When it comes to carrying gear while biking, there’s lots of options and lots of factors to consider. So much depends on whether you’re riding a hot lap, an all-day epic, if you have in-frame storage, or if you’re just riding gravel with some single-track connections. Our testers have done the leg work (pun intended)—biking up and down the West Coast on mountain bikes, across the Cascades on gravel bikes, embarking on multi-day adventures in the heat of the Utah high desert—to find the best solutions for your hip pack, riding pack/vest, and frame bag needs.
At a Glance
- Best On-Bike Storage: Mission Workshop On-Bike Storage System ($254)
- Best High-Capacity MTB Pack: CamelBak HAWG 20 ($165)
- Best Vest-Style Riding Pack: Nathan TrailMix 2.0 12 L Hydration Pack ($113)
- Best Hip Pack: High Above The Venture ($140–$170)
- Editor’s Favorite: EVOC Hip Pack Pro 3 ($150)
- How We Test
- Meet Our Lead Testers
Best On-Bike Storage
Mission Workshop On-Bike Storage System
Mission Workshop On-Bike Storage System
Pros and Cons
⊕ Easy to attach to bicycle frame
⊕ Easy access
⊕ Weather-resistant
⊕ Sold as a bundle or separately
⊕ Made in the USA
⊗ Universal size may not fit all frames
⊗ Expensive
Over the years, I have tried a variety of on-bike storage bags for both daily use and multi-day bike pack trips. My needs (in order of priority) are: durability, ease of access while riding, resistance to elements, and style. The on-bike storage system designed by Mission Workshop (Toro Handlebar Bag, Mission Saddle Bag, and Slice Frame Bag) meets all these criteria, including style. All three bags feature the X-PAC fabric (nylon face fabric with strategic fiber reinforcement, internal film, and backing taffeta), which is durable, water-resistant, and cleans up easily. The zippers were designed for ready access while pedaling, thanks to frame placement and wide zipper pulls, and the bags fit securely on most gravel and mountain bikes with no noticeable frame rubbing or wear. The bags have ample capacity for snacks, tools, phone, extra gloves, a light shell, and a spare tube.
Overall, I loved this system approach and was impressed with the quality and design. I may not need all three bags for every one of my gravel or dirt adventures, but I loved the ability to tailor my cargo carrying needs based on location, length of ride, and weather.
Best High-Capacity MTB Pack
CamelBak HAWG 20
$165 at REI $165 at Backcountry
Total Capacity: 20 L (3 L Bladder)
Weight: 1190 g
Pros and Cons
⊕ Well-designed storage pockets
⊕ Adjustability for different torso lengths
⊕ Bladder included
⊗ Expensive
CamelBak’s updated HAWG 20 is a comfortable, Mary Poppins–like riding pack designed for long days and epic rides. The pack has 20 liters of capacity: 17 liters for cargo and a three-liter water bladder. The back panel has air channels for breathability, a vented mesh harness, a hip belt with zippered cargo pouches, a helmet carry, and an integrated tool roll. The back panel on the pack is adjustable for different torso lengths, and like most CamelBak packs, the sternum strap and harness allow for an individualized fit. It also includes a slot for the optional back protection panel (sold separately) for rowdy riders looking for extra protection.
I tested this bag on a four-day shoulder season mountain biking adventure on the White Rim Trail in Utah, where we encountered rain, snow, and mud, and was extremely impressed with the comfort and storage capacity. It easily allowed me to organize and stash everything I needed for long days on the bike in the elements.
Best Vest-Style Riding Pack
Nathan TrailMix 2.0 12 Liter Hydration Pack
Total Capacity: 12 L (1.5L Bladder)
Weight: 397 g
Pros and Cons
⊕ Lightweight and low profile
⊕ Bladder included
⊕ Lots of storage pockets for snacks
⊗ Hose is affixed to bladder
The best bike packs might not even be true bike packs. It only occurred to me last year to use running vests on mountain bike rides, and to my surprise, I loved it. The Nathan Trail Mix 2.0 is a sweet little vest-style pack. Its roll-top design maximizes storage, and it features a back zippered pocket with a 1.5-liter water bladder/hose, stretch mesh pockets on rear and front, and a bungee strap system on the back. If you prefer to remove the bladder, you can also stash 20-ounce flasks in any of the four front stretch and compress pockets. The pack was super breathable, easily adjustable, and was big enough to carry all the necessities as well as ample water for a one- to three-hour ride. For those who are not into fanny packs but want to add a little extra storage without a full-blown pack, the TrailMix is well worth a look.
