Hokus Pokus

As much as I like my gear to be simple, I'm also drawn to clever things that serve a couple of needs. I've always been a sucker for Swiss Army Knives even though my dad pointed out years ago that a Swiss Army Knife really isn't much of a knife and I am one of those guys who Robin Williams was talking about when he said "Many of you men have never opened Chardonnay under fire." Still, I quested until I found a Swiss Army Knife that really is a pretty decent knife and that lacks a corkscrew while sporting some tools that I actually use.

The Deuter Hokus Pokus is my latest two-trick pony. I like being able to carry some stuff on my person rather than on the bike and I've never been big on stuffing my jersey pockets. I've tried various backpacks and little fanny bags and other things. Most of the time a lumbar bag is just about right, but sometimes I get the call from my wife to pick up something at the store or I have to run a couple of packages to the post office. I don't need a huge bag for those tasks, but something bigger than a lumbar bag is called for. That something is the Hokus Pokus.



Most of the time I use the Hokus Pokus as a lumbar pack. It's big enough to hold my wallet, some snacks, a notebook, and other daily odds-and-ends. But when I need a bit more carrying capacity, I unzip a big wrap-around zipper and like magic the bag transforms into a day-pack. What I like about the Hokus Pokus is that it's a really good lumbar pack. It's a good size, with a good layout and it's very comfortable. The fold-away backpack tucks really nicely into the padded lumbar section and when it's packed away it doesn't poke or feel awkward in any way. When the pack is deployed, it's a pretty normal looking daypack with two side-mesh pockets, lightweight shoulder-straps and a good-sized main compartment.

I've customized my Hokus Pokus with a Nathan rear reflective triangle and a Blackburn Mars 2.0 triangular flasher. If your local bike or sporting goods shop carries Deuter gear they should have or be able to order the Hokus Pokus. If you can't find one locally, you can order one from Amazon. Clicking the link below will take you to Amazon and if you do buy it via the link, I get a little cash kickback.







Just a little side note on the power of the internet and online marketing. Enough of you folks bought Princetontec EOS lights via a link I included in my review of that light to actually cover what I originally paid for the light. To date that's been the most successful link. I'm not getting rich of this, but it is slowing the rate at which I'm going broke buying stuff!