camel back vs bottles on bike

[han-grrl]

I did the MS tour (120 km on day 1,and 60 on day two) and there were more than enough rest stops to top up. i would just try to ride "free and clear" as i like to call it, and just use a bottle. don't forget sunscreen!!!

[mimitabby]

I use a camel back, and put bottles on the bike too for a long ride. when I stop, I can drink out of them.
It's so easy to drink from a camel back and besides, you can store things (like extra gloves,
chamois butter, kleenex) in the camel back. I don't like messing with waterbottles on a ride.

[caligurl]

i never use a camelback for supported rides.... no need... the rest stops are always close enough to keep my bottles full! not to mention i don't want the extra weight on my back for longer rides! (i only use my camelback for unsupported desert rides in the heat when i know there's no place to get water!)

[SadieKate]

For supported rides, there is no need for the extra water storage but to each her own. I don't like the weight on my bike and the added heat. Harder to take off and put on layers, and get to my snacks while riding.

Somehow I've never felt they were safer but then I can't get the hose to be in just the right position without leaking or hitting me in the face or flopping around distractingly. I have to unclip and re-clipping the hose means I have to look at it, unlike a bottle. Not to mention, after you've snagged a jersey with the velcro sternum strap you keep them relegated to mtbiking with jerseys that you know will be a risk anyway.

[Grog]

I find the camelbacks heavy, too hot, and they make accessing my jersey pockets difficult. (I tend to put a lot of stuff in there, like a spare pair of gloves (in cool temperature), arm warmers, food, another spare tube if it's not a supported ride or I'm riding alone, etc.)

I usually carry two bottles, one with some drink (lemonade with a pinch of salt) and one with just water (also useful in case of emergency to rinse a wound if you don't have any other clean water handy). I'll arrange to ride where I can find a convenience store or something similar to buy refills if it's a really long ride...

I think drinking from a bottle as one rides is a good skill to learn, but I'm no bottle-integrist. Do what feels best.

[nuthatch]

I've used a camelbak on the MS150 and, although my back did ache at the end of the day, I was grateful for a drink whenever I wanted it. It was over 100F and I'm a big drinker, so I go through bottles really fast.

[Kano]

Not an MS150, but on our first supported ride...

1000 riders, and those of us in the back third didn't get any water or the provided snacks -- the speedier riders drank and ate it all before we got there.

I was sure glad I had my own trail mix and water along!

Karen in Boise

[7rider]

Are you comfortable drinking from a bottle while the bike is moving? You said "safer" - so I suspect perhaps you are not.
If you are not, I don't think the added weight of a Camelbak will be a huge burden. You aren't packing all of your gear there, are you? Just water/Gatorade? Don't go crazy with the storage, and it would be fine. You can always take it off at the rest stops to give your back a break.
If you are comfortable drinking while moving, for an organized ride with plenty of rest stops, I'd say 2 water bottles should be fine - even on a hot summer ride.
Only you can make that call, really.

[sbctwin]

I use a camelback...I have the "magic". My small bike frame only allows me room for one bottle. I found I can't reach the bottle easily when I ride and when I take it out of the cage, I am terrible at getting it back into the cage. It causes too much distraction. It is so much easier to sip from the camelback and I don't even think about the extra weight on my back.