General Cycling Discussion - CamelBak

I ride sort of a cross bike, road bike frame and mountain bike components. I generally only ride 25 - 35 + miles, but have gone much further. Does anyone else use the CamelBak instead of water bottles, if so what are the advantages you found with it. I just got their smallest version and will try it for the first time today. Happy 4th everyone ! :D

I do long distance rides with a friend of mine every couple weeks.
I use bottles, he uses a camelbak. It looks like he has a lot easier
time drinking than I do. Hands get back on the bars much faster,
and he doesnt have to refill as much as me. Also- it has some
convenient storage pockets. Minor drawbacks- his back gets
real sweaty under the camelbak, and its more weight
carried on the body rather than on the bike. Thats not the best
comparison for me, since i carry a small backpack with extra
bottles. Id still get a camelbak except that it rather spend the
money on other stuff.

Camelbaks also keep the water cool for quite a while in hot weather. I have one of the original 70-ounce/2-liter ones. I remember thinking about the drawbacks back then before buying it (what, carry 4-5 pounds of water on my back?! :rolleyes: ) but it's proven to be indispensable. For long-haul rides in hot weather I can still bring waterbottles for additional range.

I have one that I tend to use only mut riding. with the wife. Her frame is small enough that she can only carry a single small bottle so I use my cage to haul one for her. also on the mtn bike I carry a mini pump so it gets shoved in the camelback also. On my road bike I use water bottles. Though I might pick up a small camel back for cross season as I tend to drop water bottles on training rides.

I fill my camalbak with ice and water keeps my back cool for a portion of the ride and keeps the water... well cold =)

Yeah, in hot weather my Camelbak (2 Liter) is indispensable. I have diabetes insipidus so I lose fluid like crazy, and the Camelbak is the only way I can keep up with my fluid losses. I don't even notice the weight, to tell you the truth, and I fill it with ice and water to keep my back cool.

I feel better at the end of long rides done with the Camelbak than ones done with water bottles alone. It's not even a real Camelbak - I have the REI one with Nalgene equipment.

Camelbaks keep your water colder longer than bottles (Polar bottles are a close second) and carry more than two cycling bottles. You can get as much as 3l in a Camelbak for hot days with long distances between convenience stores. Most Camelbaks also let you stuff a bunch of stuff in them like flat repair tools, cell phone, wallet, first aid kit, cell phone, rain jacket, camera, and some snacks.

The disadvantage is that some people do not like the weight on their shoulders or their back.