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Modular Sling
Cost: $55
Dimensions: 7.5″ x 4.2″ x 2.0“ (19 x 10.6 x 5 cm)
Style: Pouch Sling
Weight: 0.33 lbs (150 g)
Materials: X-Pac; YKK Zips
Origin: Made in China
Zip Clutch
Cost: $42
Dimensions: 7.3″ x 4.3″ x 0.4“ (18.5 x 11 x 1 cm)
Style: Pouch
Weight: 0.13 lbs (60 g)
Materials: X-Pac; YKK Zips
Origin: Made in China
Modular Sling and Zip Clutch Overview
I recently used the Alpaka Modular Sling as my camera bag and the Zip Clutch as my passport wallet while walking the Camino de Santiago through Portugal and Spain.
And with Alpaka recently dropping the V2 of the Modular Sling, I’ll show you what the differences are. Not only that, the V1 is still available in some of the brighter colors for about 30% off.
First, let’s break down exactly what the Alpaka Modular Sling and Zip Clutch can be used for, as well as the pros and cons of each.
Modular Sling
The Modular Sling is designed as a minimalist carry pouch. It can be worn either with a strap over your shoulder or attached to the shoulder of a backpack using Velcro tabs.
I chose this style because I wanted a small pouch that would be easy to access to hold my camera gear, allowing me to get quick video while hiking.
Because of that, I mostly carried a DJI Pocket 3 with a tripod, an extra battery, and a small USB cord.
For me, this worked perfectly because the pouch is designed as a top-opening pouch with side flaps that let you open the pouch completely without worrying about gear falling out.
Zip Clutch
The Zip Clutch is a much smaller, thin pouch designed to be used as a travel passport wallet, but with a little more room for some small everyday carry gear. I mostly used this as just a travel wallet. For that, it worked great: it can store a passport either in the larger main pocket or the back sleeve for easy access.
There are two card sleeves inside for credit cards, lots of room for cash in either the main pocket or the smaller front zippered pocket, and two small front pockets for a pen and pencil.
This pouch isn’t designed for bulky gear, but if you’re not carrying much, the main pouch is large enough for earbuds, a small charger and cord, and a set of keys.
A detachable leash lets you use it as a straight pouch. You could also detach the leash and loop it around either your belt or a loop in your pack for extra security.
Materials and Hardware
As far as materials go, if Alpaka does anything well, it’s pouches. I love their lineup. In addition to the pouches I’m showing you, they have many more styles and varieties.
Extremely well made, both these pouches come in X-pac waterproof fabric with YKK Aquaguard zippers, small and durable.
The new Modular Sling V2 is made from Axogrid, a four-layer laminate similar to X-pac but with recycled Axoflux fabric they use in travel backpacks, as the backing material.
Alpaka Modular Sling: Daily Carry
So, how does the Alpaka Modular Sling and the Zip Clutch actually hold up when it comes to daily carry?
I was walking the Camino de Santiago, so I almost always had my full backpack on me, with the Zip Clutch in the pack and the Modular Sling for my camera bag.
However, I didn’t carry a separate daypack, so on days where we had some time to explore town, I converted the Sling into a small EDC pouch.
It also works great for this if you don’t have anything too big. My phone, a Google Pixel 8, fits in all three of the larger sleeve pockets.
There’s a magnetic fold pocket on the front as well as both sleeve pockets on the inside of the pouch, but since I don’t carry 3 phones, I used the other sleeves for a battery pack, cords, and the main pouch for sunglasses and extra snacks.
On these days, the Modular Sling and the Zip Clutch were perfect. Neither pouch was overly bulky, and these pouches offered the exact usefulness and carrying ability that I was looking for.
Modular Sling Update
I have the V1 version of the Modular Sling. However, it’s worth noting that Alpaka recently updated it to the V2 model. The design is largely the same, but they made several modifications.
Including increased size to hold larger-sized phones, the Modular Sling V2 is about 1 cm larger in every dimension. The strap connection is now in the upper corners instead of on the back, like the V1.
The front pocket now has a magnet clasp instead of just a magnetic flap, which I think worked great to begin with. Finally, they added a strip of daisy chain webbing on the top and sides for attaching smaller gear.
While these aren’t major updates, they’re smaller tweaks that I think add to and improve the design.
Verdict: Alpaka Modular Sling and Zip Clutch
As far as minimalist travel pouches go, these two options are some of the most capable and well-made I’ve used. While they’re not perfect, the Modular Sling and the Zip Clutch can easily handle what you throw at them.
And with the recently upgraded Modular Sling V2, you now have even more options to pick from when deciding which pouch you want to go with, especially if you want a slightly bigger design that can fit larger gear.
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