Hydration pack

[Cataboo]

The Deuter Race EXP Air Pack is on steepandcheap right now, I like it because it's held off your back and your back doesn't get as sweaty with it.- you can see a picture of the meshback on it.

[Cataboo]

ooops, it just switched to keens.

[Irulan]

They're heavy and hot and make your center of gravity higher. The straps can chafe. I have three, I use them all the time for outdoor events and running, but I use one cycling ONLY when it's extremely hot or when I know I'm going to be riding more than two hours somewhere that I won't be able to refill my bottles.

No one will make fun of you. Lots of people use hydration packs, you're just in the minority is all.

Re: expense and waste, when people talk about water bottles we're talking about reusable bottles. Any bike shop or sporting goods store has polyethylene bottles that fit in bottle cages. Some people prefer other materials like stainless steel, aluminum or other plastics, but those can be harder to find, and also harder to hold and drink out of since they're not flexible.

As far as cleanliness goes though, I'm not sure a hydration pack is any more sanitary than a bottle unless you use a bite valve cover, and those can be pretty unwieldy on the bike. My experience is that the bite valve is always dragging in something, which is why I use a cover.

There sure are some interesting things in this thread.
I've been mountain biking with camel baks for 10+ years and the issue of center of gravity has never come up. The above comment is the first time I've ever heard that someone might even have an issue.

I bet the sanitation thing is a "wash". Bladders can get pretty nasty if you never clean them; leave water in them long term, or keep other than water (sports drinks etc) in them.

Water bottles? John Tomac got giardia from mud on a water bottle. Plus, they fall off bikes, mountain biking. Typically mountain bikers only carry them if it's a "need every bit of water you can carry" kind of hot day, or, to take a sports drink along in addition to water. Also, on many full suspension mountain bikes, you can hardly fit a water bottle in the holder.

There are some pretty cool womens' packs now that have nicely placed straps for smaller and or busty women.

I know in some road riding circles, wearing hydration packs is very uncool. Whatever.

[VeloVT]

I have several camelbaks and I use them often for long runs, hikes, etc., but I don't find them comfortable for riding (and I tried using a camelbak a few times before I was comfortable reaching for my bottles). I never adopted it because it was hot and, while I didn't feel like it threw my center of gravity off, for some reason on my road bike it caused me to tense up my shoulders/neck more than I ordinarily would, leading to discomfort. I fully own that this was my individual problem and may not apply to another soul in the world -- but I put it out there to defend the viewpoint that there are legitimate reasons NOT to use a camelbak for some people. Guess what -- through a summer of hot rides, I learned to use my bottles while riding at speed. What do they say... necessity is the mother of invention ...

[ny biker]

I have several camelbaks and I use them often for long runs, hikes, etc., but I don't find them comfortable for riding (and I tried using a camelbak a few times before I was comfortable reaching for my bottles). I never adopted it because it was hot and, while I didn't feel like it threw my center of gravity off, for some reason on my road bike it caused me to tense up my shoulders/neck more than I ordinarily would, leading to discomfort. I fully own that this was my individual problem and may not apply to another soul in the world -- but I put it out there to defend the viewpoint that there are legitimate reasons NOT to use a camelbak for some people. Guess what -- through a summer of hot rides, I learned to use my bottles while riding at speed. What do they say... necessity is the mother of invention ...

I also had neck/shoulder problems with the camelback when riding my road bike.

Never had a problem on the mountain bike, due to the more upright riding position.

[OakLeaf]

Bladders can get pretty nasty if you never clean them; leave water in them long term, or keep other than water (sports drinks etc) in them.

That's why I really really like the large zip opening of the Platypus bladders. It's just not an issue with them (unless I accidentally forget to remove the bladder from the pack and leave it for weeks ).

And it's my one ding on my Nathan running vest - I can see that the lightweight, very flexible bladder is part of the functionality, but it's REALLY hard to dry, especially with the small opening. A SMALL head silicone scraper will go into the opening to brace the sides apart, and I can thread a string or whatever through the holes at the top to hang it (it won't dry well in a horizontal position). That's the only way I've found to dry it in less than four days, and I still have to keep checking on it because the slightest breeze or nudge will cause the scraper to turn from the perpendicular. Jamming a flour sack dish towel into it and shaking it around to get the excess water out, before I hang it to dry, helps a lot.

Drink tubes still need to be cleaned, which is a PITA, but much easier with the long flexible brush Camelbak sells, and I don't do it every time (maybe I should ).

[withm]

I only use mine when it's really really hot. I want to drink COLD water so I fill it about half to 2/3rds full, inflate the rest, and set it in the freezer horizontally. It lives in the freezer all summer. When I'm ready to ride, I top it off with cold water and set off. Freezing it keeps the water cold for 3-4 hours in 90o heat.

