Originally Posted by permanentjaun
Only thing I don't like about the camelbak is that you do wear it. Why put the weight on your shoulders when the bike can easily carry it? Crossing the country that extra weight will surely bring me down. Maybe for a day trek it wouldn't be so bad. If you accept that not wearing the water makes more sense for touring then you might as well get something like the MSR bags which can be easily mounted like panniers.
Like I said, you can wear it or you can use the bladder just like you would any other 3L bladder. You also have a nozzle to control flow. I don't see any advantage in the other foldable bladders over the camelbak bladder. I would never mount that much water on the bike for any kind of riding. I'd only ride with a full CB if there was some extreme stretch which called for it (I haven't found one yet)
Another option is to strap the CB onto a rack. That way, you have a water supply that can be worn, strapped to the bike, or serve as a day pack when necessary. Using pannier space for water is just dumb imo (unless you'll be 2 or more days without water)