I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’ve been wearing a fanny pack lately. And not ironically, as part of a retro costume with roller skates, leg warmers, or a boom box on my shoulder.
I’d been seeing them on the streets and trails for a while, but I had successfully fought the resurgence of the 1980s trend, even making a face a few times when seeing other people wearing these silly little pouches attached to a single piece of webbing. Then I decided to try one myself. Actually, I tried three.
“Fanny packs” are small pouches that are meant to be worn around the waist. In the ‘80s, they offered quick and easy access to things like cassette tapes and Lip Smacker Lip Gloss. With their resurgence, American companies seem to have realized that, in Great Britain, “fanny” means “female genitals.” Wisely, these packs are now marketed as “waist packs” and “hip packs.” The smartest angle I’ve found is calling them “sling bags.”
When I gave in to wearing the retro style, I limited my focus to bags made by outdoor companies. I set out to test three such packs. I found one designed for running that can double as an around-town bag; one with bright color paneling that makes it look like it came straight from 1982; and one monochromatic, subtly branded, simple pack I figured I could use and somewhat fly under the radar.
After wearing the convenient pouches on adventures and daily errands for eight weeks, I’ve come to the conclusion that what I thought were silly little bags are actually practical means for carrying essentials and keeping me from taking too much stuff wherever I go. I get it, and I’m in—but on my terms: I’m wearing them over my shoulder more often than around my waist. The pack style may harken from a previous time, but that doesn’t mean it can’t evolve. For some reason, wearing a small bag over one shoulder so it sits midback seems infinitely cooler than wearing it resting on your bum. (My teenage son agrees.)
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Janji Multipass Sling Bag
This bag built for runners has been on my radar for a couple of years. It’s slated as a “technical running sling bag,” which, to me, sounded like an oxymoron. Over 35 years of running, I’ve been through all the various evolutions of running storage: handheld water bottles, waistpacks that carry 20-ounce bottles sideways or house a collection of tiny, four-ounce water bottles, traditional running backpacks, and now hydration vests. I’ve written about streamlined waistpacks that don’t carry hydration (and am a fan of them). But a sling bag? For running?
While this bag can be clipped around the waist, its three-liter volume immediately makes me start singing “Baby Got Back” in my head when I wear it as a fanny pack, which doesn’t last very long before I switch it to sling mode.
I purposefully took this bag on a trip to Los Angeles where I knew I’d be combining a run with a jump in the ocean. I wore a bikini under my running clothes and zipped my phone inside the bag’s pocket. I then shoved a simple sarong through the ingenious storage space between the waistbelt and the pocket—flexible in size via a discreet bungee cord system. I buckled up, utilizing the main strap to wear the bag in sling style and the extra strap to secure the bag more firmly against my body. And I ran down “the Strand” (a concrete path) between Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach.
I was a little self-conscious, running with what, in my head, was still a “fanny pack”—a small pouch attached to a belt. But, two things soon had me not caring how I looked: A lot of crazy shit goes down on the Strand, and this pack was super comfortable and functional. It didn’t bounce up and down while I ran but stayed close to my body. The mesh back of the two-liter main pocket remained airy while I sweated. And my sarong stayed put until I pulled it out to dry off after jumping in the ocean post-run. I’m sold on this bag and see myself using it mostly as a running/sling bag while traveling.
Cotopaxi Del Dia 1.5 Hip Pack
The thing I love, love, love about the Cotopaxi Del Dia 1.5 Hip Pack is that it’s made out of material scraps left over from the construction of other Cotopaxi products. Instead of leftover factory scraps ending up in trash bins, and then landfills, they get repurposed into something new in Cotopaxi’s Del Dia collection. That multi-colored look isn’t just decoration, it’s meaningful design—scraps assembled however each person sewing them in a factory in the Philippines chooses.
The Del Dia hip pack comes in a 3L size and the 1.5L size I’ve been using. I like the small volume because the point of packs like this, in my opinion, is to not carry around a giant bag. The 1.5L comfortably holds a phone, small wallet, lip balm, car keys, and snack bar—generally what I have with me when running errands around town. I don’t use this one as much because I’m self-conscious about the bright colors—I tend to dress more neutral—but its size and pocketing are functional.
While I enjoy the bold environmental statement of these packs, I also love that the Del Dia Hip Packs are currently available in a monochromatic style—made out of all black material scraps but still with the company’s signature colorful zippers and straps. Although not a patchwork of colors, like the regular Del Dia pack, the exact configuration and coloration of the pack purchased is a surprise, since they’re each made from scraps and designed by the factory worker doing the sewing. In retrospect, the monochromatic would have worked better for me.
Arc’teryx Granville Crossbody Bag
I’m not someone who likes to call her bag a “purse.” I generally either carry around a small, somewhat stylish (IMO) wallet, or a giant bag that’s more of a bucket full of random working mom stuff: my fold-up Crazy Creek chair, a water bottle, all the junk mentioned above, and occasionally, my laptop.
When I don’t need all the big items, but my day requires more than the wallet, I’ve been enjoying using this not-bad-looking bag from Arc’teryx. It’s one muted, neutral color. (I have a tan version that is discontinued, but is similar to the gray one still available.) It’s made out of very lightweight, durable, water-resistant nylon ripstop that, from afar, might even look like leather. And the only branding on the bag is the very cool skeletal dinosaur/bird-type thing that is the Arc’teryx logo. I feel like I can get away wearing this as a sling bag that doesn’t scream “fanny pack!” or even “purse!” for that matter.
I do wish the zipper and strap were the same color as the bag, but the zipper is waterproof, and I appreciate its functionality. The Aerofoam monofilament mesh panel on the backside keeps the bag from causing sweat when I’m hiking or walking in heat, but also ensures the Granville Crossbody looks like outdoor gear instead of allowing it to seamlessly transition to casual, even fashionable, use.
All that said, this is the bag that actually converted me to a believer in hip packs. I’ve been using it to run errands and love the easy access to my wallet and keys while wearing it as a sling bag. I love how it’s hands-free and stays put, so I can do things like buy bags of garden dirt without a shoulder bag annoyingly slipping off, slamming into my hands and spilling its contents. And unlike bigger bags, this sling bag is allowed in college sports stadiums and concerts (so far), which has also proved handy.