The Best Mountain Bike Hip Packs of 2026

The Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3 + 1.5L Bladder ($150) has enjoyed a long run as one of the most highly regarded mountain bike hip packs on the market. Though there are many imitators, the Hip Pack Pro still deserves a place at the top for its excellent comfort, stability when riding, well-executed storage, and the option to carry water in the included 1.5L bladder, bottles, or both.

One of the best features of the Hip Pack Pro (and what differentiates it from the standard Hip Pack 3L) is the broad, stretchy, overlapping waist belt that hugs the body and makes it not only very comfortable but impressively stable. Unlike simpler strap designs that are static, this one is a little bit dynamic, so it moves well with the body and doesn’t dig in anywhere, even with the pack fully loaded. The waist belt also widens as it meets the main body of the pack, making a larger contact area where the wings cradle the hips.

The well-executed Airflow back system also helps to enhance comfort. It features open mesh atop deep ventilation channels that keep air moving as well, or better, than any other model we’ve tried. The Ventiflap feature also allows you to adjust how closely the pack sits to your back with the pull of a string for extra ventilation on the climbs, and even the waist belt allows air to pass through.

The Hip Pack Pro 3 has, you guessed it, 3 liters of storage capacity. The pack has 2 primary zippered compartments, with the main one housing the included 1.5-liter bladder (it is also sold without the bladder for less) behind a nylon sleeve along with adequate space for a packable layer, spare tube, mini-pump, or other larger items.

The front compartment folds down for quick, easy access, with 3 mesh storage pockets to organize tools and a zippered internal pocket for valuables. Two sizeable pockets on the hip wings provide additional storage space for snacks or smaller phones, and there’s a key clip inside, too.

The 1.5-liter bladder has a slide-open top that makes it easy to fill and clean, and the hose has a quick-connect fitting that makes removing it from the pack super easy. If that isn’t enough water, there are two expandable mesh bottle holders with retention cords that hold bottles securely.

Impressively, even when fully loaded with water, tools, and other gear, the back panel of the pack retains its structure well, and if you’re carrying less, the side compression straps can be used to snug it up and keep it tidy.

Overall, we don’t think it gets much better than the Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3. At $150, it doesn’t come cheap, but we feel it’s worth the price of admission.

Patagonia has been slowly but surely growing its line of mountain bike apparel and accessories, including the affordable and well-designed Dirt Roamer Bike Waist Pack 3L ($69). With excellent comfort, great stability, a good storage layout that includes two water bottle sleeves, a smart built-in external strap system, and a low price tag, it represents the best ratio of performance and price of any model we tested.

While the Dirt Roamer is a medium-volume, 3-liter pack, we were consistently surprised by how much we could fit into it. With minimal padding and stretchy materials, it adapts to larger loads than expected, and the well-designed external strap system makes it easy to attach knee pads or a jacket on the outside.

The main, top entry pocket is surprisingly roomy, with two open compartments against your back for tools and a large open area for snacks, a first aid kit, or other bulky items. The smaller zippered front pocket holds a phone safely and has a key hook, so you’ll be able to drive home even if you forget to zip it up. Lastly, two zippered hip pockets are surprisingly spacious and allow for quick and easy access to snacks and other essentials while you ride.

Two bottle sleeves, one on each side of the main compartment, are quite easy to reach and fit standard-size water bottles snugly and securely with retention cords that keep them in place no matter how rough the trail gets. Depending on your needs, you can carry two, one, or no bottles, and the bottle sleeves can also double as a place to stash a light packable layer.

Even when fully loaded with gear and water, we found the Dirt Roamer to be exceptionally stable, secure, and barely noticeable on our hips and back in all riding, hiking, and even running situations.

Patagonia is often associated with high-end products and correspondingly high prices, but at $69, the Dirt Roamer Waist Pack is one of the least expensive models we tested and a great value. This pack looks good, fits great, carries well, and has your water and storage needs covered for most rides without breaking the bank.

