Bike stuff is just more expensive. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking bike socks, bike shirts, bike tires, or bike fanny packs. It’s like attaching the word “wedding” to anything; the MSRP only gets higher.
Now there are plenty of reasons why this is the case, including the quality and the scale at which pieces are manufactured, but there’s hardly anything more satisfying than getting something that will work well on the bike without having to sell something else to buy it.
The $40 Kavu Washtucna is one of those pieces. I saw the Washtucna at Outdoor Retailer in January and was immediately interested. The color patterns are earthy and easy to get along with. It’s functional, with nice organization, but without an overly technical feeling. Best of all, it sells for only $40.
The Washtucna isn’t a bike-specific hip pack. Kavu hasn’t really made any bike-specific gear yet, but a lot of their gear and apparel should catch mountain bikers’ eyes. Everything is made to hold up for folks with an outdoor lifestyle, but they don’t come near the Pata-Gucci prices.
I’ve used the Washtucna on shorter lunch rides and it’s a perfect fit. There is enough room for the basics, like a tube, pump and/or Co2, snacks, a tool, and a lightweight rain jacket.
While it’s not a bike-specific pack, the Washtucna still has nets and envelopes inside to keep gear in one place. There’s a main compartment and an outer compartment, and a little stash spot on the back.
It feels lightweight and has held up great so far. My only complaint is that the water bottle sleeve is not easy to get a bike-sized water bottle in or out. As pictured on the Kavu website, it works with a can much better. If you’d rather pack a pale ale or seltzer, the sleeve will do the trick. If you have room for a bottle on the bike, or you’re okay with stuffing one inside the pack — and there is room for that — then you’re also in luck.
The Kavu site is currently sold out of the Washtucna, but it’s available through local dealers, listed on their website, and on Amazon.
