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Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Review

The Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack isn’t your dad’s fanny pack. It’s comfortable and has some great organization, but it’s not ideal for nice occasions.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack In Essex England
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack In Essex England

Our Verdict

8.1 /10
Great info

Form

90/100

Design

77/100

Value

77/100
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Pros

  • Extremely comfortable
  • Made of high-quality, durable materials
  • Great internal organization

Cons

  • Can be difficult to see inside the interior mesh pocket
  • The key leash doesn’t seem very durable
  • Isn’t ideal for fancier outings

Technical Details

100 %

Carry-on Compliance

View 145/145 Airlines

26 %

Like the Look

Polled on Instagram

  • Capacity

    3l

  • Weight (oz)

    7 oz (198.4 g)

  • Denier

    500D

  • Notable Materials

    Ripstop, Polyester, Duraflex Hardware

  • Manufacturing Country

    China

  • Warranty Information

    Eagle Creek Warranty

Buying Options

Brand
Price
Deal
Backcountry Logo
$39.95 

Full Review

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“Even if your dad is the absolute coolest,” a representative from Eagle Creek says in a promotional video for the company’s Wayfinder Waist Pack, “these are not your dad’s fanny packs.”

And we’d have to agree (even though Pack Hacker team members have the coolest dads).

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack In Essex England
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack In Essex England

We’ve been testing the Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack in the small size for about a month in Detroit, Michigan and Essex, England. This pack has seen bustling markets, crowded airports at ungodly hours, and the mundane moments of everyday life.

So, what makes the Wayfinder Waist Pack better than the fanny packs of yesteryear? Read on to find out!

Our Experience

We’ve been testing the waist pack in the chic black colorway—not much of a surprise to those of you that follow us—but it’s available in seven colorways and patterns at the time of this review, including a California-themed print that is covered in bears and trees, with bright orange accents. While we’re going to stick with something less in-your-face, it’s nice to know that the bear-lovers of the world can find a waist pack that suits their style (and their soul).

Waist packs usually have a more casual vibe about them (unless you go for brands like Gucci), and the Wayfinder Waist Pack is no exception. So we’ve felt uncomfortable wearing it anywhere even remotely formal (like a nice restaurant). This hasn’t been a massive deal for us, but if your travels require a good amount of wining-and-dining you may want to opt for a more sophisticated bag like the Fjallraven Greenland Pocket.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Logo
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Logo

As far as branding goes, the Eagle Creek logo is stamped front and center on this thing. There will be no mistaking where you’ve picked it up, but we don’t think the logo is too flashy, and it certainly doesn’t detract from the overall minimalist aesthetic.

This pack is also available in two sizes: small and medium. If your adventures require a lot of stuff, you may prefer the medium size, but we’ve been loving the small. It holds all of the essentials—wallet, keys, phone—and then some. Plus, the organization is designed in such a way that everything has a spot.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Back Pocket
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Back Pocket

The back pocket is fleece-lined, making it the perfect spot for fragile electronics. We’ve been using it for our phone, which allows you to grab it in a matter of seconds. But anything bulky here will cut into the space of the main compartment. Your best bet is to stick with flat items.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Main Compartment
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Main Compartment

Now, the main compartment has a lot of organization going on—there are two slip pockets, a zippered mesh pocket, and a pen sleeve (you know your dad’s fanny pack didn’t have a pen sleeve). We’ve utilized all three of these pockets and found they make accessing your stuff super quick since you know where everything is located.

We’ve been keeping our headphones on the left-hand side of the pack, and our wallet on the right side (the Bellroy Card Pocket, to be specific).

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Internal Mesh Pocket
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Internal Mesh Pocket

We can’t say we’ve utilized the mesh pocket very much. While you would think the mesh would make it easy to see inside, the lip of the waist pack folds over it in such a way that it’s actually quite difficult to see what you’ve got in there. Part of the problem is how dark the pocket gets—we think a bright fabric on the interior liner would help our stuff “pop.” This is a simple technique we’ve seen on many bags, and it works well.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Plastic Key Leash
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Plastic Key Leash

Inside the mesh pocket, you’ll find a small, plastic key leash. We’ve been using it as intended—for our keys—and while it’s held up fine so far, we are worried about its longevity. The plastic clip feels like it could snap with only the slightest bit of pressure. Suffice to say, we’ve been extra careful when clipping and unclipping our keys.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack With An Amazon Fire 7 Tablet Inside
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack With An Amazon Fire 7 Tablet Inside

Now, the main compartment itself is large enough to hold a good amount of stuff. We’ve carried a whole bunch of goodies here, including books, notebooks, makeup, as well as computer and phone chargers (not all at once, of course). Whatever you put here will kind of take over the pack, though, and if it’s full it will make accessing your stuff in the slip pockets a bit more difficult.

