TEST: The Scott Trail FR 5 hip belt comes with a volume of 5 L and is intended for use with a tank. You can find out how the hipbag performs on the trail here.
Testing the Scott Trail FR 5 hip belt
With a volume of five liters, the Scott hip bag is larger than average. This makes the Trail FR 5 hip belt particularly interesting for people who like to have two pieces of clothing with them on their tour - they can easily be accommodated. Large side pockets offer additional storage space. A very wide strap with elastic band promises comfort and the protectors can be attached under the hip bag for more uphill comfort. An easily accessible, wide-opening main compartment ensures good handling when packing. All in all, the Scott hip pack makes a very good first impression. Only the holder for a drinking bottle seems too small and less confidence-inspiring; the use of drinking bladders is not intended.
Facts & figures
| weight empty | 266 g |
| Weight including hydration bladder | - |
| hip circumference approx | 94 - 122 cm |
| Hip pocket volume | 5 L |
| Hydration bladder included | no |
| volume of the hydration bladder | - |
| Hose outlet left / right | - |
| length of hose | - |
| Compartment for bottle | yes, right |
| Attachment option for protectors | ja |
| Price | €59,95 |
| Price (replacement) bladder | - |
Compartment layout & inner workings
The main compartment of the Scott Trail FR 5 hip bag can be opened very wide. Accordingly, it can be loaded and unloaded very easily. The division of compartments is also cleverly designed – everything you need can be stowed away easily. Overall, there should only be one or two additional small pockets in this compartment. The mobile phone compartment on the outside is easy to reach and access. The hip bag also has a narrow compartment directly on the back. There could be room for things like a wallet, but we didn't really need the compartment.
In the left fin there is space for a few bars and a tool in a very voluminous pocket. Alternatively, with something stuffed, even a sweaty jersey fits in here.
In our opinion, the solution for accommodating the drinking bottle in the right fin is not ideal. Admittedly, our 0,75 liter steel bottle is more of an extreme example, but they also exist. When leaning forward, the large bottle finds too little support and slips out of the holder. This of course raises the following question: Does this also happen while riding the trail? Spoilers: No! Smaller bottles with 0,5 L made of plastic sit much better in the holder and the compression strap can deform them slightly due to the soft material and thus hold them better.
Strap & adjustment options
The wide, well-ventilated strap of the Scott Trail FR 5 Hipbag ensures it is comfortable to wear. Thanks to the elastic band, you won't be crushed and the hip bag adapts very well to movements overall. The only big catch: Only giants seem to work with Scott, because even for our tester, who is 180 cm tall and has a slim build, the harness just fits - it's almost too big. Smaller and narrower people and are unfortunately excluded from the circle of buyers here. The strap also does not have a click fastener - this raises the question of the probably shorter service life of the Velcro fastener.
There are no real compression straps on the hip pack, but the straps on the bottle and protector holders can at least slightly compress the contents of the bag. However, this becomes problematic primarily when the hip bag is only slightly filled.
In action & on the trail
The hip bag sits very comfortably and well on the trail. Even on rough descents, almost nothing slips here. This puts the Trail FR 5 way ahead of the pack when it comes to fit in the test field – with the following minor limitations: Due to the lack of compression straps, the contents of the hip bag can rattle and sometimes slip when the hip bag is not full. However, one thing is also clear: a hat pocket is quickly filled - even a jacket or jersey prevents the problem. The position of the bottle is a bit negative. This is attached close to the back; through the soft, airy back part of the hip bag, the shape of the bottle pushes through a bit. So you can always feel them on the side of your back. Despite the airy-looking bottle holder, we didn't even lose our large steel test bottle. In this respect, the mount fulfills its purpose, at least on the trail.
Attaching the protectors under the hip bag is easy and uncomplicated - only the management of the long straps is a bit ugly.
