Mountain Biking - camel back

I would like to know if it would be a good idea to get a camel back or just stick to the water bottle?

depends on how long you go out for. A water bottle wont last too long if youre going out for a few hours.

Not only do you get the benefit of carrying more water for long rides with a Camelback, but you also get a lot of storage capacity for tools, tubes, food, etc with a hydration pack. I never hit the trails with a water bottle anymore, but my hydration pack is always with me and it's packed full of trailside neccessities.

I have a military model CamelBak Transformer and love it to death, I wouldn't go riding without it, Carry everything I need for a full days ride, even if it weighs quite a bit fully loaded which it does I still like it. I've had it for about a year I'd say, great quality product.


I carry: spare tubes, ToPeak Morph Pump, small first-aid kit, small tools for doing minor repairs, an old tech Magellan handheld GPS (just in case), my iPod which I barely use while riding but carry it anyway, a towel, hand cleaner, and of course the 3.1L of water.


PS: It's CamelBak not Camel Back/Camelback

my wife just got a camelback and loves it, we put a first aid kit and some doggie treats in it. (treats for our dog, he loves to run on trails, also throw the treats to divert the attention of other dogs) i don't drink much water so a bottle is still good for me. also lower maintenance if you use bottled water or 20oz gatorades. but i've been considering getting a camelback and then get a frame mount bear mace for possible bear or dog attacks, and the increasing occurance of random violence in my town.

I invested in a camelbak, best thing ever! As others have pointed out, not only do you get your water, you also get cargo. It might weigh a bit when you first start off, but it only gets lighter as your ride goes on. I don't really experience any perspiration problems with it on my back, they have some kind of ventilation material that helps it out. It also keeps the water fairly cool.

I have the MULE model, 3 litres of water am able to carry the following (and I still have room for more):
- Spare tube
- Hand tire pump
- Cell Phone (w/ MP3 player) (they have a special pouch for portable electronics)
- Small first-aid kit w/ sam splint
- 12oz distilled water
- Leatherman
- Allen wrench
- chap stick

When i'm off the bike, it also holds my sunglasses, gloves, helmet and a Red Bull :)

I have 2L one and love it.
how you guys clean it inside of water contener?

and ^ 'pshafer' where are you using the 12oz distilled water?

Do you like reaching down to get a drink of water while riding through a rock garden? Is a mouthful of cow manure instead of water one of the high spots of your ride? Does riding 20 miles into the wilderness just to find out that you now have a 20 mile ride out of the wilderness without water because the bottle bounced out of the cage about 10 miles back appeal to you? If you answered yes to the above questions, do you like whips and black latex? :D

Camelbak. Mine is a Blowfish because it has enclosed pockets so that you don't go droppin' stuff you might need along the way like you can with a MULE.

I have 2L one and love it.
how you guys clean it inside of water contener?

Don't have a camelbak, but I bought a hydration pack at Costco for $20 and like it a lot. Came with a 70 oz bladder and has lots of pockets. I carry a topeak mountain morph pump, spare tube, a bandana, and snacks in there. All the other tools I need are in my saddle bag.

I clean the bladder and hose with warm water and soap. I scrub the hose and bladder with brushes (hydration pack cleaning kit at wal-mart is around $8) and hang it to dry. If there is still some moisture left before storing I dry it off with a towel.

thank you ^^

Is it safe to put ice cubes in the camelbak water pouch? I know it'll definitely weigh more but I like my water COLD.

Is it safe to put ice cubes in the camelbak water pouch? I know it'll definitely weigh more but I like my water COLD.

Um...maybe your are thinking about rocks vs water. Ice (frozen water) weighs just about the same as liquid water...just slightly less even. That's why it floats ;)

All smartassery aside, yes you can pack as much ice in a camelbak as it will hold. That has been my normal routine for touring on my last two trips (3 weeks in the Midwest and 3 weeks in the Northwest). Each morning I would stop at a convience store, buy a 7 pound bag of ice and stuff as much of it as I could into the bladder. Since 100 oz of water is around 6 pounds, you can get almost the whole bag in there. Top it off with water and then ride off into the summer. Depending on the shape of the cube in the bag, even in 100F heat, I'd still have cold water and some ice left by 3 in the afternoon most days.

Trust me, when you are riding in that kind of heat day after day, having a nice drink of ice water does wonders;)

Um...maybe your are thinking about rocks vs water. Ice (frozen water) weighs just about the same as liquid water...just slightly less even. That's why it floats ;)

Doh! Here's some smartassery right back atcha. Ice does not float because it is slightly lighter than water.