The German brand Deuter has been producing some of the best backpacks on the market for over 100 years. While hiking and skiing backpacks and luggage are their bread and butter, they’ve also been making a small line of mountain bike hip packs for several years. The Pulse Pro 5 ($125) is its top-of-the-line hip pack and one of its latest models. With a 1.5L bladder, space for an extra water bottle, and an extremely usable, well-organized five-liter capacity, it’s a solid pick for longer rides and carrying lots of gear.

Interestingly, much like Evoc, Deuter makes the Pulse 5 and the Pulse 5 Pro with the “Pro” moniker denoting the overlapping waistband. This is an upgrade over the static belt, and along with the highly padded back, it keeps the Pulse Pro 5 comfortable on longer rides.

Given this pack’s greater cargo capacity, however, we found it to be a bit less stable over rough terrain compared to some other options when packed to the gills with water and gear. Not a deal breaker by any means, and the stability was also much better when carrying a lighter load. While it can’t fit quite as much gear, we found the Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3 to be more stable over rough terrain.

The Pulse Pro 5 has 5 liters of cargo capacity, but surprisingly, it feels like you can pack more into it than the larger volume USWE Zulo 6, primarily due to the shape of the pack and the layout of the storage. The main compartment houses the wide, winged 1.5-liter water bladder and has ample room for larger items like a tube, mini-pump, and packable layer.

The zippered front panel folds down to reveal two open mesh organization pockets for tools and one zippered mesh pocket for other small/medium-sized items. Moving outward, the rider’s left side has a water bottle sleeve with a retention strap, and the rider’s right side has a small zippered mesh hip pocket that’s good for keeping a phone or other essentials easily accessible. Additionally, a stowable strap system is included to lash bulkier gear, like knee pads, to the outside of the pack.

The wide, wing-shaped bladder of the Pulse Pro 5 is nice in that it spreads the volume of water out into the hip wings and over a larger area in the pack. That said, it makes it more difficult to worm back into the pack when it’s full. Regardless, the slider top of the bladder opens nice and wide for filling and cleaning with a handle of sorts that makes it easy to hold open under the faucet.

The hose also has a quick-connect fitting, and it secures on the waistband with a small clip that we found to be less likely to pop off than many of the magnetic attachments.

Overall, the Deuter Pulse Pro 5 is a great option for longer rides or heavy packers who like to carry lots of water, gear, and snacks. It’s not the most stable pack we tested, but it is quite comfortable and something we’d reach for all day over a backpack for rides where you’re bringing lots of gear.

High Above’s lifetime guarantee includes free, no-questions-asked repairs should you ever damage yours. But this pack is bombproof: The High Above Venture ($140) has a 2.2-liter storage capacity and a relatively sleek, low-profile design. It’s actually quite simple, but that simplicity is arguably one of its best attributes. A large flap folds over the top of the rectangular main compartment, which comprises the majority of the storage space.

Inside, pouches on both sides and a key clip help you organize and keep items separate, and a gray lining makes it easier to see things in the dark interior. The flap opens nice and wide for incredibly easy access to the contents inside. An additional zippered pocket on the outside of the pack is closed with a beefy YKK water-resistant zipper and is the perfect size for a phone, wallet, or both.

While 2.2 liters is fairly small, the layout of the storage compartment means there’s no wasted space and makes it easy to get all of your essentials inside while keeping the profile low and close to the back. With light loads, we barely even noticed this pack was there.

We were able to stuff a super packable wind layer in the main compartment, but the pack also comes with two removable cinch cords that can be used to attach bulkier items like knee pads or a jacket to the exterior. These cords attach to the top of the pack, up and out of the line of fire of tire spray.

The body of the Venture pack is constructed of a super-tough X-Pac fabric. While it is a little rough to the touch, this material feels durable enough to withstand the worst you can throw at it while keeping everything inside the pack dry. High Above is based in the sometimes soggy northwest, after all. Wide hip wings narrow to a burly adjustable webbing strap that secures at the front of the waist.

While the construction is otherwise simple, a fancy Fidlock buckle secures both the storage compartment’s flap and the waist belt. We found these buckles to be shockingly easy to operate and incredibly secure, lending an element of tech to an otherwise low-tech accessory.

