Hey, how about those WingNut Packs?

[plume_mtb]

We started carrying them at our store and they look like they'd be a lot more comfortable than say a traditional camelbak.


Pros: comfort, durability, ease of use - (nice side pockets allow you to grab your food/gear w/o removing the pack, also sell a camera pack for easy reach)

Cons: expensive, looks goofier than a camelbak, does NOT include a bladder, and did I mention that they look goofy?

Anybody try them yet? My camelbak destroys my lower back and quite frankly I think I'm over it and willing to pay a premium for a more comfy pack.

[varider]

Got mine last year.

I like mine a lot, most comfortable pack I've had for the bike.

Pro - plain simple black, no stupid neon color scheme, waterproof zippers and light weight, sits on hips with cinched hip belt no neck/shoulder strain.

Only Con so far. albeit a minor one, no key fob (I'm paranoid aboot dumping my keys out and not noticing it)

[althegud1srtakn]

this is the first i've heard of them, they look interesting and expensive as hell. personally i'm satisfied with my camelback mule, and i don't have over $100 to blow on a pack i *might* like better, but if i were in the market for one i'd have to try one out.

[delzey]

Get it! They're amazing. I've had one for about a year now, and only use it when I'm doing all day efforts. During races, I use a Camelbak velocity or something or other- a small one.

The Wingnut is great because, if you get the better, original style made of sailcloth (a bit pricier), they're easy to clean mud off- simply wipe it down. Plus they're almost completely waterproof. Also, I'd imagine they're a bit lighter, but I haven't weighed one against the other.

But to break it down shotgun style:

Pros- Very comfortable for the back and shoulders,very durable, very lightweight, plenty of padding for the waist, ease of access, plenty of pockets to separate your gear. I really like that it has the side mesh pocket that you can access on the fly since I really like using my jersey pockets, but cannot with a Camelbak on. The mesh pockets alleviate this.

Cons- Some folks don't like how it won't cushion your back if you take a fall like a Camelbak will. Though it's never been an issue for me, I've heard people complain about the shoulder straps needing padding. Mine only have the mesh webbing, but it's wide enough that, even with my pack full, I've felt any discomfort.

I won't count the proprietary bladder as a con, because you can use other bladders. I've used a Deuter and a Camelbak bladder in mine, and they work just fine- you just have to stuff 'em in there a bit more.

D.

[plume_mtb]

what about the whistle! they have a whistle too!

[delzey]

Yeah, the whistle's pretty b!itching too! I totally forgot about that.

D.

[delzey]

Just saw this over at MTBR:

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=3866100&posted=1#post3866100

D.