Clik Elite Sprint camera waist pack

As someone who generally eschews any type of pack around my waist, I decided to give this pack a go because

 

I recently got a “real” camera and need a way to carry it. If you pay attention to the URP Daily News, I post a lot of links to MUT runners who manage to snap some incredible pictures while running and racing.  Though I don’t know any of them personally, I gotta believe they use this pack to transport their gear.

The Sprint waist pack is made by Clik Elite, a company that’s run by the same fine folks who bring us Ultraspire. Ultraspire is tasked with hydration, and Clik Elite designs and manufacturers camera bags. This one is specifically made for runners.

 

So now that we have that out of the way, let’s cut to the chase, I was fully impressed with this bag’s ability to securely hold my gear without bouncing.  Having some Gu’s and keys bouncing around is one thing…having a big camera smacking your hips and tailbone is another thing entirely, and this delivers as promised.

 

The Sprint bag is designed for large DSLR cameras with lenses, and will work better with the more gear crammed into it, as the gray neoprene flap stretches enough to hold equipment tight and secure. A small point and shoot will bounce around, negating the benefits of this pack.  My camera is on the smaller side (Panasonic Lumix Micro 4/3) and did just fine, while my friend’s huge Canon with telephoto lens held in tight, too.

 

The pack opens from the top, with one side of the neoprene unzipping to slide the camera in. You then zip it back up and sercure the nylon straps over the top with 2 heavy plastic clips.  Because of the (smaller) size of my camera, I had mine pulled tight, but when we used the big Canon, the straps loosened up easily to accommodate the larger volume.

The materials used and construction of this thing feel legit and I had zero fear of my gear flying out.  The back side of the pack (touching your body) is made of a deep honeycomb design that doesn’t heat up one bit.  After a few miles, I totally forgot I was wearing a pack, and that’s exactly what I want.

Design-wise, there are a few things I’d change.  First, because it’s for runners, Clik Elite should have worked in a way to accommodate hydration.  A bottle clip or bottle holster would have been great.  I would have also liked the side pockets (one on each side, same size, zipped) to be a tad big bigger. As they are now, they barely hold an iPhone–without a case. Enlarging them by an inch would solve that problem.

All these are minor issues with a pack this otherwise top-notch.  So what else do I like? I love the fit.  The straps triangulate at the front to hold the pack laterally, as well as vertically.  The nylon is easy to pull and holds tight, leaving no bounce at all, which is seriously cool when you consider your camera is in there!  I also recognize and appreciate the minor design aspects like giving the straps room to hide under the pockets. Nothing bugs me more than pulling the straps tight on something and having to deal with long nylon cords smacking around for the rest of the run.  The Sprint pack hides and secures them, making me a happy runner.

 

At $54, this is a great pack that allows you to run with a “real” camera and get some great shots in a safe and secure fashion without any bounce at all.   I’ll definitely be taking it with me on my next back country jaunt.

Reviewed by Eric