High Above gives you water storage options, and the Venture can be purchased with either the “Bottle Rocket” — a removable sleeve for a standard water bottle — or the “Quickdraw” ($30 extra) — a magnetic Fidlock mount and bottle. We tested the latter and found the 15-ounce Fidlock bottle is super easy to access on the fly, plenty stable, and provides just enough water for those rides when one bottle on the bike won’t cut it. Whichever option you choose, you can add an additional bottle rocket sleeve to the other side of the pack.

The US-made High Above Venture isn’t cheap. That said, it has a great, easy-access design, burly construction, and features that make it super user-friendly. This pack is an investment in quality that’ll pay dividends for as long as you want, and we think it looks pretty darn good too.

The Osprey Seral 4 ($90) is a medium-volume hydration pack with a simple design and a 1.5-liter hydration bladder. With only a main compartment with a small zippered section inside of it, the Seral 4 prioritizes comfort through stretchy mesh hip bands, easy bladder fills with a convenient handle, and good stability with a slim design that sits in the small of your back.

The Seral 4 takes a relatively no-frills approach when it comes to storage. There’s a single zipper across the top to access the main compartment that comprises the entirety of the pack’s carry capabilities. Inside this compartment, the 1.5-liter bladder sits closest to the back, separated from the rest of your gear by a small nylon sleeve. Otherwise, it’s basically just an open area to toss your stuff into, along with a small zippered internal pocket on one side to keep important things separated.

The less refined design makes it a bit of a free-for-all storage-wise, but you can cram quite a bit into the 4-liter space. Even when fully loaded, the pack conforms nicely to the body and remains stable on the lower back, and when it isn’t full, compression straps tighten up the load.

The simple design continues through the hose routing, which exits the main compartment in an opening directly at the end of the zipper. This, along with the built-in bladder handle, makes it very easy to remove the bladder for refilling or cleaning.

The handle is a great touch, making it easy to work with and hold the wide, flat bladder while filling. We typically prefer a quick-connect system where the hose meets the bladder, but the open design and easy hose routing of the Seral 4 make it unnecessary.

At $90 retail (often found on sale for less in previous years’ colors), the Osprey Seral 4 is a solid value, especially for those who might prefer the more open storage design. It’s exceptionally easy to use, reasonably comfortable, quite stable, and should meet most riders’ basic needs quite well. Need more storage capacity? The Osprey Seral 7 ($110) holds nearly double the volume with two storage compartments, more organization, and zippered hip pockets.

The Bontrager Rapid Pack ($68) has been around for a few years and is an excellent option for those looking to carry just the essentials in a super comfortable and stable hip pack. This low-profile model has a simple design that carries a single water bottle centered between two stretchy pockets, which make up the 1.64-liter cargo capacity.

While the dual-pocket design is not ideal for larger or bulkier items, you can fit a surprising amount of gear and snacks into them. You can easily fit a multitool, tire levers, CO2, a tube, and small snacks like candy bars, gels, or bags of fruit snacks.

Where the pocket size can be limiting is with longer, flat items like cell phones or mini-pumps, but it swallows the essential tools well with a touch of room to spare for keys and a bit of food. It’s not really the ideal pack for rides where you’re carrying a spare layer, but we’ve seen riders stuff a super packable wind shell into one of the stretchy pockets in a pinch.

The central bottle sleeve holds a water bottle very securely, and it’s relatively easy to reach back and grab without needing to spin the pack toward the front. When used in combination with a bottle on the bike, we found it provided enough water storage for most short to medium-length rides.

And, even when fully loaded with a bottle and gear, the Rapid Pack is the most stable and unobtrusive of all the models we tested, nearly going unnoticed while out on the trail. It’s also slim enough that you could wear it under your jersey or mountain bike jacket.