Ice may appear lighter than water because it floats. This is not a function of weight but of density. Ice weighs the same as the water it was made from. However, it is less dense and takes up about 10% more space. Any object in water displaces only its own weight in water. For that reason, ice floats.

No hard feelings, all in good fun cyccommute! ;)

I've forgotten how I survived before them. I made due, but i wasn't as well hydrated.

Is a mouthful of cow manure instead of water one of the high spots of your ride? Here, here! I learned that one the hard way with water bottles XC racing this spring. A couple of ugly mudholes and botles aren't fit to use. I've gone back to a CamelBak.

It is the only way to go now. Once you have tried it you will not go back.

I have a Military issue 3L Camelbak and a 3L Sette hydro pack, Pricepoint’s own line. I can’t even remember how people rode before these things, but I really like the fit and pockets of the Sette better than the real thing.

I have a Jansport hydration pack. It actually came with a Nalgene bladder. I picked it up for $15 at an outlet store a while back for snowboarding trips (as few and far between as they are... :( ). I think mine has a 2 liter bladder. I love mine. Water always stays cold which is a big plus. I use a bottle on short rides down to my local trails, but on the long runs, the pack is the way to go. I have a friend that always runs out of water with his bottles. Like everyone else said, it takes a bit to get used to, but it's the way to go on a longer run, especially here in the TX heat.

As far as cleaning goes, I usually empty mine and keep it open to allow it to dry well. Every so often though, you can use the cleaning tablets. I know Nalgene makes some. Similar to an alkaseltzer that foams up to clean out the ick. But if you come in and don't have a chance to clean and dry it and you know you'll be using it again soon, you can always empty it and throw it in the freezer which will keep stuff from growing in it.

For all the reasons mentioned; more capacity, more storage; stays cold longer; easier to access; won't bounce out; drinking nipple stays cleaner ... more than offsets having it on your back. Here in TX even on dedicated group roadie rides about half are wearing them.

My cleaning cycle in the summer when it is getting used 3x or more a week is to fill bladder about 1/2 full, put in freezer proped so the drinking tube does not get iced, fill rest with water, drink on ride, flush with fresh water, fill 1/2 full and back in freezer for next ride ... repeat

Doh! Here's some smartassery right back atcha. Ice does not float because it is slightly lighter than water.

Ice may appear lighter than water because it floats. This is not a function of weight but of density. Ice weighs the same as the water it was made from. However, it is less dense and takes up about 10% more space. Any object in water displaces only its own weight in water. For that reason, ice floats.

No hard feelings, all in good fun cyccommute! ;)

Umm. But density is weight per unit volume. A milliliter of water at 4C weights 1 gram. A milliliter of ice (solid at 0C) weighs 0.9150g. So if you have equal volumes of water and solid ice, the ice weighs less. Being the less dense of the two materials ice floats. Which is a good thing because if it became denser as it solidified, like most crystaline materials, all the ice would sink to the bottom of the ocean and we would never have had all those great movies about the Titanic :D

For all the reasons mentioned; more capacity, more storage; stays cold longer; easier to access; won't bounce out; drinking nipple stays cleaner ... more than offsets having it on your back. Here in TX even on dedicated group roadie rides about half are wearing them.

My cleaning cycle in the summer when it is getting used 3x or more a week is to fill bladder about 1/2 full, put in freezer proped so the drinking tube does not get iced, fill rest with water, drink on ride, flush with fresh water, fill 1/2 full and back in freezer for next ride ... repeat

Considering that the Camelbak was invented for the Hotter 'n' Hell Hundred (in Texas) by a roadie, I'm amazed that more roadies don't use it. I know lots of Freds that use one but most 'serious' roadies would never touch them. Maybe they're just slower than the rest of us:D

thanks that really helped. now what type of camelbak should i get if i want to carrie just a couple of the things you listed (pump, first aid, snack, and some quick fix tools)?

thanks that really helped. now what type of camelbak should i get if i want to carrie just a couple of the things you listed (pump, first aid, snack, and some quick fix tools)?

Blowfish. Because when you need it to be all big and puffy and carrying a lot of stuff, you can make it all big and puffy. If you don't need it that way, you can make it all small and close. And it doesn't have any outside pockets so you don't have to go back down the trail to retrieve the stuff you dropped...unless you don't zip it up. But who would do that? :o

Camelback Lobo is not to big nor is it too small. Has a pocket for a mini pump and several inner pockets. It's the perfect size I think.

