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Rodeo x Exile Designs: Fannie Packer 3.0

$99.50

Fannie is back after a one year sabbatical in which it traveled the world and grew into a more mature person…er… fanny pack / handlebar bag.

For the 2021 bags we worked with Exile designs to create the next chapter in Fannie’s history. The bags continue to be made here in Colorado as they have been since Matt at Exile first started making them one by one on his basement sewing machine.

Fannie Packer at its core is a highly versatile bag that can be worn as a hip pack with water bottle pockets on the side, or those pockets can be tucked in and the bag can convert to a lower profile handlebar bag with the included straps.

The Fannie Packer V3.0 has all the functionality of previous versions, just with another level of refinement.  The most significant change is in the bottle pockets. Again.  The pockets feature a more durable Spandura mesh and are now one-hand-adjustable. This makes the pockets more suitable for carrying typical water bottles securely but also allows them to carry smaller items without fear of things falling out or getting lost.  The overall patterning and construction of the bags saw some minor tweaks and refinements to simplify and fine tune the pack.  Fabrics throughout were selected based on what the Colorado manufacturer / sewer had left-over from other projects.  All are first quality and perfect for use in bike bags, but would normally be passed over in favor of ordering new rolls of fabric for larger production. We like that this was a small way that we could lower the overall waste footprint of this bag when compared to sourcing new fabric and having it made just for this bag. We still use a water-resistant YKK zipper, a wide comfortable hipbelt, and all the other niceties every Fannie Packer should have.

For the sake of showing function we are using some (blue topo) Fannie 2.0 photos, but please refer to the images shown when selecting a color for the exact available 2021 colors.

The name Fannie Packer originated with one of the original Rodeo team riders, Chris Magnotta. He has been riding with various new and vintage fanny packs since the day we met him. From time to time his packs would erupt their zipper or eject their contents or the belt would slip, so at some point we decided that we just needed to make Chris a new fanny pack from scratch. This is the idea that we took to Matt at Exile Designs when we started the project. We told Matt about Chris, we told him we wanted a really versatile and durable fanny pack, and then we let Matt go to down designing, constructing, revising, and perfecting the final product. We were astonished with the 1.0 bag that Matt finally delivered. It didn’t seem like a crude one-off design at all. The Fannie Packer is a very professional, very polished design that speaks very highly of the quality invested in all Exile Designs bags. Now, years down the road with Fannie 3.0 the details are even more refined than those early bags and the function of the bag has only increased. With years and thousands of miles of riding to it’s name Fannie has truly stood the test of time.

Fannie is equally at home on your hip as a fanny pack or attached to your handlebars as a bar bag via the integrated belt or included handlebar attachment straps.

Fannie Packer uses water resistant zippers and fabrics to keep your gear safe from the elements. We wouldn’t take it scuba diving, but we do carry our camera gear in it when out in the rain.

Fannie Packer has a large main compartment measuring 3″ x 7″ x 11″. Inside the main compartment are some low profile dividers along one side for organizing things like cash, cards, cell phone, or small gear.

Fannie Packer has a single exterior pocket for other low profile cargo.

Fannie Packer has an exit port to allow the use of hydration bladders.

Fannie Packer has two water bottle compartments on each side which can be used to stash gear or clothing in addition to water bottles. New on Fannie Packer 3.0 the bottle pockets are fully enclosed Spandura mesh and feature a drawstring which allows you to stash any gear you like in the pockets without fear that anything will escape.

 

The side buckles of the pack can be tucked into a special central sleeve inside of the main compartment to turn the Fannie Packer into a supremely awesome handlebar bag or hand held bag. Two small Voile straps are included with Fannie Packer and loop through the top of the bag to secure it as a bar bag. A drawstring is also included with a foam pad for attaching to the bottom loops of the bag and securing to your head tube which prevents the bag from bouncing around in rugged riding.

The bottom edge of the bag also has two loops for attaching a tube, pumps, clothing, or any other gear that you desire.

Each Fannie Packer is 100% hand made Colorado. Our goal with this project is simply to collaborate with an awesome maker, create something from scratch, use our platform to encourage innovative products, and share the results with the world.