If you’re looking for an affordable, sleek, and very well-executed hip pack to carry the essential gear plus a bottle, the Bontrager Rapid Pack is worthy of serious consideration. This pack is so comfortable and stable that you almost forget you’re wearing it, yet all your gear is still right within arm’s reach. Bontrager also makes a version of the Rapid Pack with a bladder called the Rapid Pack Hydro ($100), which is essentially identical but comes with a 1.5-liter hydration bladder.

The pack experts at Osprey have been making some of the best mountain bike hip packs for years. The Osprey Raptor 4 ($125) is one of the brand’s latest bike-specific models and one of the most stable hip packs we’ve tested. With four liters of storage and a 1.5-liter water bladder, this pack has all but the heaviest packers covered on any ride.

Osprey’s pack making experience shines through in the well-ventilated, padded back panel and hip wings on the Raptor 4. The Raptor 4 isn’t a small pack, per se, so the breathability of the Airscape design was particularly appreciated given the amount of the lower back it covers. That panel also works to give the pack some structure, so it lies flat against the back instead of turning into an unruly ball when it’s packed to the gills.

The broad hip wings wrap around the top of the pelvis for a comfortable and super stable fit, even when fully loaded with gear and water. The large buckle in the center of the waistband went unnoticed while riding, was easy to use, and offered a massive adjustment range for users of all sizes. Ours never self-loosened while riding or allowed any unwanted pack-sag.

The 1.5-liter Osprey Hydraulics water bladder fits neatly into a dedicated sleeve inside the main storage compartment. Its position directly against the back panel keeps the weight closer to your back to aid in stability. The slide top makes refilling and cleaning the bladder a breeze, and the integrated handle makes it easy to deal with. Depending on your preference, the hose can be routed through either hip wing, and it attaches to the other side with a magnet. After the first few rides, we trimmed our hose to our preferred length, which was quick and easy to do.

While many hip packs sacrifice gear storage when the water bladder is full, the Raptor 4 holds true to its 4-liter capacity. The main compartment is quite large, and you can fit plenty inside. It opens very wide, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for, and the tool roll underneath acts as a divider of sorts. There’s also an internal zippered pocket to help keep things separate and secure. Compression straps can squeeze it all tight if you don’t fill all that space.

One unique element of the Raptor 4’s design is the tool roll. The tool roll hides in its own zippered compartment on the underside of the pack. This allows you to keep your tools well-organized and completely separate from the rest of your gear. However, it makes accessing your tools significantly more involved, as you need to take the pack off to access them. Whether it’s a pro or a con will depend mainly on how frequently you access your tools on rides.

The storage doesn’t end there. A stretch mesh pocket on the outside of the pack can fit more items, and the LidLock helmet attachment can strap your helmet onto the pack for those long climbs on hot days. Large pockets on the hip wings keep snacks handy and are big enough to hold a phone.

At 4 liters of capacity plus a 1.5-liter bladder, the Raptor 4 might be overkill for shorter rides or minimalists. The Outdoor Research Freewheel 2.5L or the Bontrager Rapid Pack may be a better fit if you don’t carry much on rides. It’s also far from the lightest, and the tool storage system was a little overcomplicated for our tastes.

Still, this pack has you covered with all the water and gear storage you need for nearly any ride. Even when it’s fully loaded, it’s comfortable and impressively stable no matter how rough the trail gets.

Outdoor Research launched an all-new lineup of mountain bike apparel and accessories in 2024. The Freewheel 2.5L ($65) is the smaller of the two bike-specific hip packs in the Freewheel range. With 2.5 liters of well-organized storage across three zippered compartments and space to carry one water bottle, this pack aims to bring the essentials on your rides.

The affordable Freewheel 2.5L pack has a relatively simple design, but the storage layout is well considered. The bulk of the storage is in the main compartment, which opens wide for easy access. We found it easy to stash larger items like a mini-pump, tubes, and snacks in here, while keeping our tools separated in the internal organization pockets. It’s not a cavernous space, mind you, but we were able to stuff a packable jacket inside with our other essentials when needed. There’s also a key clip to help ensure they don’t fall out on your ride.

