Alpaka Modular Sling and Zip Clutch: Compact Travel Carry Tested on the Camino de Santiago

Introduction

Alpaka has built a reputation around small, well-executed carry pouches, and two of them recently earned a real-world workout: the Modular Sling, used as a camera bag, and the Zip Clutch, used as a passport wallet while walking the Camino de Santiago through Portugal and Spain. Both pieces are cut from waterproof X-Pac fabric with YKK AquaGuard zippers, and both survived weeks of daily use on the trail.

There is also a new Modular Sling V2 on the market now, and the V1 is reportedly still available in some brighter colors at roughly 30% off. This guide covers what each pouch does well, how the two sling versions differ, and which one makes sense for your kind of travel.

Alpaka Modular Sling V1: Camera Carry on the Trail

The Modular Sling is designed as a minimalist carry pouch. It can be worn with a strap over the shoulder, or attached to the shoulder strap of a backpack using the built-in Velcro tabs. That second mode is what made it so useful on a long-distance walk: a small pouch that opens quickly, holds camera gear, and lets you grab a shot without ever taking the main pack off.

On the trail, it carried a DJI Pocket 3 with a tripod, an extra battery, and a small USB cord. The top-opening design with side flaps lets the pouch open completely while keeping gear from falling out, which is exactly what you want when shooting handheld video while hiking.

It also converts nicely into a small everyday carry bag on rest days. A Pixel 8-sized phone fits in the front and inside sleeves, and the remaining pockets easily hold a battery pack, sunglasses, and a few snacks.

Alpaka Zip Clutch: Passport Wallet and More

The Zip Clutch is a much smaller, thin pouch intended as a travel passport wallet, with enough interior room for a bit of everyday carry gear as well. The passport can live in the main pocket or slip into a back sleeve for quick access. Inside, there are two card sleeves for credit cards, generous space for cash in the main pocket, a smaller front pocket, and two sleeves sized for pens or pencils.

A detachable leash adds flexibility. You can hook it on and carry the pouch by hand, or detach it, thread the leash through a belt loop, a backpack loop, or any strap, fold it over on itself, and reattach it. Once secured that way, the pouch is not coming off easily.

Used purely as a travel wallet for weeks of walking, it performed without complaints.

Materials and Build Quality

If Alpaka does one thing right, it is pouches. Both of these are extremely well made, and both use waterproof X-Pac fabric with YKK AquaGuard zippers, small and durable. The brand also offers this lineup in many more colors, sizes, styles, and shapes beyond these two.

The new Modular Sling V2 moves to a different material: an Axogrid four-layer laminate similar to X-Pac, backed with the recycled Axoflux fabric Alpaka uses in its travel backpacks.

What Changed with the Modular Sling V2

The V2 keeps the same overall design but brings several refinements. It is about one centimeter larger in every direction to hold larger phones. The strap connectors have moved to the upper corners instead of sitting on the back. The front pocket now closes with a magnetic clasp rather than the built-in magnetic flap of the V1, which already worked well. And Alpaka added daisy chain webbing along the top and side for attaching smaller gear.

None of these are dramatic changes, but together they add up to a meaningfully improved design. If you want the latest layout, the V2 is the one to get. If you prefer the original and want to save, the V1 remains available at a discount in some brighter colorways.

Which One Should You Buy

If your priority is quick-access camera or phone carry, either sling version delivers. Choose the V2 if you carry a larger phone or want the refined strap placement and magnetic clasp. Choose the V1 if you find your preferred color discounted. The Zip Clutch is the easier recommendation of the three: anyone who travels with a passport and a handful of cards will find it a genuinely useful wallet, and the detachable leash makes it secure in crowded places.

Conclusion

Alpaka’s strength is small pouches done extremely well. The Modular Sling proved itself as a trail camera bag that converts into everyday carry, the Zip Clutch worked flawlessly as a passport wallet, and the V2’s tweaks refine an already solid design. Match the size to what you actually carry, and any of the three is an easy travel companion.