View Full Version : Day Hiking Waist Pack?
I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a good waist pack for dayhiking. I'm looking for something that could hold a pair of 1 litre nalgene bottles with enough storage area for small essential dayhiking equipment such as a first aid kit, cell phone, maybe a snack or two, and some emergency survival equipment. The storage area doesn't need to be too large, but having a place to put nalgene bottles is essential. I checked out Maxpedition, and their M4 waistpack would be ideal, except the pouches on the side seem a bit small for holding water bottles.
Thanks for any recommendations.
hikerjohnd
06-25-2006, 18:41
I have had a Mountainsmith lumbar pack for years - with detachable side pouches you can add or remove as much storage as you want/need. The main compartment will hold 2 nalgenes, sandwich, bag of chips, camera, ion stove, small nalgene of alcohol, flashlight, compass, a few odds and ends (most of the 10 essentials) with a bit of room to spare. I use an attached bag for a poncho. There is no name attached to it, so I can not tell you which model, but this particular bag has held up well. Here is something close to what I have. (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47641631&parent_category_rn=4500631) I am thinking about replacing with a camelbak bag, but I am hard pressed to change.
Amigi'sLastStand
06-25-2006, 19:15
http://www.thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear.jsp?site=NA&model=AMC6
This the one I own. I love it.
I have the Mountainsmith Classic Lumbar Tour pack and it has plenty of room for two nalgenes and anything you'll need for the day without it being overkill. Of course if you don't want to pay retail (around $78), just look at Ebay for some decent deals. A good pack!
http://www.mountainsmith.com/store/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=428&category_id=4109b1b0697f233853157dec08b2ef7f
Another vote for Mountainsmth. I use it whenever I do trail maintenance/construction.
I carry both a small GoLite "back" pack and a small waist “pack” on day hikes.
I plan to spend the night, involuntarily, when I day hike. The day pack accommodates the items I need to spend the night, hot, cold, wet or dry.
I carry emergency items in two surplus military ammunition pouches, which slip on to any belt, and a moderate size sheath knife. The waist “pack” accompanies me on day hikes as well as distance hikes. It stays with me, with or without my main pack. An advantage of such a waist “pack” is in case of a tumble - into a stream or down a hill - or getting lost, it remains with you.
Your and my ideas of what a waist pack is for may completely differ. It would be nice to have specific information about EXACTLY what you intend to carry, to estimate the pack volume you require.