On the front of the pack, another zippered pocket works well for slimmer items. We used it mostly for our phone, but it’s a good spot for anything you want to keep separate from your other gear. Another small zippered pocket hides behind the back panel. We found this pocket best suited to carrying credit cards, IDs, or other thin items we didn’t need to access often.

The small overlap pockets on the hip wings can fit small items like energy gels. The padded hip wings are quite small, but they cradled our hips nicely. When combined with the secure hold of the waistband and the padded back panel, the Freewheel 2.5L was barely noticeable while riding. It was also impressively stable, mostly due to its lower volume and resulting lighter packed weight.

The Freewheel 2.5L can carry one water bottle in its external stretch mesh pocket. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but it held our bottle securely along with the elastic retainer. It’s worth mentioning, however, that this pack became notably less stable with a full water bottle on it. We used it when needed, but preferred to keep our water on the bike.

Otherwise, we really appreciated this small volume pack’s simple, no-frills design. It easily carried our essentials in its well-organized storage compartments while remaining comfortable and stable on the lower back. For minimalists or shorter rides, the Freewheel 2.5L is a great option to consider. As a bonus, this pack doesn’t look out of place when worn as a cross-body bag.

USWE might be better known for their super stable hydration backpacks for motocross and mountain biking, but they make several models of hip packs with the same intent. The USWE Zulo 6 ($145) is the largest hip pack they make with a 6-liter storage volume, a 1.5-liter hydration bladder, a super comfortable overlapping belt, and excellent stability while riding, even when fully loaded.

The Zulo 6 has a broad, overlapping waistband, similar to the Evoc Hip Pack Pro 3L but even wider. It wraps comfortably around the waist and distributes the weight and pressure more evenly for extra comfort, even with a heavier load. The “banana shape” of the pack gives it contours that conform to the shape of the body when wrapped around the hips, contributing to its stability in use and overall comfort.

Compression straps keep the load close to your back, and the ventilated back panel does a reasonably good job of keeping things cool, although the extra width of the waistband does feel a bit warmer overall than those that are a bit narrower or more air-permeable.

The Zulo 6’s 6-liter storage capacity is divided into two compartments. The main compartment opens wide and houses the 1.5-liter water bladder, along with space for bulkier items like a tube, first-aid kit, mini-pump, and packable layer. The front compartment folds open to reveal three mesh sleeves and a zippered pocket for tools or other things you want to keep organized and easily find when needed.

Zippered hip pockets on the waistband add capacity for on-the-go access to smaller items like snacks. While it doesn’t necessarily look as voluminous as the 6-liter capacity might suggest, we always found a way to get everything we needed in this pack, and the extremely stable and comfortable fit kept us riding with the Zulo 6L even when we didn’t need its full volume.

The Zulo 6 comes with a 1.5-liter hydration bladder, making drinking while riding a breeze. It does not have the capability to carry additional bottles, but when combined with a bottle on the bike, we found it adequate for just about any length of ride.

With a quick-connect fitting at the bladder/hose junction, removing it for filling or cleaning is a breeze, and the slide top opens up nice and wide for both as well. Getting the full bladder back into the pack is a bit of a squeeze, so we found it best to leave the bladder inside when filling most of the time.

If you want the best of both worlds — to pack heavy but feel light in terms of pack stability and weight management, we feel the USWE Zulo 6L is one of the best options available today. If you’re looking for something smaller, USWE also makes the Zulo 2 Plus with a 1-liter bladder and 2 liters of cargo capacity.

Thule is much better known for making a huge range of racks and related products for bikes, skis, and other outdoor gear, but the brand has been making a push into the luggage and pack market as well. In fact, they’ve got a pretty big lineup of travel luggage, as well as ski packs, hydration backpacks, and hip packs for mountain biking. The Thule Rail 4 ($100) is the largest of the three hip pack models they make, with a 4-liter cargo capacity, a 1.5-liter water bladder, and a very well-organized and structured storage layout.

The main things that set the Rail 4 apart from the competition are the shape of the pack and the way that the storage is organized and compartmentalized. The structured design forces you to follow its organizational strategy to get the most out of the low profile, medium volume pack, but we were happy to adapt to the very well-considered layout.

