If you’re opting for a mountain bike waist bag or hip pack rather than a rucksack, you’ll want something that’s secure, allows you to keep all your essentials to hand, and feels comfortable while you ride.

Scott Six Days hip-belt bag presumably takes its name from the Scottish motorbike trials event where riders compete in tough conditions for a week around Fort William. Mountain bikers also need to carry kit in all weathers, and if you prefer to do it on the waist, even with a bigger load, then this 4.5l pack has got your back.

I’ve regularly used this product’s predecessor for over half a decade and found it to be a very robust and sorted solution, with a capacity almost approaching a backpack, but with the load at the waist where I prefer it.

Quality materials are used everywhere and the multiple compartments inside and on the wings are all logical and allow loads of ways of organising kit. The main body is covered by neoprene, so it’s stretchy and also deals with rain, mud and splashes really well.

This Six Days model sits as rock solidly as the previous model, even stuffed full to the brim, and is now also cleaner looking. I’ve even carried a full size DSLR camera and spare lens that weighs 1.5kg, plus inner tube, multitool, CO2 canisters, food and more in it all around the Alps for multiple summers with zero issues.

Not being padded, it’s obviously not designed for camera carrying, but it gives you an idea how much you can fit inside, including a proper waterproof jacket if needed.

Most hip packs simply can’t accommodate this much kit as the main compartment isn’t voluminous enough, and if they do get close, they also struggle to stay stable and peel away from the lower spine or bounce about when riding rough terrain.

That’s not the case with Scott’s pack though, as a massive wraparound Velcro waist strap with really coarse and grippy hook/loop fabric holds firm (and also maintains its ‘stick’ for years, unlike finer Velcro that get tufty).

On top of this, a belt-and-braces approach to stability sees a sturdy plastic clasp cinch a broad nylon webbed strap into the waist and small of the back, which further keeps cargo tight against the body, even when bulky and fully laden.

Basically, the Six Days pack is surprisingly stable and wobble-free considering how much you can carry and with none of the sweaty back and shoulders normally associated with lugging this much kit in a backpack.

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