Designed to meet the needs of everyday life on and off the bike, the London-made Wizard Works Munin Mini Messenger is a shoulder bag that’s small in stature but big on handy features. After nearly a year of daily use around town and on trips far from home, Lucas shares his thoughts in this review…

Additional photos by Dave Jewell

Hip bags, or fanny packs, as they’re really called, have had a proper resurgence in popularity in recent years, along with a handful of other surprising things from my ‘80s childhood that I never expected to make a comeback. Despite never fully shedding their dorky reputation, it’s hard to argue with the practicality and versatility of a small bag to haul everyday essentials. I love being able to haul a camera, bike lock, keys, lights, and other little but important items when I pop out of the house or travel, so I’ve jumped back on the bandwagon in recent years. 

I prefer the look and feel of wearing them over my shoulder instead of around my waist, though, and not all hip packs translate well to being worn across the body. Specifically, some end up being awkward to get into, and the main issue that plagues them is a tendency to flop around from back to front when worn on the bike. DIY solutions exist, but thanks to the introduction of shoulder-specific cousins such as the Wizard Works Munin Mini, I no longer feel compelled to fuss with them. 

From Popped to Perfected

The byproduct of a sleeping pad mishap on an extended bikepacking trip around Australia, Europe, and Northern Africa, the Munin Mini is the brainchild of Wizard Works co-founder Harry Major. Not wanting his popped sleeping pad to end up in the landfill, he hung onto it for many months until inspiration struck. Back home in London, he built the first Munin Mini prototype from the pad to accommodate his hybrid life getting around the city on foot and by bike.

Harry’s prototype Munin Mini Messenger made from a sleeping pad

Inside, Harry kept his daily stuff: keys, wallet, business cards, a pen, ibuprofen, glasses wipe, a notebook, a shopping bag, and an umbrella in the winter for on and off-bike commutes, holidays, and everything in between. He needed quick access to his wallet to tap his card on the tube, so he designed it without buckles or external zippers, instead relying on a velcro closure. After around two years of constant use, Harry and his partner Ve finally released the Munin Mini as a proper Wizard Works product in mid-2023. One can only pop so many sleeping pads, so they launched it in several practical and hardwearing Cordura colors instead.

Features and Tech Specs

Occupying the sweet spot between a small hip bag and a larger backpack, the Munin Mini Messenger has a 3.5-liter capacity and measures 11” wide by 6.7” high by 3.15” deep (28cm wide by 17cm high by 8cm deep). It’s ideally sized to fit a broad range of wearers comfortably. Empty, it weighs a barely noticeable 8.8 ounces (250 grams), and a soft and generously wide shoulder strap helps keep it comfortable when full. 

Priced at £88 ($120) and backed by a lifetime warranty, Wizard Works offers readymade bags sewn from 500D Cordura Nylon in Black, Olive, and Tan and 1000D Cordura Polyester in Splatter, both of which feature a high-vis 210D Nylon inner lining. It’s also available in an array of custom colors and fabrics for a small upcharge. Being a stitched bag, it’s water resistant, not waterproof, but water has never managed to make it through the multiple layers of Cordura and Nylon in light rain during my time with the Munin.  

With most handmade bags from established brands in the bikepacking space being quite good by the time they reach customers these days, it’s the small details that set truly bags apart, and the Munin Mini excels in that regard. It’s exceptionally well thought through. I recall a conversation with Harry a few years back in which he passionately expressed his belief that buyers should never be the ones doing the prototyping; the Wizard Works team won’t rush a final product. Feature-wise, the Munin Mini Messenger abounds with user-friendly touches, including an unobtrusive, detachable stabilizing strap that keeps it in place while riding, a zippered inner pocket for secure storage (my wallet and passport go in here), a key clip (every bag should have one of these!), and a pair of low-profile mesh pockets in the main compartment to aid with organization. The shoulder strap is adjustable to help perfect the fit. 

Visually, the Munin Mini has refined, clean lines and doesn’t call much attention to itself. Both aspects are well suited to a bag ready to be worn in all kinds of settings (the same couldn’t be said of my blaze orange Chrome messenger bag with a big ol’ seatbelt buckle on the front 20ish years ago). It’s deceptively simple and understated. 

At first, I was skeptical of the velcro closure, but I’m a believer a year later. Speaking with Harry last fall, I expressed my concern about the velcro wearing out with time, and he assured me that the premium hook and loop velcro they use has a 10,000 open-and-close cycle lifetime at something like 70-percent strength. After multiple years of use, Harry says his Munin Mini still closes tightly, and mine still functions like new. The velcro area is generous, and it’s nearly impossible to close it in a way that doesn’t feel secure, assuming it’s not completely overstuffed. 

MUNIN ON THE MOVE

By now, my Munin Mini has accompanied me on hundreds of little jaunts and errands around town, whether walking, riding, or occasionally hopping in the car. It’s also accompanied me on trips to Europe and Mexico, toting my camera and other essentials around various cities. It’s not something I’d consider bringing on a bikepacking trip, but Wizard Works offers many other brilliant bags for that purpose.

I’m surprised by how often I reach for the Munin when leaving the house. I typically wore my full-size backpack or toted a basket bag before getting it, but I’ve found that it can fit what I need more often than not. It’s not large enough to haul groceries or my laptop, but it easily fits my tablet and a lock, lights, etc., if I want to get some work done at a coffee shop or pedal out to meet up with a friend at the end of the day. The Munin is unstructured and doesn’t have much padding, so you have to give a little thought to how you pack it so things aren’t jabbing into your back, but it’s not hard to make it comfortable with a little attention to packing.

On the bike, I’m impressed by how well the stabilizer strap works. I have yet to have the bag slide around on me, and it’s quick to attach and remove. I’d like to see an exterior loop for attaching a light—perhaps behind the label with the logo would be an elegant spot. The inner mesh pockets can also be a bit finicky to access, especially when the bag is fully packed, but that’s a minor qualm. My only real regret with the Munin is not going for the lovely Olive color, but that’s entirely on me.

• Capacity: 3.5 liters
• Actual Weight: 264 grams with strap (234 grams without)
• Material (as tested): Cordura
• Place of Manufacture: London, UK
• Price: £88 ($120)
• Manufacturer’s Details: Wizard.Works

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