I will be the first to admit, back packs or waist packs are not my favourite way to carry things on a bike, so I asked my good friend Dan Daniel Phillips Photography to try it out as he commutes by bike and also walks (shudder!) around taking photos with various bags so has a lot of experience of the genre. Here are his thoughts on the Victory Chimp Out There Hip/Sling Pack...
When I first started riding, I used to use a Hip Pack (back then known as a Bum Bag) most of
the time, especially when riding further afield and needing to carry a bit more than just a
spare tube and a multitool. I’ve used them in a range of different sizes and from several
different brands, which is why I’m guessing Gary from UK Gravel Collective asked me to
review the Out There Hip Pack/Sling Bag from Victory Chimp.
Now I feel it’s only fair, for full disclosure, that I highlight the following, since my riding has
involved less mountain biking and more gravel riding/bikepacking adventures, strapping
bags to my bike rather than to myself has become the norm, and for most rides, it’s a
handlebar bag or a small frame pack that I use to carry the essentials. Taking the bags off my
bike and putting their contents into the Out There hip pack felt a bit odd, but there was no
issue with fitting everything I usually carry into it with a fair bit of space to spare.
The stated capacity is 6 litres and I easily fitted my wallet and phone (slid into the mesh
divider for easy access), my keys attached to the provided key clip ensuring they could be
easily accessed rather than them falling to the bottom and needing to be rummaged for, a
buff, a cycling cap, arm warmers, a multitool, tyre levers, spare tube, café lock, a set of
lights, my glasses , tubeless plugs and a small case I carry with spares, patches etc. All of this
fitted in the main pocket and I could have easily fitted some snacks had I not planned a café
stop. This also left the front and rear pockets empty had I needed any additional space.
A feature I really liked is the quick release cargo net on the bottom of the pack which I used
to carry my waterproof jacket, (an essential with the recent changeable UK conditions). The
bungy cords that form the net are adjustable and held my jacket really securely, but the
quick release buckle meant it could be easily accessed should I encounter a shower, without
having to open the pack and expose the rest of its contents to the elements.
The pack Victory Chimp sent over came in a really nice olive-green colour, with reflective details, but
black and multi-coloured options are also available. It is made of 1000D Cordura so should
be very tough with a bright orange Waterproof liner covered in a subtle banana motif. Zips
are water resistant YKK AquaGuard and the waist belt connects using a really easy to
operate Fidlock magnetic buckle (I’m a big fan of the Fidlock system and have several bags
that utilise it).
The pack was easy to adjust to size (Victory Chimp state it fits waists up to 56”/142 cm) and
once set up the mesh padded back panel and wings made it comfortable to wear. One of
the most annoying things I’ve found with some hip packs I’ve owned, is that the waist strap
works loose when riding ,resulting in the pack sliding lower and me having to stop to tighten
it back up again. The Out There pack didn’t suffer from this frustration during any of the
rides I used it on.
Another nice little touch is the customisable Velcro patch system on the front of the pack,
allowing you to add your favourite patch and make it your own. (Victory Chimp sell a couple
of different patch sets separately for this very reason).
As well as riding with the pack I also used it on a couple of walks, but utilised as a sling pack
on my back rather than around my waist. Again, it had plenty of capacity to carry everything
I needed, the only downside with wearing it in this way is that the main strap lacks any sort
of padding meaning if you carry a reasonably heavy load, it does dig into your shoulder a
little.
So, was there anything else I didn’t like about the pack? Well yes there are a couple of
things that I don’t feel work that well and both of them revolve around the options provided
to use the pack for hydration purposes.
The first is the Hydration port which Victory Chimp suggest can be used for a water bladder
hose or headphones. Although I didn’t try using a bladder in the pack as I didn’t have one
that would fit, I feel that this would really limit the storage space and also the weight it
would add, could make the pack quite uncomfortable to wear. I also don’t know many
people who use wired earphones since the advent of Bluetooth ear buds, so this seems an
unnecessary addition and one that has the potential to make the pack less weather
resistant.
Victory chimp Hip pack Specifications:
Size: 30 x 15 x 10 cm
Weight: 308g (392g with bottle holder)
Carrying Capacity: 6 Litres
Materials: Cordura + Ripstop nylon liner
Zips: YKK AquaGuard
The second is the removable bottle holster. This attaches using straps which slide through
the molle loops on either side of the pack. It’s quick and easy to attach and remove and the
bungy cord that slips over the top of a water bottle held it very securely in the holster. The
issue is the length of the straps used to attach it to the pack. Once attached the holster has
space to slide up and down meaning that when riding over even slightly rougher terrain, it
bounced up and down jabbing me in the ribs on several occasions. The holster worked much
better when I used it while walking, but as Victory Chimp is predominantly a provider of
gear for cycling, this seemed like a bit of an oversight. Again, as most cyclists have at least
one bottle cage on their bikes, I feel this is also an addition that could have been omitted
and wouldn’t have affected the usefulness of the pack.
Overall, the Victory Chimp Out There hip pack is well made and generally well thought out. If you’re
looking for one pack that can be utilised for riding, hiking and for everyday carry, then you
won’t go far wrong, providing being able to carry some kind of drink in it, isn’t a deal
breaker for you.
Big thanks to Dan for writing this review and for Victory Chimp for sending the out there packs for us to try, both the Bar bag (review here) and the Hip pack seem UK proof, i.e. well made, waterproof and robust and look like they’ll take on everything gravel riding can throw at them. For more details and a look at Victory Chimps other products check out their website www.victorychimp.cc
UK GRAVEL COLLECTIVE 