If you're trying to figure out if a hunting fanny pack is right for you, and you're looking for the key things to consider before making that final step, you've come to the right place!

I'm going to walk you through the most important things to think about and consider for adding this new piece of gear to your list. Now, purchasing a hunting fanny pack isn't rocket science - almost all of us have purchased a hunting style backpack. However, fanny packs are a bit different and it's important to know what to focus on. 

The blog below is going to run you through the key topic areas to review, while listing out a few high level details within each one of them. This information is meant to be easy to digest - something you can look at on your phone before hitting that checkout button. I hope you enjoy!

Types Of Hunting Fanny Pack

When you really break it down, there are two main types of hunting fanny packs - straps and strapless. Take a look at the key information below to learn more about  each:

Hunting Fanny Pack with Straps

A hunting fanny pack with straps is going to contain two straps the make their way from the rear section of the pack over your shoulders to either the front or side section of the pack. 

Strap fanny packs are going to provide a lot of advantages out in the field, but are going to come at a more expensive price. By having additional straps handy, a hunter is able to take the load weight and redistribute some of that from your lower back to your shoulders.

Additionally, many of these fanny pack brands have engineered additional compartments on the straps to help you care items such as your bow, a hydration bladder, additional clothing, etc. There's even additional accessories to haul your binoculars just in case. 

Overall, this is probably the best style of hunting fanny pack to incorporate, but again, it's going to be more expensive than those strapless models. 

Hunting Fanny Pack without Straps

Strapless hunting fanny packs might not be as innovative as the aforementioned style, but they still pack a ton of benefits. 

Of course, as expected, having a pack without straps is going to put 100% of that weight on your lower back - so make sure you get a fanny pack that has comfortable waist straps to avoid any unnecessary issues.

While you do forfeit any additional compartments that might come with other models, your weight is going to be minimal (which is kind of the point of a hunting fanny pack). Furthermore, these make for great packs to utilize while hunting from an elevated blind or treestand.

As a final note, its greatest advantage might be the average price of one of these packs. If you're looking to save a little money, I would definitely recommend a strapless hunting fanny pack. 

Types of Hunting Fanny Packs

Weight

Weight is key factor to consider in the purchase of any hunting pack, but it's even more important when considering a fanny pack.

Fanny packs are meant to be for the minimalist hunter, or for someone looking to stay relatively lightweight in certain hunting situations. By purchasing a fanny pack that has too many bells and whistles, you're kind of defeating the purpose of this particular item. 

Many of the top hunting fanny packs come with more rigid frames, additional padding, added compartments, etc. And don't get me wrong, these are all great! However, by adding too many features you're ultimately increasing the weight of the pack, which might not serve to your needs. 

Versatility

When you think about hunting fanny packs, you don't really think about versatility but these packs have quite a few unique features that should be noted. 

The core structure of a hunting fanny pack should be somewhat minimal, but today's manufacturers are equipping them with designs that do so much more. For instance, several models have straps that open up to help you carry your bow or hydration bladder, but remain concealed when not in use. What a great feature!

Also, several of these models can be utilized while hunting in a treestand, and are built specifically to allow hunters to get to their gear quickly without having to reorganize everything. 

If you're looking at a hunting fanny pack, take some to review their unique characteristics and see what level of versatility they offer the hunter. 

Versatile Hunting Fanny Pack

Capacity

Capacity is a key feature to take into consideration when you're in the market for a hunting fanny pack (and probably one of the most popular hunting fanny pack FAQs). While these models are meant to have a somewhat small capacity, especially when compared to day packs, they can still be used in very efficient manners. 

While we've already outlined the advantages and disadvantages of strap and strapless models, hunters should also take time to look at the lumbar belt compartments that go around the side of the bag. Having these additional compartments can keep the weight down while conveniently housing your gear.  

Material & Construction

When it comes to material, hunters really only have a few options for their new fanny pack:

Nylon

According to Tortuga, Nylon is softer and stretchier than polyester, but has a higher strength-to-weight ratio.

Polyester

On the other side, Polyester is a finer thread and has a lower strength-to-weight ratio, but is more abrasion resistant than nylon. 

Proprietary Material

Propriety materials sometime combine both nylon and polyester with unique components not known to the public. We'd recommend visiting a store to get a feel for this material if information is not available. 

What Do I Think Is Most Important?

Based on the many topic areas above, I think the most important area to consider before buying a hunting fanny pack is capacity. Of course, choosing the right type of hunting pack comes at a close second, but I'm still going with capacity.

Before you consider this piece of hunting gear, lay out what you'd typically pack in a hunting fanny pack and outline the required amount of room needed to house everything comfortably. From there, go out and see if that matches up with the best hunting fanny pack you can find. You want to take full advantage of the capacity of one of these items, but if you go overboard all your effort becomes somewhat of a waste. 

Curious about Treestand Accidents, and the key information to know? Check out our other blog.