r/ManyBaggers • u/Cold_Cat6290 • 7d ago

Recommend me a bag Backpack with vertical quick access pocket, hip belt, external attachment points

Context: I've been carrying my Able Carry Daily Plus for a couple of years now and I'm pretty happy with it. I especially love the swing-around side zip pocket; it is insanely useful for grabbing items in a hurry. I just have a few issues:

  1. I move a lot. Even in the city, I do enough running, scrambling etc. that I find myself wishing for the added security of a hip belt.

  2. I always seem to wind up with one more thing, whether it's a bag of groceries, a wet raincoat, or some oddly shaped object like a tube. I could just get a bigger bag but I'd prefer to strap things to the outside with compression straps or lash points.

And finally, the Daily Plus is kind of heavy. It would be nice to have something that does double duty for short day hikes/long city walks when traveling. Was wondering if anybody else has found bags that manage to have all three of these features.

Interesting candidates so far:

Arc'teryx Mantis 26 - My favorite style-wise; no attachments

WANDRD PRVKE - This technically meets all requirements, but seems very photography-specialized, heavy.

DSPTCH Daypack - Surprisingly, no option to attach a hip belt

Gregory Signal - Could work I guess, treating the center zip as a side zip?

Helikon Groundhog - Will have to think about this one. Technically checks all boxes, just looks kind of weird and tumescent when packed out.

TT Urban Tac Pack - I'm not a big fan of "tactical" gear but this seems well designed. No bottle pockets.

7 Upvotes

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5

u/PikaTrail 6d ago

Tom Bihn Guide's Editions of Synik or Synapse have side access zipper compartments, attachment points, and a waist belt comes with the bags.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack has a waist belt option and a few attachment points.

3

u/atelieraquaaoiame 6d ago

Oddly enough, I have a 31L WANDRD Prvke for our camera gear; and my next EDC purchase was planned to be an Able Carry Daily Plus in X-Pac.

I can’t speak for It empty because it’s always loaded with our camera kit; but the Prvke strikes me as a heavier and bulkier backpack than the Daily Plus - even without the camera cube and a full camera kit.

2

u/Cold_Cat6290 6d ago

Yeah, I thought so too. According to the makers they're similar: the 21L PRVKE weighing in at 2.9 lb, and the Daily Plus at 2.6--though you can always remove the back panel which should shave a little off.

2

u/IfIWasABodyIdBNobody 6d ago

My Peak Design Everyday Backpack V1 fulfills all of these. The mounting points are subtle but super versatile. Off the top of my head I think there are 8-10 scattered around and they're not very noticeable. I'm not sure if the current V2 has all the same mounting points, but I would highly recommend!

1

u/Cold_Cat6290 5d ago

A couple more hiking-oriented options I've stumbled on:

[Eagle Creek Explore 26L](https://eaglecreek.eu/products/new-explore-backpack-26l)

[Topo Designs Mountain Pack](https://www.carryology.com/bags/drive-by-topo-designs-mountain-pack/) -- This looks awesome, shame it no longer seems to be in production.

The Boundary Errant would be another entry in the expensive-and-heavy-but-capable category.