Friday, June 25, 2010

Death of the Fanny Pack

I could start off this entry by simply listing the many reasons why I hate fanny packs with a burning passion. But, instead, I'd like to give you some more practical (and more fashionable) alternatives to the neon nylon crotch warmer.


The Backpack

It's simple! It's practical! It's... stylish?! You really can't go wrong with this option. Backpacks come in all different colors and sizes. With all of the variety you're bound to find a style that no one in the family with be ashamed to carry. Best of all, a backpack is your largest option next to a rolling suitcase. For big families this is wonderful.
I once owned a backpack that had two nets for water bottles and a super hip reflector that flashed when you pushed on it. 'Cause you know how hard it is to find people in the crowd after Wishes just finished and everyone is dashing for the exit on Main Street.


The only downside to a backpack is the way it's constructed. For those of you with a bad back (like me) the weight of a backpack seems to crush your shoulders and leaves you cranky at the end of the day. On that note, I move onto...


The Baggallini
These little babies have become quite popular on Disney forums. I first saw a family wearing them in a trip report and decided to look into it. They come in many colors and technically the brand does make different styles. I use the messenger bag style. Because of the single adjustable strap I don't have a pained back when the day is done.
The cool thing about this bag is all of the compartments that the average bag doesn't have. It looks like a relatively small bag but with all of the compartments you can really fit a lot! There is a net for your water bottle on the side. The strap has a flat zipper pouch that I carry all of our room key/park tickets in. It's SO handy to get up to the turnstiles and be able to whip out the cards in no time. I never have to worry about the cards falling out even if I forget to zip it back up because of the elastic band that holds them in tight. The construction of the bag is obviously genius. It's even machine washable!

If you're interested in ordering one of these beauties make sure to order from a place like ebags.com. If I remember correctly, you receive a discount for creating an ebags.com account and another one for using Google Checkout. Also be sure to order when the website is having a promotion or you can find a promo code. Talk about steep discounts! Check out Shoebuy.com and Bagsbuy.com as well because they also carry Baggallinis and have discounts now and then.

In the event that you're a solo traveler or aren't into carrying a lot of stuff with you into the parks, here are a few accessories that you might find handy.

The parks sell lanyards that have a plastic zipper pouch connected. It's a great, bag free, lightweight way of storing your park tickets and cash. Perfect for kids to store their spending cash in as well!


I've also seen canteen type things with a strap. They come in different colors and are quite large. If you're like me and you don't care if your water comes from a plastic bottle or a water fountain, then this might be a great way to stay hydrated throughout the day. There are also carriers that will fit your own water bottle inside. 

15 comments:

  1. Well, now I will be writing a blog entry about why I use a fanny pack. :)

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  2. HAHAHAHAHAHA! I love how we are complete opposites!

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  3. I don't like carrying anything. I'm writing a blog about traveling light.

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  4. When I go to Cedar Point I throw crap in my pockets. I hate renting lockers. I should write about my hate for lockers. haha.

    We have went to a park without the baggallini but with Matt I don't like to because he has to have some medication. I also hate physically carrying around a water bottle so it's nice to have a place to put it.

    I'm paranoid about putting things in my pockets though. I just feel like I always have to grab myself to make sure my stuff hasn't fallen out.

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  5. I get paranoid about stuff in Graham's pockets. I make him give me some things on "wilder" rides.

    Why do you hate lockers?

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  6. I'm curious...what all do you bring into the parks with you? I don't think I bring enough to fill a larger bag like that.

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  7. By no means do we fill it. Sometimes it just contains a few pairs of sunglasses, my phone, Matt's wallet, a few asprin in a baggy, and our ADR numbers on a piece of paper with a page protector. haha :) If it looks like rain I'll throw a sweatshirt in there too.

    I don't like lockers because of the cost. I just don't like spending extra money on it. Haha.

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  8. The lockers at WDW are cheap compared to the ones at Disneyland. Only $5 or something, I think.

    That doesn't sound like much stuff at all. Your bag must be pretty empty!

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  9. It is... which makes it nice to carry because it's not weighted down by anything except the water bottle. Sometimes we'll carry our pin lanyards and those suckers had a lot of weight though.

    We park hop so much we'd have to keep getting a locker here there and everywhere. Honestly, I don't even remember where lockers are in 3 out of 4 parks. HAHA! $5 is cheap compared to other parks. I've paid more. Ya know at Six Flags you can't carry ANYTHING with you onto a coaster and if you need to put something somewhere before you bored, you have to pay $1 to store something simple like sunglasses each time you ride. Ridiculous.

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  10. I think it's $10 at Disneyland. Boo. We only go there for 2 full days though.

    At WDW, if we park hop we only do it once a day. And it's nice that you don't have to pay for a new locker in another park. If it's the same day you just show your recent and pay the deposit (which you get back.)

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  11. I have a small cross-body bag that I got at Walmart. It will hold everything including a water bottle. It was $5. I usually use it as a carry on bag when I travel.

    Cargo shorts with zipper pockets are the way to go.

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  12. What about SCOTTEVEST? That might work just fine, especially since they have every type of SCOTTEVEST available, though I wish it had more brands...

    BJ

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  13. What the heck is that?! Looking it up now!

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  14. Graham may have mentioned something like that in his blog.....

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