So, you’ll want to think carefully about what you need. Your thesaurus and the Charlotte Tilbury Palette might be overkill.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Attachment Point
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Attachment Point

Finally, there are two webbing loops on the exterior of the pack where you can clip more stuff (water bottles, wet clothing, etc.). We haven’t utilized them much since it makes carrying the waist pack fairly awkward, but we can see the benefit for outdoorsy pursuits.

There’s also an attachment point on the center of the pack that includes a slice of reflective material. This attachment point is meant for lighter items—the folks at Eagle Creek suggest a bike light—as heavier things will probably break it. The bike light/reflective fabric is to help you remain visible while walking about in the evening, but if you’re riding a bike, you’ll probably want lights on the bike itself (#safety).

Noteworthy Features

The Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack is a part of Eagle Creek’s Wayfinder family. So one of the main selling points is the materials from which it’s made. We get into it in our review of the Eagle Creek Wayfinder Backpack, so if you want to learn the nitty-gritty, you can head over there.
We’ll keep it brief here.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Ripstop Material
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Ripstop Material

The front of the pack is made from a 300D Dual-Diamond Heather Ripstop, which sounds more complicated than it is. Ripstop fabric, as the name implies, stops rips from spreading if one occurs. The rest of the pack is made from a 500D Polyester, with some parts having an additional RPVB Coating.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack RPVB Material
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack RPVB Material

The RPVB coating is made from the plastic of shatter-proof glass harvested from landfills, which not only is a solid environmental win but makes for a great weather-resistant coating. It’s also totally badass—you’re wearing a fanny pack made of shatter-proof glass, people! #NotYourDadsFannyPack

Okay, let’s talk about how comfortable this waist pack is to wear (and, yes, we consider comfort a feature). We were initially wary, especially since the strap isn’t padded, but that wariness faded on day one. We’re pretty sure if you were to weigh this pack down with rocks it would dig into your skin, but we’ve had no complaints when it’s at a reasonable weight.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Strap
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Strap

We love how the pack contours to your waist and doesn’t stick out. Plus, the waistband—which is adjustable up to 56 inches—ensures a good fit around your waist. There are some strap keepers to help keep everything tidy, but the strap can still get messy if you have a smaller waistline. If that’s the case, the folks at Eagle Creek suggest cutting the strap and sealing the end with a lighter.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Back Panel
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack Back Panel

Besides the strap, the back panel is perfectly padded. And moisture-wicking! Of course, it’ll still get sweaty on those hot days, but nothing as bad as it could be. In fact, this waist pack is so comfortable we’ve never used the top handle to hang it up. We just keep it on. All the time. Even while we’re sleeping. (Are we joking or not? Who knows…)

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack In Essex England
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack In Essex England

You can also wear the waist pack across your body as a sling bag, but we’re not huge fans of this method since the buckle clips in the middle. But hey, it’s nice to have options.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we’ve been loving the Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack throughout our month of testing. It’s ideal for travel with great internal organization that’ll hold the essentials and then some. It also shines when it comes to air travel, as it can be worn with a larger backpack.

Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack In Essex England
Eagle Creek Wayfinder Waist Pack In Essex England

We have nothing to report as far as durability is concerned. Eagle Creek takes its craftsmanship seriously, and the pack still looks as good as new!

Usage Timeline

Initial Usage

Condition: Excellent

  • The fleece-lined compartment is great for your smartphone or sunglasses.
  • Great internal organization.
  • The front of the pack seems to sag when it’s not at full capacity.
2 Weeks of Use

Condition: Excellent

It’s much more comfortable to wear than we expected.

1 Month of Use

Condition: Excellent

Everything looks great—no complaints.

By Pack Hacker Team
Created August 7, 2019 • Updated September 10, 2024
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