[mattyboy]

Hi all

I am doing a race soon, well couple of months away its 85 miles and im gunna need to get a hydration pack of some sort.
Ive been to look at a few and was wondering do they ever go mouldy and how do prevent this from happening are they easy to clean etc.
Any advice would be cool

Cheers

Ps are camelbak the only ones on the market or are there cheaper alternatives

 

[AusMTB Orienteer]

camelback have a great system with a large mouth that makes cleaning extremely easy as you can stick your hand in.
I run one of the biggest camelbacks I could find. the HAWG I think. 3 ltre capacity with enough space for a first aid kit, pump, repair kit, rainjacket and drinks when I am on my comp rides which run from 12 - 16 km.

 

[Offrampmotel]

I have a Camelbak MULE and have never cleaned it. However, if you put anything other than water in it, a regular cleaning may be in order.

 

[Greebler]

I picked up a M.U.L.E last saturday at Bicycle Sport Shop here in Austin. I must admit that I was really hesitant to drop $80 on a pack. Any doubt that I had dissapeared after my first ride with it that afternoon. It is like one of those situations where you cant understand how you made it with out it for so long. One of my biggest issues was I had no trustworthy pockets to keep my house keys in and spare tubes. Now I have room for everything, I even broke my rule and brought my cellphone along.

BTW the new mules have a iPod pocket on the top, its padded with this velvet like material. Bling Blaow!

 

[InvictaS1]

almost every backpack company now makes hydration packs, camelbak isnt your only option. i use a High Sierra brand pack, i think mine is their "flow" model. it was only $40 and holds 70oz of water and has plenty of room for all my other biking gear.

i rinse my resivoir out after every use and and hang it up to dry and have never had any mold or bad taste problems.

check ebags.com, they have tons of packs to choose from and their prices are pretty good, sign up on their email for discounts.

 

[dogonfr]

Camelback has a awsome product. :cornut:

 

[boostaddctn]

How comforatble are the camelbaks guys? I usually ride with a normal backpack and 4 bottles of water, been contemplating on a camelbak for a while, but am afraid it won't be to comfortable...

 

[skygod74]

Do a search on "milk jug guy" and you can see that you do have options besides hydro packs. I personally use a hydro pack but the ghettoesque quality of hauling around a milk jug does seem kind of appealing when riding in the urban parts of the world.

 

[Psycho Mike]

I prefer a MEC hydration pack myself.

I've got mine set up for an upcoming long ride right now (original 3 L bladder (fully opening top) plus a 2L bladder from a camelback we have). The design isn't as "cool" as some of the others but the thing holds both bladders, lock, cable, tools, first aid kit, keys, ID, medications (I'm asthmatic) and a few other things so I can't complain.

InvictaS1 is right....almost everyone seems to make one, so check around and you'll probably find something that'll work for a decent price....just don't skimp on the bladder or you could get funky tastes and cleaning issues.

 

[dogonfr]

How comforatble are the camelbaks guys? I usually ride with a normal backpack and 4 bottles of water, been contemplating on a camelbak for a while, but am afraid it won't be to comfortable...

They are very comffy, with a waist & torso strap. :thumbsup:

 

[Scarpa]

How comforatble are the camelbaks guys? I usually ride with a normal backpack and 4 bottles of water, been contemplating on a camelbak for a while, but am afraid it won't be to comfortable...

It will likely be more comfortable than what you are currently using. The are generally fairly low profile and form fitting. When everything is adjusted correctly you almost forget it's there.

 

[eatdrinkride]

I use a Camelbak. Expensive? yes but the quality and big mouth bladder are second to none imo. Can't tell you how many times i've crashed and my camelbak took the brunt of the fall and saved my back in doing so, all without so much as a loose stitch.

Anyhow to keep clean just rinse out the bladder and throw it into the freezer in between uses. If you use it a lot like me (few times a week) then just throw the whole bag into the fridge to keep any unused water cold until the next ride. i have a garage fridge for beer and camelbaks, haha. Once every few months i will fill it with a bleach and water solution and let sit for a while. Then rinse out with a baking soda/water solution. But honestly, only about every 3 or 4 months, no more.

 

[Sixty Fiver]

I too use a MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) pack... it's the "Blitz" model and has a 10litre capacity which, although designed for designed for rock climbing and hiking has worked well for cycling too. My sons and nephew also have the same packs (and love them) albeit in different colours so we don't get our packs confused.

The cost for the pack and reservoir (sold seperately) was $32.00 Cdn and it carries a 1.5 litre wide mouth reservoir (it could accomodate a 2 litre easily) and has an excellent quantity of cargo space for things like my tools, first aid kit, shackle, cel phone (on the shoulder strap), glasses, keys, snacks, as well as spare socks and shirt.

It's actually quite compact and extyremely well made... MEC also has a an excellent guarantee policy so if anything goes wrong I can just walk in and exchage it

 

[massmang]

I picked this up a couple weeks ago, and it is a really nice pack... I was a little worried about quality because it was pretty inexpensive, but the pack is pretty well made, has a decent amount of room, a 100oz bladder, cinch tied elastic webbing for your helmet, tons of pockets for small items, a key ring, a hole for your MP3 players headphones (if you use one)

no doubt, well woth the $29.98

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14...n/Sette-Max-Flopak-Hydration-System-100oz.htm

 

[Offrampmotel]

If you decide to go the camblbak route, check ebay. I got an 06 MULE for $46. And just like that new liver, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

 

[Jordansrealm]

I have a Camelbak Cloudwalker. I know it a bit bigger than the Mule and some other really small packs but I like to carry my stuff. Also, it was $30 at Sports Authority. They have alot of good deals there.

 

[tg3895]

If you looking to use this for racing only, then the Camelbak Hydrobak is the way to go. Basically it holds two bottles (50 oz.)worth of fluids and nothing else. But this pack is for racing only where you're not looking to carry everything. Otherwise, for the trail, the Camelbak Mule is the way to go.

 

[massmang]

just like that new liver, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

got that right... I used to get dehydrated all the time even when I brought bottles of water in my backpack cause I hate to stop every 5 minutes to drink water...... on hot days you just can't drink it fast enough that way to stay properly hydrated...