Mountain Biking - Backpacks /Hydration.

Hi all

I got a new biking backpack today ,rather slim but it can accomodate my lid and a raincoat plus the usual tools/minipump/bottle/purse/phone. Its a Salomon one and i got it for 15$ with a SRP of 70$ . It has reinforced/ventilated/wicked back and straps, chest strap, waist strap plus accomodation for a bladder (camelback style.) . I opted for this rather that getting a blowfish camelback (120$) or a raceface BC pack (100$). Tell me your opinion.

here is a pick of the back

Awesome price! Looks a pretty good size - did it come with a bladder, or do you have to buy one separately?

Just picked up a new Blowfish last week myself - great size to carry all the junk I need when my lady and I go riding (don't know how it happened, but I end up carrying all her spares too since she has a camelbak without any extra compartments :confused: ). Great not having to stop or slow down so much to drink too.

Camelbacks are veeeeery expensive in the UK. 130$+ for the blowfish. I dont have a bladder yet. I might get one for 25$. any suggestions?

Originally posted by math2p14
Camelbacks are veeeeery expensive in the UK. 130$+ for the blowfish. I dont have a bladder yet. I might get one for 25$. any suggestions?

CamelBaks were ludicrous prices in Australia. The best thing I've found since moving to the US is all the stuff on ebay! Paid $65 delivered for the blowfish on ebay....

We've been using a 100oz/3L camelbak insert in our camera backpack for a couple of years - it's been great for hiking trips. Any of the hydration inserts should do the trick, though.

Does your backpack have any insulation? If not, you might want to consider something like the CamelBak UnBottle (http://www.camelbak.com/rec/cb_prod.cfm?catid=6&product_id=219) to make sure the liquid stays good and cold on hot days.

It has insulation against body heat. The back is specialy designed if thats what you mean. Also it has an internal pocket for the bladder to be held. But for 15$ and Salomon quality i couldnt resist and i picked it against the blowfish or the raceface BC pack.

Get this. I love mine.

http://www.polardesignpacks.com/

Nice buy!

Thanks to all of you. :)

It's bigger than what I would personally normally need but I guess you were looking for a bigger pack from the start. At anyrate, $15 for a hydration pack is an awesome deal. How big of a bladder can it hold?

I reckon that it can hold up to 2/3 litters. Man it was an awesome deal i stll cant believe it!

go to pricepoint.com and look at the bipolar bladders. good price and they claim they can keep water cold

Now that you have the backpack squared away, you will have time to pick up all those CDs left on the floor :D

LOL :D I constantly have my room more tidy than my biking stuff....especially now that i intend to move to another house.

As far as bladders go, the polardesign looks like it will keep stuff cold, but you'll have the same problem that I have with my Camelbak Thermobak--cleaning. With the small opening it is a PAIN to get all the gunk out of there. My wife bought one of the Omega mouth bladders for her backpack and has a considerably easier time cleaning than I do.

A friend of mine got a great deal on a Hydrapak and loves it. The bladder turns inside out for easy cleaning. He turns it and puts it in the dishwasher; ready to ride the next day.

As for cooling, I just used my (black) Thermobak in Mexico for a week; it kept water tastefully cold in 100+ degree heat while on my back for about 2 hours. ("Tastefully cold" means that it didn't taste like warm urine when I drank it.)

The thing is that i need to find bladders that are available to the UK market. So far i know that camelback omega reservoir and a brand called Platypus are available.

I have the omega reservoir in my camelback mule. I love it!, it is easy to fill and clean. I like to freeze water in small plastic cups and then remove the ice from the cups and slide them right in the bladder. Stays cold for hours in the hot desert where I ride. So if you go with the omega you wont be disapointed.

you know I was going to buy a camelback.. then I saw the prices and they where waaaay beyond my range.

Friend told me that walmart had the same thing but different brand.. for 30 bucks. Its like "outdoor" brand or somthing, I definatly recomend it if you want a backpack water system for cheap, its still good constructoin, lots of pockets (I keep my pump, spare tubes, repair kits, cell, keys, wallet, and a few powerbars in their).

looks pretty sweet...looks like theres a lot of padding

Oh yeah its got mondo padding. It held up pretty well today on the trail, water kept cool and I crashed pretty bad a couple of times and it held up... covered with dirt but it held. It also holds about 2 liters.

nice back pack. I agree that camelback is overpriced. I picked mine at 75% discount at a salomon store....guess noone wanted a hydration pack at this store....

Well, I'm not trying to sell Camelbak's or anything. The only reason that I bought one is because I'm in the Army Reserve and the Thermalbak is an alternate hydration system to the canteen. So, for me, it pulls double duty. Thank God I've never had to use it in a tactical situation; it's been used mostly for my bike.

i've got this in black. It has a small frame that keeps the bag off your back and allows air to pass through. It has a built in pack cover and a harness thing to hold your helmet for those long climbs when you dont wanna wear it.

http://www.tirelesstrekker.com/shopcart/backpacks/vaude_splash_25.htm