I have the Rogue model - it's long and narrow but really has no room stow a jacket or anything. I suppose you could get a tube and tools into the pouch, but I already have that in the seat bag.

I have never been bothered by the weight,and since it's insulated, I've never noticed any heat (it's frozen, duh!), cold, nor felt any condensation, or experienced any other of the issues that have been mentioned in this thread.

Yes, I have had people make snarky comments -with the assumption that real roadies would never wear such a thing. Like I care? When it's hot, this is my guarantee to have cold water at my disposal. It works for me.

I also wear MTB shoes on my road bikes, and wear my glasses (non-wrap-arounds) INSIDE my helmet straps. Oh, yeah, I have even leave the little visor on my helmet. THe horror!

[jobob]

Also, are hydration packs something people will make fun of on bike club group rides?

Well, for what it's worth, former pro cyclist Bobby Julich often wore a camelbak when he competed in time trials - and often won, or came close.

[SadieKate]

I believe he wore it under his jersey.
http://www.operationgadget.com/2004/...julich_ri.html

Camelbak now has a jersey/pak combo thingie.
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2009/03/...-hydrated.html

[ZenSojourner]

Mine is a Hydrabak which I bought in 2006, it has the foldover velcro closure. Apparently the new version has a slide thingy that closes it up, don't know that that's any better. Mine has never leaked.

I have a small one, I think it's 56 oz? Not sure. And the biggest one, a 100 oz. I have a clip that keeps the feed tube where I want it. There's a little round thing marked "Hydratunes" that has a rubber circle, quartered so you can push something through there. I have NO idea what that thing is for.

I can carry all the stuff I need (that isn't already in my seat bag) in either pack. That's usually the bike lock, keys, id, money, cell phone, and all the little odds and ends. Actually I have some cold medicine and ibuprofen in one of the side pockets, so there's another 8 or 10 grams.

The wide mouth makes it simple to clean and easy to fill up with ice cubes.

I don't understand what the big deal is about having a camelbak style hydration system, I've never had anybody gripe about it in the 13 years since I got my first camelbak. Some people don't like them, some people do, I've never seen anybody get ummmm, overwrought? about it except here.

No one has ever so much as mentioned it on any ride. I never counted, but I've seen lots of people use them (and I ride exclusively road). Some people do, some people don't, what's the problem?

Frankly I'm not all that coordinated and fumbling around for the bottle, popping it open, getting a drink, then popping it closed and trying to get it back in that wire cage, all while I'm riding, is just more work than I want to do. Yup, I'm a klutz. It's way easier for me to turn my head slightly and get a swallow at will, without having to break stride at all. Works for me. Doesn't work for other people. That's ok.

As others have mentioned, I use the frame bottles for sports drink (I can only either get 2 small or 1 small 1 large on there since I mounted my frame pump under the top tube). So that's what I drink when I stop and nosh on the dried fruit or bananas or PB crackers. Then I've got the water on my back.

If you can, it's probably a good idea to try several different paks at an LBS. Some people have said the straps dig in or chafe etc. I've never had that problem with any of the 5 or 6 hydration paks I've ever used. But trying stuff out never hurts, its just I usually buy stuff mail order (I HATE shopping, HATE HATE HATE! - I've been told my extreme hatred of shopping, especially SHOE shopping, which I have solved by simply never wearing any, makes me an Unnatural Woman.)

I'm really happy with hydration systems.

Ummm ,let's see, I've NEVER had my bite valve drag in anything. I'm not sure how that would happen, I've got it clipped quite securely up at the top of the pak, and I don't put the pak down in the dirt.

Ummm, what else - no problem with feeling hot because I'm wearing it, but then heat doesn't get to me nearly as much as NORMAL people. I rode 12 miles in the Alabama summer heat on blacktop without my squeeze bottle (this was the incident that prompted getting the camelbak) because I left it at a SAG stop. With the camelback I'm not going to ride off and leave it because I basically don't take it off, except to scrounge munchies out of it and put it right back on.

I don't know, it's just a matter of personal preference really. If you like 'em, wear 'em, if you don't stick with water bottles, if it looks interesting to you go ahead and give it a try. I swear I've never heard or seen anybody make fun of or get upset over the idea of a camelbak ever, in 13 years, except on here.

[sundial]

Camelbak now has a jersey/pak combo thingie.
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2009/03/...-hydrated.html

That appeals to the gadgety side of me. I wonder how comfortable that is.

[ZenSojourner]

Camelbak now has a jersey/pak combo thingie.
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2009/03/...-hydrated.html

Does anybody else see boobs on the CamelBak Men’s Racebak Hydration Jersey?