Mountain Biking - Camelbak Rally - what are these things at the back for?

Just got a Camelbak Rally. Nice backpack (have the Blowfish as well but now too small for cargo). Have a look at this image:

http://www.dnuk.com/camelbak.jpg

What exactly are those straps for on the left and right? They just hang around, don't seem to offer any function.

Also the hook type straps at the bottom? What use are they.

I might just cut them all off but it would look a little untidy.

So am I missing something here? What are they for?

Just got a Camelbak Rally. Nice backpack (have the Blowfish as well but now too small for cargo). Have a look at this image:

http://www.dnuk.com/camelbak.jpg

What exactly are those straps for on the left and right? They just hang around, don't seem to offer any function.

Also the hook type straps at the bottom? What use are they.

I might just cut them all off but it would look a little untidy.

So am I missing something here? What are they for?

The bottom one looks like you can suspend a rolled-up sleeping bag or tarp of some sort (e.g. beach towel). Hard to tell what the top one is for.

From the looks of it the top ones are to make the bag smaller or more compressed.

I once bought a highly recommended camera backpack for my photo gear. It had several straps and buckels, etc on it that I did not think I would use. Before cutting them off, I bundled them up tight with rubber bands and used the backpack several times to be sure I did not come across a need for them.

Once cut off, I never did miss them.

I agree with UAEBiker, they look like compression straps. If in fact they are the make the pack smaller and keep your stuff from sliding around in there when you don't have it loaded to the max.

Heh... they can't be compression straps... compression straps are anchored at one point, and have the buckle at another. These ones look like loops of some sort.


I had a Mountain Equipment Co-Op backpack with a mysterious small loop on it that it wondered about for several years until a friend pointed out that it was for holding my emergency snow shovel!! Turns out she was right!

My last backpack had those things, that keep it squished together. It stops everything from moving around, and puts the weight closer to your back, which is more comfortable.

No, they do not offer any compression functionality. That's what the elastic ones are for at the top and bottom of the mesh netting.

Good news is that I've just tried to fit my Giro Atmos helmet (medium) in the mesh netting and it fits perfectly, great for long climbs :)

Being a skier, I immediately went "shovel", but it doesn't look like a very skiing oriented bag except for those straps. The bottom ones would fit your two ice picks, using the same logic.

EDIT: Don't you just love sports where it makes perfect sense to bring a shovel?

I have the CamelBak TransAlp and it has the same straps. It's to help store larger items (opening the top area while allowing you to bring the straps close to the items -- and hopefully reducing shifting of items). I've used mine to store my helmet when dropping off my bike for a tune-up/overhaul.

And those elastic things are weak in their construction and attachment to the bag itself (on my original TransAlp the elastic strap for one of the bottle-holder pouches came off completely -- they replaced the whole bag without question). So those straps can be used for "compression" if you have a large, heavier load. :D

Well I've finally got a response from Camelbak:



Those grey straps you indicated in the photo are for hiking poles. You
loosen up the cinch strap, insert your hiking pole through the top loop you
have now created and then through the bottom loop, cinch up the strap and
your hiking poles a fastened to your pack.

Makes sense, I've cut them off anyway, no hiking for me!