I use a 5 gallon bucket with a peice of garden hose I cut off. Made some shoulder straps out of ole climbing rope,I can ride for hours and not run outta water.

I use a 5 gallon bucket . . .How do you keep it sorted out which one is the hydration pack and which one is the helmet? :D

I use a 5 gallon bucket with a peice of garden hose I cut off. Made some shoulder straps out of ole climbing rope,I can ride for hours and not run outta water.


I guess that would help you to learn to not crash. One little mistake and you're thirsty the rest of the ride.

Considering that the Camelbak was invented for the Hotter 'n' Hell Hundred (in Texas) by a roadie, I'm amazed that more roadies don't use it. I know lots of Freds that use one but most 'serious' roadies would never touch them. Maybe they're just slower than the rest of us:D

I'm a roadie/mtn biker and I always use a Camelbak (have a Mule, Hawg, and Rocket). Sometimes I even take a frozen bottle with me (Polar bottle). I live where the HHH is and they (Camelbaks) are a godsend. A little variation on Paniolo's freezing recommendations: Fill Camelbak bladder halfway, lay flat in freezer (horizontal), blow air into bladder (hint: it will resemble a bloated bovine dead on side of road) and leave to freeze. Make sure hose is on top in water-free zone. Pull bladder out 30 mins prior to ride and let thaw slightly (lid will be easier to unscrew). Fill up rest of way with water. Suck out excess air through mouthpiece. Break spine of ice chunk (in half) on curved surface (maybe kitchen countertop...have never burst or broken a bladder yet). Breaking ice chunk in half allows Camelbak to fit countour of back a little better (for me at least). Water stays cold for ~ 3 hours. Repeat after each ride. I have never had anything funky growing in my Camelbak (I only use water) and it cuts down on the frequency of cleaning.

totally up to u.....for mtbiking, bottles can get dirty and hard to use...bags can be heavy and uncomfortable on your back over a longer period of time

How do you keep it sorted out which one is the hydration pack and which one is the helmet? :D

I spray painted flames on the one I use for my helmet.

I use this (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=47881150&parent_category_rn=4500509).Doesnt come with a hydration bladder and is kind of expensive but its my favorite backpack yet. Really light weight, can be a hydration pack for mountain biking and just a regular backpack for anything else. Also has compression straps so you never have to worry about having a huge empty bag flopping arround on your back.

... we put a first aid kit and some doggie treats in it. (treats for our dog, he loves to run on trails, also throw the treats to divert the attention of other dogs) i don't drink much water so a bottle is still good for me. also lower maintenance if you use bottled water or 20oz gatorades. ...

Please realize that throwing out treats for dogs that are chasing you effectively trains that dog to chase cyclists. Better to squirt them with water.

For the original poster ... the BIG advantage to the hydration is the ease of drinking. No need to balance getting your hands into and out of the triangle. Just grab the tube and drink. You can even hold it in your mouth over a rough section and drink after you're past.

The other big advantage for mountain bikers is that a STRONG hydration pack (not the folding variety like Platypus or Hydrapak) acts like armor for your back. It makes the "roll" technique of crashing much more effective. The folding variety will explode if you land on them and soak you with their contents.

The downfall is that it effectively prevents convection over your back. Everything is the trade-off. I will say that on a HOT day when I do 20 off-road miles, I drink EVERY last drop in my 3L Camelbak. I would not even be able to pack that much water into bottles.

For back-country excursions, there are kits available (from Camelbak and others) to filter the water as it comes out of the pack.

On brands ... there are lots of good makers of packs out there. But no one has come CLOSE to the simplicity and functionaity and durability of the Omega resevoir with the Big Bite Valve from Camelbak. If you buy an off-brand hydration pack, you may find yourself buying a Camelbak bladder to put into it.

My pack ... I'm using a 2004 Camelbak HAWG (Holds a Lot of Water and Gear). The Mule is OK for carrying SMALL items, but has no serious cargo capacity. If you want to carry along a jacket, you will need a HAWG. The 2006 stuff looks nice with lots of upgrades to the packs. Good lock shopping.

i was lucky in that upon being discharged from the marines, they let me keep my camelbak. I have no idea what kind it is, but it has absolutely nothing but the bladder and some desert camouflage around it. no room to carry anything whatsoever. it's still good for short hourish rides