The Mountainsmith Knockabout Makes Hiking and Traveling With Kids Much Easier

There’s no small bag we use more on hikes or flights

Photo courtesy Mountainsmith

I acquired two Mountainsmith Knockabout bags a few years ago, figuring my growing family could use some easy-to-carry wearables that could fit snacks, emergency supplies, and other stuff that I, a few months from becoming a father, didn’t need yet but would soon find mandatory each time I left the house. Both bags were immediately co-opted by my wife, who has for three years now used them for two primary purposes: First, carrying her phone and small stuff on hikes, and carrying snacks and small stuff for our daughter when she’s with us (which is almost always). Second, at least one of the bags has been with us on every flight since our daughter was born.

She wears it so often that when we go anywhere outside and she doesn’t have it on, I look at her as though she’s missing something that I can’t quite place. Then it hits me – the Knockabout has for all this time prevented one of us from needing a full daypack when the other wears one. To be clear, the Knockabout isn’t going to replace a backpack if you’re traveling solo or need supplies for a full day in the field. Rather, it’s a way for one person out of a pair to remain agile enough to carry or otherwise escort a small child down the trail.

It’s easy to find anything you put into it because the main zipper opens to provide an aerial view of the entire interior. Chapstick and a multi-tool, always quick to slip to the bottom of any pack, are easily retrieved without having to unbuckle the pack from waist or shoulder.

How to get the most out of the Mountainsmith Knockabout

Riding atop the Snowbird tram with a Knockabout. Photo: Alisha Wenger

Beyond hiking, we use the Knockabout on travel days because it’s small enough to sneak under a sweatshirt or jacket and wear onto the plane without counting as a carry-on. This, again, is perfect for traveling with kids because it, again, holds snacks that otherwise would have been stuffed into my pocket and likely smushed. It’s also great for keeping a passport handy when moving through security and customs. Hotel room keys, a notebook, and other small must-haves fit nicely as well. All this goes to say that this $40 bag quickly became a tool that we hesitate to leave home without – and when you’re entirely overwhelmed by #parentlife, that makes it indispensable.

We’re not the only ones who have discovered this. The pack is regularly sold out on REI’s website, but it remains consistently available through Amazon. Colors include black, teal blue, red, and bright green – so it can match even those multi-color puffy jackets that I see everywhere these days. Users on both sites as well as the Mountainsmith website consistently praise the Mountainsmith Knockabout for its versatility – it holds more than it looks like it will, and if you’re too self-conscious to hip pack it, it slings easily over the shoulder. The compact size actually works to its advantage because the Knockabout doesn’t waste any space and doesn’t add much weight to your body, making it ideal for travel, hiking, and everyday use.

It’s been years since something so seemingly simple has become such a staple for us when traveling or in the outdoors. The Knockabout makes a great gift and is also an affordable addition to your travel or outdoor setup that you can buy on a whim without feeling guilty about it – even including shipping the total cost is less than a date night.

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What could be better about the Mountainsmith Knockabout

Photo courtesy Mountainsmith

The Mountainsmith Knockabout is tough – both still function after three years of heavy use. They’re incredibly dependable. But I have a hard time imagining how we’d use them if we didn’t have a kid – I hardly ever leave the house without a backpack on, and most of the stuff I put in that backpack won’t fit into the Knockabout. The one place where I think I’d still use it is as a flight accompaniment, particularly if I’m flying on a budget airline that doesn’t allow a full-size carry-on. As noted, it’s easy to get this thing on planes.

The strap is connected to the top of one side of the pack and fastens onto the bottom of the other side, rather than a traditional fanny pack that straps from the two sides. Because of this I find it kind of awkward when strapped around the waist. I like it much better as a shoulder sling, but I realize that could be no more than personal preference. Alisha wears it primarily around her shoulder as well, though I’ve seen her strap it around her waist on several occasions and she hasn’t complained of any awkwardness.
Price: $39.99

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