Ditch Your MTB Backpack: I Love the Ventable, Padded Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3L + 1.5L Bladder

I was a notorious overpacker for years, wearing a full backpack while mountain biking. My ride partners would hint, “Do you really need that much stuff?” I always wanted to be prepared (for worst-case scenarios) or lug my full-frame camera. But the more I got out on after-work rides — versus all-day excursions — the more I wanted to ditch the shoulder straps in favor of a mountain bike hip pack. 

This summer, I’ve been testing the Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3 + 1.5L Bladder — while also testing my mentality around needing a 25L backpack. Biking without shoulder straps is significantly more comfortable and cooler than riding with a backpack. The majority of my rides were 2-3 hours versus a full day (6-9 hours). Ultimately, I found that I can fit everything needed for most of my rides inside a smaller hip pack.

In short: The Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3 + 1.5L Bladder ($150) is a hip pack designed to be an MTB companion, offering the ability to carry water, quick-access tools, snacks, and layers. All of those items fit in a comfortable, breathable package that enhances rider mobility and freedom of movement on a mountain bike.

Check out our other favorite mountain bike hip packs in the Mountain Bike Hip Packs buyer’s guide.

Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3 + 1.5L Bladder Review: What I Packed

Throughout August, I wore the Hip Pack Pro 3 on all of my mountain bike and gravel rides around Gunnison Valley, Colo., from Crested Butte’s high-alpine singletrack down to the technical rocks of Gunnison.

My pack list for nearly every ride — 2-3 hours — consisted of the following:

• Bike multitool
• Tire levers
• Extra CO2
• Extra valve and valve tool
• My smallest first-aid kit
• Energy chews
• Candy
• Protein bars
• Lightweight rain jacket
• Lightweight insulation layer
• Full 1.5L bladder
• Truck key
• iPhone

For extra-long rides that ranged 5 hours or more, I’d add a water filter and top off the pack with as many snacks as possible. Oftentimes, one or both of my extra layers would be on the exterior of the hip pack.

While the pack does support water bottle carry, I opted to carry an extra water bottle in my bike frame instead. The goal for every ride was to maximize movement by keeping my pockets free of items and carrying those in the pack. 

First Impressions

Straight out of the box, my first impression was that this thing is quality-built. The 1.5L bladder fills easily, thanks to a quick-disconnect hose. The capacity is substantial enough for most rides, especially when paired with an extra 1L bottle in your bike frame or inside the pack’s bottle pocket. 

This pack is also built using lightweight recycled ripstop nylon. It’s coated with a PFC-free water-repellent finish to help keep your stuff dry during light rain exposure. It also comes in six distinct color options, so you can find the perfect color scheme to complement your bike and kit. I felt the olive color went great with my teal mountain bike. 

Putting on the waist strap takes slightly longer than other packs and sometimes requires doing it twice to get the fabric to layer on itself correctly, especially for smaller-waisted individuals. But the extra time it takes pays off with just how comfortably the strap hugs my waist. 

Padding & Airflow: Unique ‘Venti Flap’

What stood out to me most was that the Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3 is designed for comfort. The main Aero Flex belt is extra-wide to distribute weight, and it uses Velcro and a clip to maintain retention.

The back of the pack features Evoc’s Air Flow Contact System, a blend of mesh and padding provides a very comfortable seal against your lower back. Channels within the padding promote air flow between you and the hip pack. 

The pack has another trick for helping riders stay cool on the climbs: the Venti Flap. By pulling two straps on the rear of the pack, you can loosen how it sits on your back, tilting the pack away from your back and getting extra airflow. It’s perfect for sustained uphills. When it’s time to go downhill, you simply pull the opposing straps on the front of the pack. It tightens against your back — all without touching the main waist belt. 

Storage: One Compartment, Three Pockets

In terms of storage, the hip pack has four distinct pockets. First, there’s the large main compartment. Two extra-wide pockets are on the hip belt, and one with a key lanyard. There’s also a narrow, quick-access tool pocket on the back of the pack with mesh organizers for tools.

