hydration packs

[DirtDiva]

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.