Hydration Pack

michael.su

michael.su

Master of the Pawpaw
Hello Everyone,
I've finally decided to break down and buy a Hydration Pack. I'm tired of messing with water bottles.

I've also noticed that there are a ton of different models and such. Can anyone give me some insight on brands, models and even best places to buy?

ANY feed back. Likes, Dislikes would be greatly appreciated.

If anyone knows of any sales going on now, that would be great too.

As always, thank you very much for your insight!

-Mike
 
As a basic starting point, how much water do you want to carry and do you want to carry anything other than water? I use one of Fox's hydration packs and fully utilize the extra storage capacity with a first aid kit, spares, tools, and some food.

Some packs, mainly those with extra storage, will cover a larger area of your back, which can lead to increased sweating. Some packs that are tight to your back with waist and chest straps will also prevent air from flowing over your back, which can also hinder cooling.
 
I've been using a HydraPak for years. I realy like it because you can turn the blatter inside out to clean it and or air it out. Also a real nice touch is being able to remove the drink tube from the blatter as well as remove the bite valve from the tube, great for keeping things from getting moldy.

J.P.
 
My only gripe with backpacks is how much my back sweats... I have gone with a Go Lite HydroChug and love it....


51PzWlUm3XL._SL500_.jpg
 
I've been using a camelbak for about a year and a half. Pros: carry a lot of water, carry your tools/spares etc, no need for a dingleberry on the seat or cages on the frame so your bike looks much cleaner.

Cons: back sweat, weighs about ten lbs loaded with water (100oz) and gear, pain in the ass to clean. I'm about ready for a new bladder because I can't get the funk taste out though admittedly I've left it sit for a week without emptying it recently
 
Well, more storage is nice but I have a seat pack for that too. I would try to get one as small as possible to cut down on the sweaty back. That being said....I'm not one of the sweatiest guys out there 😀

I get by with 1 water bottle most of the time (sometimes 2) so i would think 50-60 oz of water would be more than enough.

do all the bladder packs let you turn them inside out for drying? is the opening big enough that you can add ice to the bladder?
 
I purchased an Ergon Bd1 a few months ago. Love it.

On sale.. .. If you do purchase add the bladder since they were out of stock for a few months.

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/m...ies/2009-ergon-bd1-m-backpack-4644.491.1.html

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/m...ries/2010-ergon-bh200-bladder-5804.491.1.html

Pros:
pack sits on your hips which really makes the pack light and comfortable.
sits away from back, bonus on hot days.
Flink joint really works.
Has plenty of storage for the essential tools and food.

Cons: The only con is the size of the pack. Looks huge and uncomfortable, but once on I really don't even knows it's on. Just dissapears, really...

2 thumbs up!
 
Looks like all your pros/cons have been listed already. If I know I'm going to be out for more than 3 hours, I will bring my pack. I can carry all my food and crap in it.

If it is less than that, I will bring bottles. I hate the weight on my back and I would rather have a couple of light water bottles on my back instead of 10-15 pounds of water strapped to me for a short ride. I can wedge all my tools in my jersey pocket. You could always have a smaller camelbak too. Mandi has a 1 liter one that is super light and perfect as a second bottle.

I would never say you are done with using bottles, It is good to have a pack for big long rides, but usually two water bottles is enough for sub 2-3 hour rides.
 
pearl said:
I would never say you are done with using bottles, It is good to have a pack for big long rides, but usually two water bottles is enough for sub 2-3 hour rides.
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This is true. I've been using the camelbak exclusively since I got it even though I never really do MTB rides over 2 hours. However I do tend to drink the entire 100 oz in 2 hours on a really hot day. Despite that I've been considering going to bottles for the shorter rides/cooler days. I've yet to sort it all in my head, as the 2 main drawbacks of carrying bottles (for me) are muddy bottle caps and storing your tools in the seat pack or jersey. Neither of which I am happy about. I bought a new MTB recently and didn't put my old seat pack on it. The bike looks so much better without it, and without cages. This is a true dilemma....The kind that keeps you awake at night.

I wouldn't settle with a smaller hydro pack. They weigh next to nothing when empty, so you are at no disadvantage. Only fill it up half way if you're not going out for a super long ride. You will appreciate the extra water capacity when you do go out longer.
 
again... everyone has hit the pro's and con's... while I've transitioned mostly to 2 bottles this year as opposed to strictly camelbak the previous 2... I still think you should have a hydration pack in your arsenal for longer rides as previously mentioned...

