July 6th, 2009 by 
adam
Recently, we met with the energetic folks from a local company, Kangatek. They introduced us to their innovative new product, the KangaTek Go personal holder. It is a new approach to the backpack and fannypack. It is neither since it is sleeker and more accessible, yet it fulfills some of the same function.
Essentially, the KangaTek Go is a bag that looks like a wide strap worn across your chest. It has 4 pockets or separate compartments throughout the wide, colored area. The compartments different-sized and can be easily opened by a hidden zipper. It is adjustable in length and can be worn on either shoulder.
This pack has 101 uses but since this is a cycling site, we’ll explore its functionality as a cycling accessory. We tried it on the mountain bike, road bike and commuter/cruiser bike. In it, we put a camera, cell phone, gps, water bottle, Ipod, keys, maps, food, and many other interesting items. We believe that the best for it now is as a commuter bag. The commuter cyclist is a bit more upright and relaxed and has the need to access several things during the ride. The road bike or race bike position is a bit too hunched over and will cause the KangaTek Go to droop down. The mountain bike application is a bit rough and bouncy that the Kangatek Go can get bounced around the chest.
As a commuter/cruiser accesory, this worked quite well. The cell phone, Ipod and keys were within easy access in the first pocket. Wallet, and food were easily available as well. And I like to carry a digital camera around and that fit in quite well in one of the pockets. The biggest advantage of using this carrier as opposed to sticking accessories in a backpack, jersey pocket or pants pocket is things are easy to access. One has to stop of course but answering the cell phone, adjusting the ipod, using the garage remote are all easily performed.
Some of the things we liked about it are the easy access, cool design and colors, storage capacity and flexibility of wearing positions. Some of the things we didn’t like is the neoprene material had a strong rubber smell to it when new. Also it keeps the shoulder area a bit warm on hot days. Some folks at the office did not like the way it looks so you’ll have to decide if you like the styling.
But it is 10x better than the fanny pack. And we like that it keeps you close to your many ‘essentials’ while enjoying the outdoors.
This should be available in retailers soon but you can buy them directly from the manufacturer website below.
Here is an informational video from Kangatek
July 8th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Interesting idea, but I don’t think it really services outdoor activities like running an cycling very well. In my experience, the chest and back area should be kept free to help keep the body cool during perspiration or hot weather. The wide straplike design appears to cover about 3-4 inches wide of surface area across your body’s core.
This would make a better urban city pedestrian style accessory than a sport related one.
July 16th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
I purchased Kangatek’s Go recently and have found it very helpful. What I like most about it is that I can keep all my things like my wallet, keys, iPod, camera, etc., in one place and when I change clothes I don’t have to unload everything and reload it all again. I just take off the Go, change, throw it back on and I’m off. Also, when compared to the alternatives like a backpack, the Go is a good deal less cumbersome.