Miscellany: Mountainsmith Dry Kick waterproof fanny pack review

My friends and I went kayaking over the Independence Day weekend, and I carried our phones and other valuables in Mountainsmith's Dry Kick, a fanny pack variation on the traditional dry bag.

As a pure fanny pack, the Dry Kick leaves a lot to be desired.  There is zero padding on the bag, so it's not well-suited for long hikes. There's no organization, either; the interior pocket is one big bulbous space, and the front pocket is too small and flat to carry anything beyond a set of keys. Finally, only the interior pocket of the bag is actually waterproof.  The front pocket will withstand rain and light splashes, but not immersion.

That said, the Dry Kick succeeded in its primary mission. We encountered plenty of water during our kayak trip, but the main pocket stayed bone dry throughout.  The fanny pack form factor was also useful, in that the hip strap made it much less likely to be lost than a regular dry bag, and allowed taking items in and out with both hands while on the move.