Gossamer Gear Hipster

This is one tough fanny pack. It can withstand heavy use and abuse, and your sunscreen, camera, keys, or snacks etc. are easy to access. The Hipster is great for hiking and backpacking, whenever you're looking for a little more easily accessible pocket space.

Ease of use:

The Hipster is simple to use. You just strap it on as desired, under or over the hip belt of your pack, and off you go. The zipper never gets caught when opening and closing and the pocket can fit a phone, camera, bar(s), keys, and sunglasses at once. That being said, the Hipster is minimally designed, so when it approaches its maximum capacity it can get bulky, and larger items (like your phone/camera) can be difficult/clumsy to remove.

I do not consider this an essential piece of gear, but the extra storage space is great to have for backpacking (and snack storage while slack-packing) or hiking with dogs (treat bio-bag holder). However, jogging and running with it on is uncomfortable as it will bounce with your stride and slap your body. 

Features: 

The inner side of the pocket (the portion that contacts your body) is padded, which reduces the chance of poking or stabbing from keys, eyeware etc. when the pocket is full. The PU coated water-resistant zipper is amazing—I once knocked it into a stream and my camera (which was inside) lived to tell the tale. The PU coated zipper is a great feature. 

Construction, Durability & Conditions:

I wore this thing every day for 2,650 miles on the PCT and there are no real signs of wear. It has hiked through light-med rain (and then heavy rain and hail, but under a rain coat/poncho) and all of the items inside have stayed dry. I've washed it in a machine (likely not recommended) and it came out like new. 

Overall: 

This is a well constructed, lightweight, minimal hip pack. 

I recommend this for long distance or day hikers looking for storage/access solutions for small items. 

I do not recommend this for trail runners or anyone who is trying to lower their base-weight. The more pockets you have, the more you will fill them. 

Background

I used this product every day for six months while hiking the PCT (2,650 miles) and I also use it on short day hikes in warm weather and when hiking/walking my dogs. This is my first time using a fanny pack as gear.