Backside Line
The Gossamer Gear Bumster impressed us with its light-weight sturdiness and flexibility. With a wonderful weight-to-capacity ratio, it affords nice worth and earned a stable spot on our listing of our favourite climbing fanny packs. This pack served us effectively in a wide range of situations, from airport journey and canine walks to city bike rides and sunny day hikes across the Boise foothills.
Whereas the material offers some waterproofing, it gained’t preserve your fine details dry in significantly moist circumstances or on soggy hikes.
The Bumster doesn’t supply many storage choices, and its lack of construction can have an effect on the usability and luxury when packing bigger, hard-sided objects.
Nevertheless, its smooth form makes it simply packable, rolling up neatly for journey or spontaneous outings. Regardless of these minor limitations, the Bumster stays a stable, useful selection for these in search of a light-weight and adaptable fanny pack for on a regular basis adventures.
How We Examined
The Bumster proved helpful on a Mississippi River hike to stash fossils and rocks and on day hikes within the Boise foothills for snacks, water, and canine baggage. It additionally got here in useful throughout airport journey to maintain necessities separate. We lab-tested abrasion resistance with 160-grit sandpaper, ease of cleansing, stain resistance, and water resistance with rain simulation and a dunk check.
Fast Specs
Gossamer Gear Bumster
Greatest Value for High quality Fanny Pack
CleverHiker Ranking:
4.2/5.0
Value:
$29
Measured Weight:
2.2 oz.
Capability:
1.4 L
Professionals
- Light-weight
- Good storage capability
- Versatile carrying choices
- Value
Cons
- Dries slowly
- Minimal assist
Consolation
The Gossamer Gear Bumster is a flexible and adjustable fanny pack that stays safe throughout dynamic actions, making it preferrred for a wide range of out of doors actions. What units it aside from many others on our listing is its intensive adjustability, with a waist belt starting from 14” to 48”, permitting it to suit a variety of adventurers.
Whereas it lacks padding, the Bumster’s unstructured design is glossy. It comfortably conforms to the physique with out including pointless bulk and affords a minimalist but useful really feel.
Nevertheless, the mid-sized capability and unstructured form do current some challenges. Bigger objects, akin to a 16oz water bottle, match inside however may cause the pack to turn into cumbersome and awkward. For heavier hundreds, the pack can really feel uncomfortable when worn across the waist, because the 1” strap could dig in. In these instances, carrying the Bumster as a sling will help alleviate discomfort and distribute the load extra evenly.
Regardless of these drawbacks, the Bumster stays a wonderful possibility for these in search of a light-weight and well-fitting pack; we frequently attain for it for brief hikes.
Sturdiness
Constructed with sturdy 70D Robic nylon comprised of recycled supplies, the Bumster stands up effectively to each put on and the weather. The zippers transfer easily, and the pack is well-constructed, with bolstered stitching for added sturdiness. Regardless of testing a lighter colorway and dragging it by filth, the pack cleaned up simply with minimal effort, displaying no noticeable stains.
Throughout our abrasion check, the material exhibited some pilling however held up impressively effectively, with no damaged threads or compromise to its construction. Whereas the general building is stable, there have been a couple of free threads in some areas, indicating that the stitching may very well be a bit cleaner.
Nevertheless, the stitching itself remained safe in high-stress areas. With its robust materials, ease of upkeep, and budget-friendly worth, the Bumster is definitely worth the funding.
Options
The Gossamer Gear Bumster is a sensible mid-sized fanny pack, designed with simply sufficient considerate options to reinforce usability. The highest-access most important compartment has a curved zipper across the prime and is straightforward to entry one-handed. On the again, a zippered safety pocket retains valuables near the physique, providing peace of thoughts throughout energetic use. The pack’s material has a weatherproof coating, permitting it to resist mild rain in our simulations.
Nevertheless, it did soak by throughout submersion and retained water for 2 days afterward, indicating restricted waterproofing. The stash pocket is a considerate function, however we discovered it troublesome to entry whereas carrying, and on one very hot, lengthy hike, sweat seeped by and dampened our telephone.
Whereas the Bumster lacks superior options like hydration compatibility or long-term rain safety, it excels as a easy, useful pack at an reasonably priced worth level.
Group
The Bumster prioritizes affordability and light-weight design over intensive group, making it a stable selection for hikers preferring a minimalist strategy. The principle compartment affords ample area, with a break up mesh pocket and a key clip to maintain small necessities like playing cards and keys organized.
The total-length zipper offers easy accessibility to your gear, minimizing any fumbling if you’re on the transfer. A zippered stash pocket alongside the again provides an additional layer of safety for valuables, although it’s not the best choice for quick-access objects in the course of the hike.
The shortage of construction limits the usable area if packing hard-sided objects, however carrying smooth objects like an ultralight rain jacket permits you to take full benefit of the pack’s 1L capability with out sacrificing consolation.
Ought to You Purchase the Gossamer Gear Bumster?
For base-weight-conscious hikers in want of extra storage, the Gossamer Gear Bumster affords a formidable weight-to-capacity ratio. It’s a wonderful addition to backpacks that lack a waist belt or hip pockets. The safe match makes it versatile sufficient for high-impact actions like operating.
The pack’s understated design additionally makes it appropriate to be used as a competition carry or journey bag with out drawing an excessive amount of consideration. With its reasonably priced worth, the Bumster serves as an ideal “entry-level” pack for these interested by incorporating a fanny pack into their gear however uncertain of how typically they’ll use it.
Nevertheless, in case you plan to hold heavier objects or regularly hike in difficult climate, chances are you’ll need to discover packs with extra padding and extra options. Bigger hikers may additionally discover the waist-belt adjustability considerably limiting. For these with minimal load and reasonable wants, although, the Bumster stays a stable, budget-friendly selection.
What Different Fanny Packs Ought to You Think about?
To see the total lineup of our prime picks, head over to our examined and reviewed information to the perfect climbing fanny packs of the 12 months.
Atom Packs – The Roo Evaluate: The Roo from Atom Packs is a good different in case your solely criticism in regards to the Bumster is waterproofing. With the identical liter capability, the Roo can also be a extra structured pack comprised of ultra-durable Ecopak material. Anticipate the next price ticket, because the Roo is taken into account a premium product.
Cotopaxi Bataan Del Dia 3L Evaluate: In the event you love the unstructured vibe of the Bumster however require extra storage capability – the 3L Bataan Del Dia by Cotopaxi can be a wonderful selection. Doubling the capability does double the load. Nevertheless, the pack nonetheless holds a formidable weight-to-capacity ratio, particularly with it solely costing a couple of extra {dollars}.
Patagonia Black Gap Mini Hip Pack Evaluate: The Black Gap Mini Hip Pack is a stable substitute for hikers most interested by a pared-down pack for holding necessities. This 1L pack is in the identical worth vary because the Bumster and is supplemented with the backing of Patagonia’s ‘Ironclad Assure’, making it an ideal worth.