This isn’t the kind of pack you just stuff things into willy-nilly. Instead, everything has a place, and when you pack it as intended, it results in a very tight and well-organized package. It also holds its shape, for better or worse, better than pretty much any other pack we tried, maintaining its streamlined rectangular look for a super tidy appearance.

With a velcro flap front pocket, centered zippered phone sleeve, and compartmentalized main pocket/bladder area, the Rail 4 is a great choice for organized riders looking to separate snacks, cell phones, and tools. This pack holds the essentials, and you can squeeze a light, packable layer in there if needed as well.

While it doesn’t have zippered pockets on the hip wings, there are two mesh pockets that Thule refers to as “jersey pockets” that are a great place for on-the-fly items like small snacks or gels. The zippered phone sleeve is also a nice touch as it keeps the phone separated from the rest of your gear in a soft pocket that’s relatively easy to reach back and access while riding or when stopped.

Even when packed full, the Rail 4 is stable and predictable, with the broad, overlapping mesh waistband holding it in place comfortably. The waistband is similar to those found on the Evoc Pro 3L, USWE Zulo 6, and the Deuter Pulse Pro 5, and it works in the same way to distribute pressure more evenly while keeping the pack from bouncing around over rough terrain.

The 1.5-liter bladder provides the water storage of the Rail 4 along with the unique ReTrakt hose management system. Instead of a tiny magnet, they’ve created longer magnetic strips on the hose and waistband that hold it super securely and make it very easy to remove and replace. We wished the bladder/hose connection had a quick release so the bladder could be more easily removed for filling and cleaning, but it’s easy enough to fill without removing it from the pack.

If you prioritize organization, then the Thule Rail 4 is a solid choice that’s well-designed, super stable, and competitively priced compared to similar options. If you don’t need that much storage capacity, the Thule Rail 2 and Thule Rail have similar designs in smaller packages.

For a tad less than the premium version, the Evoc Hip Pack 3L ($130) is a medium-capacity hip pack. The design features a 1.5-liter water bladder in a fairly open top access area, a dual zip/Velcro top closure compartmentalized section for tools and small items, and two small hip pockets, one with a key ring. It is quite similar to the Hip Pack Pro 3 detailed above, just without the stretchy waistbelt or any sleeves to carry water bottles.

While there is nowhere to stash an extra water bottle, the 3-liter cargo capacity, smart organization layout, and 1.5-liter water bladder should provide just enough space and water to be prepared on short to medium-length rides. Organizing the essentials into the Evoc Hip Pack 3 is intuitive — larger items like a tube, mini-pump, and packable layer fit easily into the main compartment with the water bladder.

Smaller items like a multitool, CO2 cartridges and nozzle, and tire plugs were easily organized in the compartments of the front, fold open pocket, a great area for anything that will live in the pack and you want to find easily. The small pockets on the hips are great for small items like snacks, chapstick, or keys, but they aren’t quite big enough to hold a phone.

The bladder is easy to remove, fill, and reconnect with the high-quality quick-connect fitting at the end of the hose. The slide top opens wide for easy filling and cleaning and has a great leak-free seal. The hose is attached to the waistband with a magnet and it is easy to reach, drink, and replace while riding. The grey color of the hose looks pretty cool, but it does hide any mold growing inside that would be more obvious with a clear tube.

Once loaded up, the small footprint and low profile of the Hip Pack 3L sits well in the small of the back, feeling very stable and secure. While the waist belt is not stretchy like the Pro version, it still feels quite comfortable in use. The strap system, while very secure and easy to get on and off, isn’t the easiest to adjust on the fly, however, as the slip lock slide buckles require some extra fiddling to tighten and loosen. It’s also not quite as comfortable or stable as the stretch waistband on the Pro version.

Beyond that, we feel the Evoc Hip Pack 3L + 1.5L Bladder is a great option that should serve most riders well. It’s well organized, relatively stable, and a good size for carrying the gear and water needed on most medium-length rides.

