the occassional paperback book or two.

Sturdy: See list above–with the exception of the book, that’s my normal load, and I want a pack that (a) won’t come apart at the seams from the weight, and (b) won’t develop holes in it from being poked by pens and pencils or just from friction.

I tend to be very hard on my belongings (this is why the PDA is in a special holder, so it doesn’t get damaged when dropped), so when I say I want sturdy, I mean it.

Price is only a small object–I’m out of work, so I’d rather not pay more than $100 for this. However, if $100+ means I won’t have to buy one for a long, long time, I’ll pay it, since that’s cheaper in the long-term.

Does anyone have any favourites or recommendations? I’ve found lots on line, but it’s hard to judge carrying capacity and durability from pictures.

Thanks.

2

I’ve seen 'em in leather. I have one in heavy nylon with Velcro end flaps that’s made to hold a pistol. If you’re into Vera Bradley stuff, you can get several quilted patterns in belly packs. Bicycle catalogs, such as Nashbar and Performance, sell BP’s with water bottle pockets.

3

My wife and I have used Eagle Creek waist packs without any problems over the past ten years. They have a Sidekick line with a few size variations. Mine hold a Visor PDA and a Canon digital camera just fine on my weekend jaunts. REI carries lots of their products, so do check out the catalog or a retail store if one is near you.

4

My wife and I have used Eagle Creek waist packs without any problems over the past ten years. They have a Sidekick line with a few size variations. Mine hold a Visor PDA and a Canon digital camera just fine on my weekend jaunts. REI carries lots of their products, so do check out the catalog or a retail store if one is near you.

5

I’d go to a store that has higher end camping gear and look at their selection. The budget lines carried by discount stores aren’t likely to hold up.

6

I have two identical ones made by Quest, and they’re very sturdy. I had the clasp break, called the company and got a new clasp mailed to me. Of course, the clasps are easy enough to find at a camping store. I don’t know if Quest is still in business, however.

I have a model by Gregory with two bike bottles. Good for summertime dog walks, hikes, outside work.

I really want to upgrade to a Mountain Hardware lumbar pack. I’d check their website to see if they make anything smallish. The ones I’ve seen look like overkill (but I’m a guy, so overkill is a good thing).

7

The one I already have that I really like (except for the holes) is a cloth one by Western Pack. I’ve found a leather version of it (I think) here for under $20 (claiming MSRP of over $30).

But I’ve also found this, made by Victorinox (you know, the Swiss Army knife people); this from Brookstone (whose products seem to me to be rather overpriced); several different Eagle Creeks (thanks Geoduck), including the Vista, the Hemisphere, and the Sidekick; this from Orvis (but I’m dubious that a strap that slender can support the sort of weight I normally carry on a daily basis); this by Ellington (which looks really nice); this, the “Clava wallet on a waist”, which is more stylish than the normal run of fanny pack but I’m a tad worried about the very short warranty; a nice American Tourister; and this nice leather one, which has a separate cell phone pocket. There are a few others I’ve looked at, but so far these are the ones I really like.

For the non-leather ones, I’m still trying to figure out if 500-denier is better quality (as far as durability goes) than 1000-denier. All I’ve found so far is that the 1000-denier is a less fine yarn/thread size. I suppose that could mean that it’s heavier duty, but I’m not sure.

The problem, of course, is that I rather like ALL of these, for different reasons, but I really can afford only one (ok, except for the American Tourister, which is amazingly cheap).

Thoughts?