Fanny Pack A Monster With Shoulder Straps
Product: Load Monster Fanny Pack
Description: A 1-pound, 7-ounce, 1,000-cubic-inch fanny pack with accessory shoulder straps, a 12.5-inch-by-11-inch-by-4.5-inch main pocket, zippered interior pocket, zippered outer slash pocket and two water bottle pockets. Comes in spruce/black or all black.
Pro: The detachable shoulder straps help to pull heavier loads, which make a simple fanny pack so uncomfortable, up and into your back, taking some of the weight off the hips and placing it on the shoulders.
The straps are easily detachable and stow away in a pocket when you don’t want them flapping around.
Accessory D-rings allow one strap to be used, turning the fanny pack into a shoulder bag, or, if you choose, it is easy to attach one strap to opposite corners of the pack, one upper and one lower, so the system may be carried like a courier bag - very comfortable.
The pack’s main compartment is just large enough to accommodate several 3-ring binders and even a small textbook or two.
The two water bottle pockets each accommodate a large-mouth, one-quart Nalgene bottle. I also like the fact that you can remove the foam pad used as padding along the back of the pack - it makes a great seat when sitting on hard stadium bleachers or on a cold rock.
Lash-down straps on top of the pack hold a rain jacket, photographer’s tripod or even a bicycle pump.
Con: Lose the sternum strap. It is basically worthless and I’ll bet you will spend more time searching for it after it inadvertently pops off, as mine did on several occasions.
The waist belt, nothing more than simple webbing, needs a minor redesign. As it is currently sewn, the point where the stabilizer strap and the waist belt come together tweaks the waist belt and causes the strapping to twist and grind into the hips unless you are wearing plenty of clothing as padding.
TrekNology reports that it is addressing this problem with a complete belt redesign that will add padding and a certain amount of stiffness - good move!
The company alos reports it is adding a key clip to the inside security pocket, something I also suggested as did other testers.
The fanny pack needs side compression straps since loads flop around annoyingly unless the pack is stuffed full.
Comments: Some people really love fanny packs to the point that I’ve seen some pretty amazing loads being schlepped in them. Gang, trust me: If you have fantasies of carrying real loads, a real pack with real shoulder straps and a padded waist belt that is really designed to carry loads of more than 15 pounds will be much more comfortable.
However, for those of you who insist on stretching the defined points of sanity and clinging to the notion that fanny packs are the ideal way to go, the TrekNology Load Monster is as comfortable and versatile as they come.
Students and bike/in-line skating commuters should rejoice since with the Load Monster, it will be possible to pack extra clothes, notebooks and even lunch to and from school/work and then use the pack again to hit the trail on weekends.
Suggested Retail: $63
Company: TrekNology, P.O. Box 28789, Seattle 98118; 800 873-5725