Submitted by Carol Warren, Team Easyboot 2012 Member
I just had to write about this saddle bag. The product description on the EasyCare page does not do it justice. I was tired of my old cantle bags always shifting and bouncing. I ordered the Western Stowaway Slim on a whim and I have been thrilled with it so far. Its construction is unique. When I first took it out of the box, I thought they had sent me the fanny pack instead of the Western Stowaway Slim Saddle Bag, as it so long and slender. This cantle bag has a padded bottom that is covered in a velour-like fabric. This is the best idea I have ever seen in a saddle bag. The pad keeps the bag flat on the back of your saddle and it protects your saddle leather. The pad is curved and fits snugly behind the cantle. There are two very long straps that allow several options when tying the bag onto your saddle.
This is the side of the Western Stowaway Slim cantle bag the lays against the saddle. Note its contoured shape and the long straps to tie it to your saddle. The straps have snap buckles for easy adjustment and quick removal.
The thick and soft base of the saddle bag. This rests on the back of your saddle
The nylon bag part is a medium weight nylon, not the heavy cordura like I am used to. This nylon is slightly shiny, adding to the “pretty factor”. It is also very easy to clean, and appears water resistant. The saddle bag has an excellent quality zipper that has two ends, so you easily access any thing anywhere in the bag. All the zippers have tags on them so they are very easy to locate. There are two smaller pockets on the outer sides of the bag. These are just perfect for holding a camera, phone, small binoculars, snacks, maps or GPS. Another great addition to this bag is the straps that are on bags. They can be used to snug up the contents you have in the bag, but the were designed to allow you to tie a jacket or raincoat quickly and easily on top of the bag.
Note the gray loops on the zippers. These really make it easy to grasp the zippers.
This bag is very slender. It does not stick up above your cantle, unless you tie a coat above the bag. I really like this. I ride competitive trail challenges. We often are asked to mount or dismount in a variety of ways, and a large bag just gets in the way of your leg going across the cantle. So far this bag has not shifted from side to side and I have not noted it bouncing on the trail. This is a great bag for day use. My only bad comment is it seems a little pricey, but if it lasts for several years of trail riding, it would be well worth the price. I think my next bag will be green, since we wear a lot of green!
Just enough shine to make the bag pretty on a pretty saddle! Notice how well it lays on the saddle and how flat it is.