The Hot Laps 5L ($100) has been a staple in Dakine’s lineup for many years, and it is among the most popular models you’ll see on the trails. It hasn’t changed much over the years, but the recent redesign now includes a fleece-lined hip pocket that’s large enough to fit a phone for protection and quick and easy access while you ride. Otherwise, it’s a fairly straightforward pack that gets the job done and comes in way more color options than any other hip pack we know of.

The Hotlaps is available in 1, 2, and 5-liter capacities, with the 5 also coming with a 2-liter water bladder. Whether you’re going for a quick local ride or out for a long day, the Hot Laps has the storage and hydration capacity for you to bring adequate sustenance and supplies. The storage consists of a large water bladder compartment that also has room to stuff some other items inside along with it.

The front pocket opens nice and wide with ample space for bulkier items along with some organizational pockets and straps to keep it from becoming a free-for-all. Stowable straps on the bottom of the pack are there when you need them to attach pads or a jacket to the outside of the pack, and the sizeable hip pocket on the right side of the waist belt fits a phone or a pair of shades.

The Hydrapak reservoir’s 2-liter capacity is more than most hip packs and provides ample water for just about any length of ride. It’s quite easy to pull out the pack, and the slide-top closure makes it easy to fill and clean. The hose nests in a magnetic clip that’s easy to reach and replace, whether you’re still rolling or stopping for a break.

The large hip wings and back panel are covered in Airflow mesh, providing decent breathability and relatively good stability. However, the one caveat is that when this pack is fully loaded with gear and water, it tends to bulge a bit, resulting in slightly reduced stability. Also, the 2-liter bladder takes up some cargo space when full, effectively making the storage feel smaller than 5 liters. The USWE Zulo 6 avoids this issue and handles a full load of water and gear more gracefully.

Regardless, the Dakine Hot Laps 5L is still a solid option for any length of ride, but especially on big days when you need to bring lots of water. Assuming you don’t overpack it, it’s comfortable, stable, good-looking, and ready for years of use. Plus, the wealth of color and pattern options means you should be able to find something that suits your personal style, and the $100 price tag comes in a bit lower than most other bladder-equipped competitors.

Fox Racing makes just about every piece of apparel and accessory you can think of for mountain biking, including three models of hip packs. The Fox Standard Hip Pack ($70) is a relatively low-volume, streamlined model with a 2-liter cargo capacity and two collapsible sleeves for water bottles. Given the limited storage, it’s best for shorter rides or carrying the essentials in warmer weather when you’re not bringing along spare layers.

The Standard Hip Pack has a very slim rectangular shape with storage split into two zippered compartments. The main compartment holds the bulk of the cargo capacity and is best for larger items like a tube, first aid kit, and a mini pump with small divider pockets to keep tools organized. The zippered front panel folds down to reveal a zippered mesh pocket and additional space for smaller items.

The only real downside to the slim shape of the pack is that oddly shaped tools or snack containers may be more difficult to fit, and there aren’t any hip pockets for those things you want to access on the go. That said, you can wear it under a mountain bike jacket or jersey if you aren’t carrying any bottles.

The two bottle sleeves hold regular-size water bottles, and they collapse down when not in use to maintain the sleek look of the Standard Hip Pack. You can carry up to 40 or 50 ounces of water, depending on bottle size, which is roughly the equivalent of packs with a 1.5-liter bladder, and they’re relatively easy to reach back and pull out on the fly. We did notice, however, that with two full bottles, the pack had a tendency to bounce a bit over the rough stuff compared to some other options like the Patagonia Dirt Roamer.

Overall, at $70, the Fox Standard Hip Pack is an affordable, low-volume option for bringing the essentials on your daily rides. With a well-organized 2-liter cargo capacity and the ability to carry up to two bottles, it has you covered for short to medium-length rides where you don’t need to bring tons of gear. Should you need more cargo capacity, Fox also makes the Lumbar 5-Liter Pack ($125), which has 5 liters of storage space and comes with a 2-liter bladder.