• The main compartment has an internal divider to hold the removable 1.5L bladder. When the bladder is installed and full, it takes up the majority of the pocket. Though I’m still able to fit multiple snack bars, my phone, and an extra packable layer in there, too. 

• The wing pockets were great for my soft snacks like candy and energy chews, but could also fit most snack bars.
• The tool pocket has three mesh internal pockets, each sized for a tool, tire levers, extra C02, and valves. In front of the mesh is where I would store my iPhone Pro Max, screen side facing out for easy access. But anything stored outside the mesh will fall out when you open the pocket. 

Main Compartment

The main storage compartment is significantly occupied by the 1.5L bladder. But with some tight packing, you can still fit a lot of gear. A tube, mini-pump, or extra-large protein bar fits very well along the bottom where the bladder is leaner. Space gets tight around the waist of the bladder, and then there is space for a layer along the top.

With the bladder removed, I was able to fit a full-frame camera and compact lens, as well as an extra layer. 

Compression Straps

The pack’s exterior features compression straps on both sides. One side has a mesh bottle pocket. You can use both the mesh pocket and the opposite compression strap to fit an extra layer. But it only holds a packable, lightweight layer, not a full three-layer rain jacket or lightweight puffy. 

In the Field: Uphill vs. Downhill

After a few rides with the pack, I typically would set it up in two different ways: one for uphill and one for downhill.

Uphill Mode

For uphill mode, I’d have the Venti Straps pulled to the back, tilting the entire pack away from my lower back and providing extra airflow. I would keep the hydration hose in a quick-access mode where it was clipped magnetically across the front of my waist, leaving the last 10 inches of hose dangling.

It never annoyed me on climbs, but it was very easy to one-handedly pull the hose up to drink and then clip it back to the magnet while pedaling.

Downhill Mode

When it came time to head downhill, I didn’t like the extra length of the hose flapping around. With some effort, I could route the hose behind and through the left-side wing pocket. The nozzle would sometimes get stuck, requiring me to push a finger in from the far side and pull it through. I could only do this when fully stopped. But it held the hose more securely for ripping downhill, though I couldn’t quickly grab a drink like this. 

I’d also revert the Venti Strap to downhill mode, tightening it to my body. I’d crank down the compression straps to make the pack fit tighter. In this mode, the pack felt smaller and didn’t bounce around. Jumps, slashing berms, and playful riding felt fluid and not limited by the pack. 

Ride Breaks

When I stopped to grab something from the pack — usually my phone for pictures — I’d rotate the whole pack from behind me to the side or fully in front for easy access. This method was much easier than taking it off.

When I used the pack’s exterior compression straps for storing a rain jacket, there was really only enough space for thinner, more compact layers, unlike the Patagonia Dirt Roamer Pack. The Dirt Roamer’s rear straps are almost twice the length, letting you carry a much thicker, heavy-duty layer like a full rain jacket or puffy.

Critiques

The pack does come with a few tradeoffs and minor quirks, the first being that it’s one of the most expensive on the market.

One surprising bit was how easily the tool pocket of the pack’s olive color showed dirt. Setting it down once on its back led to a dirt stain, but only on the cream-colored pocket.  

Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3 + 1.5L Bladder Review: Comfy and Breezy

For someone who started out as a backpack guy when it came to biking, I was surprised how often I wanted to use this hip pack and bladder combo for the majority of my rides. I also found myself drinking more water and staying better hydrated on my rides, because of how easy it was to drink while riding using this bladder and hose. 

Despite any downsides, this pack is one of the comfiest and breeziest on the market thanks to its extra-wide, padded waist belt and all the airflow features. 

For riders who want to pair freedom of movement with comfort, hydration, and enough storage for the majority of rides, you really can’t go wrong with the Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3 + 1.5L Bladder.