Pioneer Safari Sling Review

The Pioneer Safari Sling is compact and durable. It carries your pocket-sized gear, but not much more. Will the capacity work for travel, or will we be left wanting more capacity? Let’s dive in and find out.

External Components

The sling is crafted from MANDARIN 840™, Pioneer’s specially developed ballistic nylon. It’s durable but not too heavy, which we dig, as this is a smaller sling, and we don’t want it to weigh us down. It has a DWR finish, too, which prevents water from seeping inside. In light rain, it works well. It’s best to head for cover or get it out of the elements in heavier precipitation.

The zippers are from YKK, which is a good sign. They’re just as durable as the fabric and are smooth to open and close. The main compartment has two zipper heads, so you can leave them on either side when the pack is closed, making it easier to open for lefties. The pulls are metal and relatively simple, but they are a little noisy.

The hardware on the straps and connectors is aluminum, which adds to the pack’s overall durability. They’re easy enough to adjust, but they can dig into your fingers when fiddling with the strap. This isn’t a reason not to get the sling, but it is something that we noticed in testing.

Two straps run from the pack’s front to the back, adding structure and offering a place to clip gear. The pack is stitched in four places, making three loops to which you can attach other things. In practice, we only did this with a Bluetooth speaker, but it’s also a good place to stow pins or buttons you acquire while traveling.

This bag is pretty simple and small, so there isn’t a ton going on around the exterior. We dig the look, and the materials are durable!

Fit Notes

The back panel lacks padding or aeration, just the external fabric. The attachment loops we mentioned earlier are there, which can rub uncomfortably if you aren’t wearing a shirt, but are generally not an issue. The lack of padding and aeration isn’t a problem, either, as this sling is tiny and doesn’t require many extras to be comfortable.

The strap you get will depend on the colorway you choose, at least at the time of writing. The black model has a removable strap, but the Forest and MultiCam Black options have an attached strap. The removable strap is handy for those who want to replace it or use the sling as a makeshift tech pouch.

The strap is skinny and lacks padding and aeration like the back panel. It can dig in slightly if you load the sling up with heavy gear, like tech. Otherwise, this isn’t an issue as it relates to comfort.

The connection with the sling is straight, not angled, which can look a bit odd if you wear the sling tight or have a larger body type. It doesn’t look bad; it just differs from other slings we’ve tested. The version with the removable strap is likely more forgiving, as the attachment point is more flexible.

Inside The Sling

There’s just one compartment to work with, which makes sense, as this sling is relatively small.

The main compartment has some organization, which helps keep your gear segmented (instead of getting lost). There’s a small zippered pocket on the front side, which we dig for locking down small gear, like headphones, dongles, and other tech items. Despite being such a small compartment, smaller items, like a micro SD card, would be challenging to find in the main storage area.

On the back wall, there’s a liner pocket crafted from a material that reminds us of other Pioneer wallets and pouches. It’s durable but doesn’t offer much padding. This area is a solid place to stow a phone, wallet, or other flat item. Whatever you stow here becomes the back panel, so bulkier items will bulge into you while you’re carrying them.

The area between the two pockets is ideal for stowing larger items, like a plus-sized phone with a case, a small paperback, or a large billfold wallet.

There’s also a key leash here, which doesn’t have a clip but a button. It’s not the most intuitive to use, but it’s easier to attach things to than a standard jump ring, which we appreciate.

Despite intuitive organization, you can’t fit much gear here due to the size of the sling.

Pioneer doesn’t list the capacity of this sling—just the dimensions. We contacted their customer service line, and they replied with the dimensions again, not the capacity, so we figure they haven’t measured it. Still, we’re here to help.

Without getting too scientific, our best estimate is between three-quarters of a liter and a single liter, but that’s just based on vibes. If you calculate the volume of the exterior dimensions given by Pioneer, you get 81.56 cubic inches, which converts to 1.34 liters. There are a lot of materials and organizational features to reduce that a bit, so our estimation feels about right.

Regardless, this sling will hold the gear you typically stow in your pocket and not much more. We dig how small it is, as it doesn’t take up much room in your travel backpack, daypack, closet, or car. That said, if you bring everything but the kitchen sink, you will need a bigger sling!