Kifaru Fanny | Review

“Why should the female kangaroo have this huge pouch and I have nothing? I have things to carry too. At least give me a pocket!” - Old man, Seinfeld

The old man from Kramers Polar Bear Club had a point. As men, carrying all of our essentials can be a pain in the ass. I don’t know about you, but I hate stuffing my phone, keys, nicotine, knife and wallet into my pocket. Put my everyday carry on my waist and I’m either printing from a mile away, or I’m just uncomfortable. Women (and Lebron James) have their purses. Us men, like the male Kangaroo, don’t get shit.

Well, what about fanny packs? Aside from being the punchline of many gay jokes since they went out of style in the late 80s, most of the ones on the market aren’t exactly designed with a tactical focus. Nevertheless, when Kifaru released their version of a “tactical fanny” that promised durability, comfort and intuitive interior organization, we needed to give it a shot. Plus it looked better than 99% of the fanny packs we’ve seen.

Kifaru has a great reputation for making rugged gear with a well-thought-out design, and that’s fairly evident from The Fanny. The pack is made from 500D Cordura with a DWR finish, so the material is strong enough to handle most day-to-day activities, and you don’t have to worry about your gear getting wet in case of showers.

With packs like this, the first thing I worry about are the zippers giving out. For once I’d like to see a pack that has zippers that can stand even a few months of mild abuse. This fanny features YKK #8 zippers, what is the significance of that zipper? Who the hell knows. But they’ve held up great so far, so I’m pro #8.

The SecureStretch Webbing belt is an inch and half wide and fits a 26” - 46” waist, so assuming you’re not morbidly obese, it’s extremely comfortable and doesn’t pinch even when it is fully loaded with your essentials. The webbing loops on the inside are perfect for carrying my knife, flashlight, and an extra mag. The main compartment is big enough for most compact handguns, and even features a webbing tab trigger guard cover. Well played.

I was slightly disappointed that there weren’t more organizational options for the main compartment, and if the pack was even 10% larger, your range of compatible handguns would have skyrocketed, which would have been nice. My Glock 43 fits great, but once I start adding other EDC tools, it gets snug fast.

The idea of a tactical fanny is something I have hoped for for a long time. But every option that was released to the public just made me think of a lost tourist whose main priority in life was to visit more music festivals. Someone I hate. Has Kifaru flipped the script? I think so.

I’ve taken this pack dirt biking, shed hunting, my morning rucks, the office, even annoyingly boujee restaurants downtown with my wife, and it has held up great and looks as though it's brand new. It’s functional yet doesn’t scream “tactical” in that douchebag way that makes everyone around you feel uncomfortable. There are three colorways available (moss, slate & black), and each one looks better than any other fanny pack on the market. Huge aesthetic win for the fanny pack supporters.

Cost: $89.99

Pros: Comfortable, durable overall construction, heavy-duty zippers, easy to secure compact daily carry, slick design without looking too tactical, Kifaru’s customer service is the best in the biz.

Cons: A slightly larger footprint and more interior organizational options would make it perfect.

That’s it. That’s the Kifaru Fanny Review.