Front Packs

Reviewed by Mountainman_270

A product from European outdoor gear manufacturer Helikon Tex; from their bushcraft line. An excellent pouch to carry immediate necessities for bush, trail, or even around town. Light, of excellent quality, and very affordable.

This is an affordable, lightweight chest pack that can carry some immediate necessities where they can be reached easily. The Helikon Tex Numbat is a well designed, well built rig.  Front view of the Numbat.There are two stuff pouches ion the front here.There is also MOLLE slots and shock cord on bottom. I placed my knife there. Whether you are hunting, hiking, mountaineering, this great piece of gear might work for you. A person can carry navigation, fire starting, multitools and a good bunch more in this kit.

Read more: Helikon-Tex Chest Pack Numbat review (1)

Featured review by Douglas Leonhardt

The Ribz Pack is an excellent way to carry items that you want to have immediately accessible like camera, map, compass/GPS, or binoculars. Also convenient for snacks or gel packs. Also allows for better weight distribution.

If you have ever considered upgrading your pack because you a little extra room, stop! Consider the Ribz Pack instead. I was looking to upgrade my 65 liter High Sierra Titan pack because I was needing extra cargo space, especially for winter excursion. Instead, I tried the Ribz Pack. I have the large (11 liter) in grey and so far has worked out very well. I recommend one of the lighter colors as it makes it easier to find smaller items. The first items I put in were some of the 10 Essentials: multitool, knife, small survival kit, space blanket, Sawyer Mini Filter and first aid kit.

Read more: RIBZ Front Pack reviews (4)

Reviewed by Alex Simon

I found this pack very user friendly and it provided a great fit for a universal design product. Works great both when worn by itself or when I pair it with my backpacks or hydration packs.

I decided to check out this pack after I met someone who was wearing one. We were both chatting as we were packing up, and he proceeded to remove his front pack and backpack with one click. I continued to loosen straps and release buckles until all my gear was off. I asked him about his pack and he gave me a rundown. A couple days later when I was on the computer, I checked out the company Revamp Gear. The company appears to be a new one based out of Florida. I was surprised with how helpful the owner was when I asked questions on his site.

Read more: Revamp Gear Front Pack review (1)

Featured review by LoneStranger

Designed to be used as part of an Aarn Bodypack these versatile front bags have proven to work pretty well with other backpacks too. The balancing benefits of carrying a small amount of weight in the front are quite noticeable, especially with heavier loads in back. Easy access to water bottles, snacks, camera gear, and other items you need to use often on trail are a great fringe benefit.

Aarn is a New Zealand based company that has been making a system they call a Bodypack in various forms for almost two decades. The man behind the designs, Aarn Tate has been focused on creating packs with an eye on balance since the '70s. One of the keys to his designs is the use of a small bag or bags carried on the front with enough weight to counter balance the load carried on the back. I purchased a set of their Sport Balance Pockets in March 2015 and was soon able to figure out how to attach them to both my Osprey and Kelty packs.

Read more: Aarn Sport Balance Pockets reviews (2)