Tamrac 5525034 Advantage Hip Pack (Black/Camo)

About a million manufacturers make waist packs, and initially I was looking at stuff by Jansport and High Sierra for something cool. I own several Tamrac camera bags, but had no idea they also made waist packs. Looking at this item, $18 seemed to be a lot for what it appeared to be. An Amazon merchant had one for sale for about seven bucks including shipping, so based on Tamarac's reputation for producing quality products, I decided to take a chance.The 5525 Adventure Photo Hip Pack, is well-constructed, in keeping with Tamrac's high quality standards. Yet unlike their camera bags, there really isn't much that is special about this pack. There are only two compartments, one in the front, and the main compartment behind it. Many waist packs have a third compartment on the backside that rests against the body, but this one does not.One plus is that there is a nice layer of padding on the cover, and in the panels of the main compartment, which should be quite beneficial when carrying a phone, camera, or other electronic device. Inside the main compartment are two fairly deep pockets, for segregating items. There is no padding in the front panel of the front compartment. The nylon belt is rather narrow, at only one inch wide. A belt 1.2 inch or wider, would be preferred. The belt can extend to fit a waistline of about 45 inches.Most don't think about it, but one of the keys to durability of a hip pack is actually the belt clip. If your clip happens to break, replacement could be problem. The clip on this pack looks similar to the kind of clip found on many of Tamrac's camera bags (minus the Tamrac logo), and hopefully is durable.The Adventure Photo Hip Pack is well made, but may not be worth the premium price. With a little more effort, a third compartment (which I would like to have) could have been provided. The thin belt gives the pack a cheapo look, and may tend to "bite" into the flesh for those that are a little chubby. Having paid seven bucks, I'm not too upset, but I can't really recommend this product at $18. Tamrac makes great camera bags, but I would look elsewhere for a hip pack.