Best Hip Pack
High Above The Venture
Total Capacity: ~2.2 L (No Bladder)
Weight: 282 g
Pros and Cons
⊕ Durable, stylish, high-quality pack
⊕ Sleek design
⊗ Not designed for a water bladder
⊗ Exterior quick-draws are an additional cost
The Venture, from Seattle-based High Above, is our go-to hip pack. This quietly stylish but thoughtfully designed item is another made-in-the-USA product. The Venture is 2.2 liters and crafted from robust Challenge Ecopak EPLX fabric, utilizes Fidlock buckles for a super secure and easy-to-use closure, and features three interior pockets as well as an external zippered pocket for organization. Additionally, you can deploy the included accessory straps to lash armor or a jacket to the Venture, and add two different water bottle types to the pack wings for longer rides via the bottle sleeve or quick-draw (the quick-draw model is $30 more). This bulletproof pack, with its compact design, easy-to-access opening, and removable Bottle Rocket, was designed with enduro racing in mind, but it’s perfectly sized for all the essentials for your average length mountain bike ride and then some.
Editor’s Favorite Riding Pack
EVOC Hip Pack Pro 3
$150 at Backcountry $150 at REI
Total Capacity: 4.5 L (1.5 L Bladder)
Weight: 308 g
Pros and Cons
⊕ Designed for water bottle storage or bladder usage
⊕ Unique waist belt keeps pack tight and secure
⊕ Affordable price point
⊗ Front pocket is difficult to close up when fully packed
The Hip Pack Pro 3 is a stylish and dialed-in pack that optimizes hydration and storage needs while prioritizing comfort. You can purchase the pack with or without the 1.5-liter bladder. For those who prefer a bottle—or those rides where 1.5 liters isn’t enough and you can’t fit a water bottle to your bike frame—there is a single bottle carrier sleeve adjacent to the main cargo pocket. The 3 liters of storage capacity is just enough for longer rides and offers well-designed compartments for quick access to the necessary tools, including front storage slots with zippered pockets and elasticized storage in the main compartment for multi-tools, spare tubes, and other necessities. There are also zippered pockets in the waist belt wings that are great for snacks. The waist belt itself is next-level in comfort and adjustability, thanks to its venting (which includes a mesh cover across the back pads to increase airflow) for the ups, as well as extra cinching for singletrack descents. This hip pack is everything you could want smashed into three liters of perfection: comfort, aesthetically appealing, and function all in one.
How We Test
- Number of Products Tested: 12
- Number of Testers: 3
Packs were selected with input from Pinkbike staff, mountain bike testers, and industry colleagues. Testing was mostly done in the vicinity of Hood River, Oregon, in the late summer through fall, with long-term testing pulled from Pinkbike staff feedback. All the testers are accomplished cyclists who spend a lot of time in the saddle riding, coaching, or racing.
The main trails where we tested in Hood River include the iconic Post Canyon system just on the outskirts of town. The Post Canyon system offers a vast network of forested trails, dropping 3,000 vertical feet from the top point, with a mix of jumps, drops, berms, and rocks. We also rode the 44 Trails system, which is about an hour south of town on the flanks of Mount Hood. The infamous Gifford Pinchot National Forest is just across the Columbia River on the Washington side, which also provided an abundance of testing opportunities.
Fall is the perfect time for testing in the Pacific Northwest, as the dry summer heat fades away and the moisture makes for some epic trail conditions. We encountered a variety of temperatures, from below freezing to uncomfortably sunny and hot.
Meet Our Lead Testers
Nikki Rohan has been mountain biking for over 20 years and testing mountain biking gear for Pinkbike for almost a decade. She resides in Hood River, Oregon, with her husband, three kids, two dogs, and a grumpy cat. She spent a chunk of time competing in enduro races in the PNW, as well as events like Trans BC, Trans Provence, Downieville Classic, Grinduro, and the occasional CX or gravel race. When she is not working or chasing her kids, you will find her on the local trails or exploring the endless forest roads.
Annick Chalier is a longtime Pacific Northwesterner. She has a passion for all things cycling and has been a mountain bike coach, raced road bikes professionally, raced cyclocross, and dabbled in some endurance mountain bike racing. Through the years of training for racing, mountain biking always remained the counterbalance to the structured intervals: a way to be creative and connect with nature, dance down the trail hootin’ and hollerin’ with friends, and find distance from the outside world by being focused on the moment with the bike.
Megan Barton started riding mountain bikes in 2017 after spending many years running silly long distances on trails. She has years of coaching for both Dirt Series and Brave Endeavours, a Hood River–based program. When she’s not on two wheels, you can find her running, rafting, hiking, or working her day job as a nurse practitioner.
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