Originally Posted by radiogeek
I”ve been circling around this for a while. I’ve tried using my HPG Kit Bag Recon for hiking and hunting, and it’s great for that, but not so good for road cycling - yes, I tried it out, and it worked, but it puts this big thing on my chest that I sweat under and a harness all over me that adds to more sweating. We have a small Bianchi branded waist pack no one ever really used that is for a very small gun - the largest it will hold is a G42, which is fine for cycling. The whole thing worked until the zipper quickly got messed up, making the draw iffy, and the straps don’t adjust and tuck neatly, which makes it not cool or even likely to be used for cycling because floppy straps are right out. Plus, it is a very tactical black bag.I resemble this remark, sometimes, except, of course, for the “fanny” part. These are waist pouches or belt bags; nothing particularly “fanny” about them.
Not that I want someone to “rob” my expensive prescription Oakley sunglasses, camera flash unit, lens, etc., but, yes, the waist pouch, or visible sling bag, can be used to carry non-weapon-y things, while defensive tools are kept concealed in/under clothing.
Having mentioned a camera flash unit, I will yet again mention that a compact but serious-looking camera, carried in-hand or on a strap, will make it appear quite normal for one to also be wearing a waist pouch/bag or sling bag. (Not that cameras are welcome everywhere, of course; plan accordingly.)
This fall, I was training for a longer distance cycling race, so I got an Osprey Savu 5 waist pack (on sale) that is designed for that kind of thing, and I really like it. It has dividers, organizers, and 2 small accessory bags on the belt, spots for extra water bottles. There’s room for sunglasses case, snacks, spare tubes, CO2 cartridges, SAK, tool kit, roll up bike lock, ID/small wallet, and a small gun and spare ammo, but that put a lot of weight on my lower back while in a compromised riding position (road bike with racing geometry) which really made my low back sore. I did use it for training rides and one charity ride. But eventually, I decided to get some of the weight off my waist and got an under-saddle bag to hold all of the tools and spares. Well, then I had more room for more snacks and gear, or too much space for what I’m actually going to need to carry on my waist for a 1-2 hour training ride, and really it’s more room than I need to have for a supported long distance race. I will probably still use it for longer distance, unsupported rides, especially if I get a more relaxed geometry bike, but for supported events (races or charity rides) I don’t need that much space, and only need the water bottles that are in the holders on the frame because I can refill them at SAG stops.
I reviewed the information given in this thread by @radiogeek on the Eberlestock Bando bag, and it looked like a good option to carry what I actually needed. Unfortunately, they were out of the Blue/Grey I wanted (to not look tactical - the area I live in has a lot of outdoor recreation and a military base, so it isn’t that big of a deal because everyone has some camo and military gear, but I travel to areas that are less easy about that kind of thing), and I was running out of time to get the bag and make sure it did what I needed it to do before the big event I was training for (El Tour de Tucson, a supported long-distance race). So I got the Coyote/Grey one they had in stock because it seemed like the least “tactical” option of the colors that were available when I ordered.
It will hold a G42, airweight J, or a G26 with no diffficulty (I have only done that with the G26 to prove that I could, it weighs more than I want to pack on the bike this way), or the 3913 or G44 (but I only put them in to see if they fit - I don’t carry either of them). It holds enough stuff, especially if I’m wearing a jersey with pockets to hold things like my sunglasses case and another spare tube. Nobody has said a word to me about it on training rides, group rec rides, or at the race last month.
I haven’t yet made any alterations to the bag - the pull loops are all still on it, and I haven’t added a loop to the inside of the weapon pocket yet, but may do things like that as time goes on. I usually just carry a 442 in it in a pocket holster to keep it from rattling around and add a little padding, so the tether tie point hasn’t been a big deal. I have trigger guard holsters for standard Glocks (G26/G19X/G44) so I will probably add a tether tie point. I have a trigger guard holster with a pocket hook for the G42 that fits nicely in the loop that came velcroed to the inside of the weapon pocket, and reliably releases the gun when drawn from it, so sometimes I use that instead of the 442.
I could maybe see me actually wearing the Eberlestock for more mundane day-to-day carry, and not just for cycling. It is well made, and looks nice and not “tactical”.
The Eberlestock waist strap is *much* better designed for adjustability and neatness than the Bianchi. The Osprey Savu has a wide range of adjustability, but still has some potentially floppy straps, partly as a result of that. It has some adjustable sections on the rest of the pack that have floppy straps, too. I think it would be a better mountain bike waist pack than road bike, but I don’t ride mountain bikes, so I guess I really don’t know about that.
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