I've used 3 different Camelbak's and now use the Camelbak M.U.L.E NV and think it's the best I've ever uses/seen... you can find one from $100 give or take a couple of bucks online... there certainly are smaller/lower volume packs out there... but I figure if I you're gonna get one, get one that fits everything (you can always take stuff out, but you can't stuff anymore into a smaller one)

Mule-NV-Black.jpg


it holds 100oz and has room for absolutely anything you could possibly need to carry but if you don't have anything bulky in there (just full bladder, pump, tool & tubes) you can pull all the straps and make is reasonably trim (note that the pics you see online always display the packs fully expanded which is not likely be be the case for actual use)... and it holds up really well... fyi I just washed it for the first time in 1.5 years a couple of weeks ago (I left a wet jersey on top of it overnight and it stunk to high hell) and just threw it in the washing machine with my other gear and good as new...

as far as bladder cleaning is concerned... don't be discouraged by what you read... it's simple to clean... even simpler if you only use water in your pack... but if you need to clean it it's simple... take the cap off... wash it... rinse it... take a paper towel and dry it off... and unless your Andre the Giant your hand should fit inside to dry it off... if not then crumble up 2 or 3 dry paper towels - drop them inside - blow it up and shake... done 😀

RLB had a great point too about only filling as much as you need too to negate the weight issue of a larger pack and I agree 100% like I said earlier - it's better to have the capacity for more (water and/or storage) as opposed to not having enough...

just my 2cents... hope this was helpful...
 
I have the MULE and agree, it's a pretty darn good pack for holding everything. On really hot long days, I drink all 100 oz. easily.

Also, I have friends that use Osprey brand packs and prefer those to Camelbak. They have some different features like a magnetic drink tube clasp and a helmet clip to hang your helmet off the back when you aren't wearing it. (While both are cool features, totally not necessary.)
 
I use a camelbak classic which has a 70oz bladder and a small pocket for my keys. All my other supplies get jammed into pockets. I also use one bottle cage for Heed or Accelerade. I like the bag, its small, light and doesn't feel like I'm carrying a sack of potatoes. Like TonyC, I have used the Ergon bag. All the hype is true, the bag carries everything for a longer trail ride and it virtually disappears while on your back.

Cleaning tip: get denture tablets like Efferdent. Fill the bag with room temp tap water, drop in a couple of tablets and let it sit. Squeeze the bite valve so the mixture can get in the tube and then drain and rince before you use again. I was getting some nasty funk in my bag because I don't clean it and leave it in my car. I did this once and it was good as new.
 
What ever hydropack you get make sure the bladder is removable for 2 reasons.
1 you can freeze it on super hot days
2 cleaning or replacing it is a lot easier
 
soulchild said:
I've used 3 different Camelbak's and now use the Camelbak M.U.L.E NV and think it's the best I've ever uses/seen... you can find one from $100 give or take a couple of bucks online... there certainly are smaller/lower volume packs out there... but I figure if I you're gonna get one, get one that fits everything (you can always take stuff out, but you can't stuff anymore into a smaller one)

Mule-NV-Black.jpg


it holds 100oz and has room for absolutely anything you could possibly need to carry but if you don't have anything bulky in there (just full bladder, pump, tool & tubes) you can pull all the straps and make is reasonably trim (note that the pics you see online always display the packs fully expanded which is not likely be be the case for actual use)... and it holds up really well... fyi I just washed it for the first time in 1.5 years a couple of weeks ago (I left a wet jersey on top of it overnight and it stunk to high hell) and just threw it in the washing machine with my other gear and good as new...

as far as bladder cleaning is concerned... don't be discouraged by what you read... it's simple to clean... even simpler if you only use water in your pack... but if you need to clean it it's simple... take the cap off... wash it... rinse it... take a paper towel and dry it off... and unless your Andre the Giant your hand should fit inside to dry it off... if not then crumble up 2 or 3 dry paper towels - drop them inside - blow it up and shake... done 😀

RLB had a great point too about only filling as much as you need too to negate the weight issue of a larger pack and I agree 100% like I said earlier - it's better to have the capacity for more (water and/or storage) as opposed to not having enough...

just my 2cents... hope this was helpful...
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+1 on the camelback mule. it holds plenty of water, i did not have sweating issues with and its easy to use/maintain.
some guys have more than one hydration pack, a smaller one for short rides and a bigger one for longer rides. I opted for the bigger 100 oz size, I use water bottles for shorter rides. I love the fact that you can put ice cubes in the camelback to keep water ice cold. This is a luxury on long hot sweaty rides.
I got my Mule at Sports Authority about 3wks. ago. Look for the 15%-20% coupons on line or in the newspaper for Sports Authority...they always have sales if you look. I think i paid like $70 for my Camelback Mule.
 
Not to beat a dead horse; but once you ride a couple of times WITHOUT your Camelbak, it is like you are free. The weights have been lifted off of you and you can just ride without feeling weighed down. At least try it before ridding off the bottles for good.
 
pearl said:
Not to beat a dead horse; but once you ride a couple of times WITHOUT your Camelbak, it is like you are free. The weights have been lifted off of you and you can just ride without feeling weighed down. At least try it before ridding off the bottles for good.
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Maybe a smaller camelbak and if necessary use a water bottle for extra.....
hmm,Thanks for all the input folks!
 
soulchild said:
one last thing - why get a smaller hydration pack when 2 24oz bottles can net you 48oz...

ok... dead horse beaten 😀
Click to expand...

This horse is still kickin' 😀

1) I have 2 water bottle cages. On a hot day ride, I can carry 2 water bottles. however, on a Hot night ride, I can carry only 1 because my headlight battery goes in the other cage. Plus I have a bike mount pump that get's in the way when mounted with a cage.

2) As previously mentioned the constantly dirty bottle tops are annoying and I think it will be easier to drink without stopping with a hydropak.
 
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