Waist Pouch Collection.
Now let's show our personal collections, which everyone has been waiting for. Let's start with Mr. Matsukawa.
Matsukawa's personal waist pouch
Matsukawa:There are many others, but this time I focused on "Patagonia" and brought it here.
Akimoto:It's almost all covered.
Matsukawa:Really? I don't have a strong preference to use only Patagonia, but I often use Patagonia because I like the coloring and the feel of the fabric.
Westfield:Is there a point of purchase or something?
Matsukawa:If I see a color scheme I don't have, I'll buy it. I don't have a particularly geeky point of view.
Westfield:Right? (laughs). This is another thing with waist pouches. They are not particularly particular about it.
Matsukawa's favorite
Patagonia's hip bolt. The brand's signature waist bag. It comes in a variety of colors, but Mr. Matsukawa chose a chic one.
The Patagonia Lumbar Compression 1st, which is believed to have only appeared in the 1993 catalog, is equipped with compression straps on each side for an adjustable fit.
Patagonia's lumbar compression pack has been introduced since 1994, taking over the design of the 1st pack. It boasts of its strong popularity for its flashy red and yellow coloring and high storage capacity. Ms. Nishino also owns a bag in the same colors.
Next, Mr. Nishino.
Mr. Nishino's personal waist pouch
Westfield:ぼくは色んなブランドのモノを使いますね。その日の入れるモノの量によって、使い分けていて、少量のときは〈アークテリクス〉。結構持ち運ぶときは〈マウンテンスミス〉を使いますね。あと〈エルメス〉とかもあります。
Akimoto:Interesting lineup.
Westfield:Actually, I've been using the current model from [MontBell] a lot lately because you can change the capacity depending on your luggage, but for some reason I haven't been able to find it. I can't find it for some reason, but I highly recommend it.
Matsukawa:Many of the items are colorful, which is typical of Mr. Nishino.
Akimoto:Are you going to buy the current ones too?
Westfield:I totally buy things. I buy things because I like the color or the pattern, but there are also things I never use (laughs).
The chalk bag from "Black Diamond" also has a nice coloring.
Westfield:I bought this when I went to New York, and it is just right for holding cigarettes and such. I sometimes wear it as a waist pouch and sometimes as a chalk bag.
Matsukawa:You use two? That's greedy!
Mr. Nishino's favorite
Arc'teryx fanny bag. With the resurgence in popularity of Arc'teryx, the secondhand clothing market has seen an upsurge in prices.
L.L. Bean's waist bag is equipped with a drink holder on the front. The mesh fabric keeps the contents dry.
Last but not least, we have Akimoto-san to look forward to.
Akimoto:ぼくのは私物と店のストックが混ざってるんですけど…。
Some of Akimoto's personal items & store inventory
Westfield:The amount of buts is not humungous.
Matsukawa:This is bad, this is fun!
Westfield:Is there any particular one that you think is better?
Akimoto:If we are talking only about the outdoor area, the top three are usually decided.
You have a steadfast object.
Akimoto:One is the hip bolt from Patagonia that Mr. Matsukawa is wearing.
Matsukawa:Yeah, I'm kind of glad (laughs).
Akimoto:The other two are a model called Half Moon by Dayna Design and Wingate II by Black Diamond.
Matsukawa:What are those top 3 because of the higher market price?
Akimoto:No, it's not that, it's the size and ease of use. What is required in a waist bag is a good balance of girth, depth, and wide opening. However, the size and other factors will vary depending on the scene of use, so there are of course other models that make it into the top three, depending on the person.
Matsukawa:Yes, that's interesting.
Akimoto:Wingate of Black Diamond has I, II, and III models, and II is said to be the best model.
Westfield:Many of the items that Akimoto-san has are large in size.
Matsukawa:やっぱりこう見てるとぼくは小さいのが好きだな。
Westfield:How much is this? It's expensive, isn't it? 39,800 yen?
Akimoto:Triple Play" by Mountainsmith is not that far off, maybe in the mid-10,000s.
Matsukawa:I'd spend this amount of money on this size... (laughs)
Akimoto:Yes, it is compact and basic in shape, but it is a masterpiece.
Westfield:It's easy if it's around 2 or 3,000 yen. A waist pouch is just right to wear with a tension that you don't mind losing it (laughs).
A nylon waist bag from "Mountainsmith" in the 1990s that happened to be a matching bag.
Trying on time begins. Mr. Matsukawa is wearing a Hipmate with the old Gregory purple logo tag, and Mr. Nishino is wearing a Gregory Tailmate Jr.
Akimoto's favorite
Gregory's Tailmate Jr. This model is an updated version of the famous Tail Mate that is more casual and easy to use. There is a wide variety of colorful items, and on this day Mr. Nishino purchased a yellow and gray one.
Black Diamond's Wingate II. This climbing brand is the successor to Chouinard Equipment, founded by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. The all-black, modern design has functionality that would make any outdoorsman swoon.
Lumbar bag by DAYNA DESIGN. This brand was the predecessor to Mystery Ranch. The front pocket has a show bit pocket for a shirt, etc. The bag is probably designed to be used in the mountain bike scene.
Westfield:When you hear it this way, waist pouches are deep and insanely interesting.
Matsukawa:That's true. But you can never make it to the mainstream (laughs).
Westfield:Yes, that's another good point. It was fun, like "The World That Matsuko Doesn't Know.
Thank you very much. The roundtable discussion began in a state of exploration, but it was interesting to hear from a variety of perspectives. In conclusion, it seems unlikely that waist pouches will be popular in the fashion context, but in terms of functionality and ease of use, they seem to have the potential to be popular with the masses. Listening to you made me want to try it on, so I hope this article will be an opportunity for someone to try it.
