Camelbak Octane 18x Hydration Pack 2011: At 1 lb with 18 L of fully expanded cargo capacity, this pack is perfect for 3+ hours on the trail. DESIGNED TO CARRY: Extra Layers, Ultra-light Weather Protection, Food, Head Lamp, Trail Maps, Compass, Trekking Poles...
Submitted by
E. Guido Soda
a Cross Country Rider
from Bham, AL
Date Reviewed: November 26, 2011
Strengths: Lightweight, padded and comfortable, tons of storage space, nice suspension, very easy to get hydration pack in and the nozzle through the pack...which is big.
Weaknesses: Not the most rugged pack; it's not the cordura material the MULE uses, but for your longer day rides it's plenty strong. Also, it's not as organized as the MULE - while there are more and larger pockets with much more storage space, they are just open pockets with no dividers; mesh or otherwise like the MULE.
A little pricey, but considering the 100oz hydration pack is $27 on it's own, I suppose it's not too bad...
Bottom Line:
I bought it for some upcoming epic rides and there is a ton of storage space, which is what I wanted. Will continue to use my 10 year-old bomb-proof MULE for 2 - 3 hour rides, and the Octane for the half-to-all-day rides. The suspension is great, and the padded lumbar straps have storage space for whatever - which is a cool touch.