hydration packs

I have a HydroBak and I love it, love it, love it for snowboarding. Much easier to keep well hydrated because I don't have to actually wait until I'm really thirsty to take a break and go down to the caf or the car to grab a drink. It's also small enough to fit under my jacket comfortably (makes me look a little hunchbacked when it's full, but I can deal with that) and provides a nice cusion on the chair too! I've had it for four-and-a-half years without the slightest hint of a leak, and believe me, it's taken some hits! I've never found the 'boob straps' uncomfy, but possibly/probably I have less boobage than some of the ladies who have had troubles with that. You can't fit a lot else in it though - maybe keys, cards, a muesli bar stuffed in with the bladder and an extra layer in the elastic on the back - so if you haven't got lots of pockets and want to carry a bunch of stuff, one with a bit more dedicated storage space might be better. I have a little Black Wolf backpack (the model is Fox 1.0, I believe) which is great for biking around town when I want space for my lock, lunch, A-Z, etc. The bladder that came with that is pretty crap though: after well less than a year it began leaking from the closure and both ends of the tube and I never use it anymore - I really ought to pull the one out of my CamelBak and use it in there too.

Hope that helps you make your decision. :)

I have a Jansport womans Isis for longer trips. It has lots of pockets and a 70oz resevoir. Enough room for a jacket, wallet, keys etc. I like that the bladder is bigger on top so most of the weight is higher up on your back. For shorter trips I have a camelback pixie which only holds 35oz but has enough room for wallet, jacket etc. Plus you can zip the shoulder straps together to make it a one strap sling off the bike, oh and more importantly it was purple! :)

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Originally Posted by tatormc

The HydroBak model looks good from the pics.

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I use the HydroBak bladder in my handlebar bag (the smaller Topeak Tourguide). It is small enough that it doesn't affect bike handling any more than the bag itself does. 45 oz (1 L) is enough to get you between water stops on most rides in mild weather. It would not be enough on a really hot day. I like putting the bladder there because it minimizes neck strain and back ache. If you don't like the idea of the weight on your handlebars, using it as a waist pack is still a possibility if you aren't too tall. I also have a Siren, but it only gives 5 oz more capacity and puts the weight on my back.
I find the hydration bladders to be the only solution for keeping myself hydrated on any ride. Since I'm short my frames are small and it is often hard to fit a bottle in a cage standing next to the bike, forget while riding.

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Originally Posted by tatormc

... I'm looking for something small that I can use on the bike, hiking, and walking. The HydroBak model looks good from the pics.

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I have this one:
http://www.camelbak.com/rec/cb_prod....ID=398&CATID=6

it's a waist pack rather than a back pack ...

Another Rogue user. The boob strap is S-T-U-P-I-D but otherwise it's been great. I like that the straps are easy to adjust even when riding so I can move the load up or down my messed up old back as necessary. There is also plenty of room for my junk, my wallet fits behind the bladder and I can tie a jacket to the outside for those iffy days.

and yet another rogue gurl! i find it very comfortable! i resisted getting one for the longest time cuz i thought it would hurt my shoulders and back... nope!

i chose the rogue for it's water capacity.... i didn't need (or didn't think i needed) a lot of extra storage space... i can get a bunch of stuff in the rogue!