Touring - camel backs

Howzit people. Glad I found this site.

Ok complete newbie to cycling, dont even have a decent bike yet but the plan is to quit the job and go cycling around Aus NZ Europe :D

anyways I was wondering what you guys thought about camelbacks ? are they worth it ?

Bit random I know, I have a ton more questions dont worry :D


cheers hey


Andy

I have a couple thoughts about camel backs vs. water bottles. I really don't like having anything on my back when riding BUT camel backs do have a distinct advantage over bottles. The most important thing is that they promote proper hydration. You take a little sip often as opposed to a "swig" of the bottle every once in a while. The other thing is that the hose for the camel back is further away from the road and hence will stay cleaner than the bottle.

That said, I have yet to switch to camel back.

Yep, I agree with spinnaker. Personally I go the bottles to keep my back cook, but it takes more concentration and effort to make sure you drink properly.

Best is to try it out yourself, you can get no-name brands pretty cheap then get a good one if you like camelbaks. Most road tourers prefer bottles, but not on a MTB where everything gets filthy and everything on the bike rattles around.

Or if you have the parts lying around you can get some silicone tubing, some plugs with an O-ring seal, an old wine cask bladder (empty out the chenin blanc or white port or sorghum beer or rooibos tea, and learn to play cricket while you're at it!) and put the whole contraption in a day pack to try it out for free.

I use one all the time. Yes, it gets a little sweaty but having water at the ready is worth a little sweat. Pack one full of ice in the morning and you'll have ice water for hours...even on very hot days. Beats the heck out of tepid bath water out of a bottle when the temps are cooking.

My two companions put a camelback type bladder in their front pannier, ran the hose up to the bars and seemed to have the best of both worlds. Their only complaint was that it was hard to guess how much was left in the bladder, but they had regular bottles as a backup.

My two companions put a camelback type bladder in their front pannier, ran the hose up to the bars and seemed to have the best of both worlds. Their only complaint was that it was hard to guess how much was left in the bladder, but they had regular bottles as a backup.

I was thinking about this but I did not think the hose would be long enough. Did they have to extend the hose or did stock one work?

I've got a Camelbak Mule (holds 100oz), and when I load merely 2/3rd's full, I end up with a nasty sweatback. Don't get me wrong; it sure is great to have cool water inches away from your mouth, but it's also uncomfortable after a while. As usual, no good answer..just pluses and minuses.

My two companions put a camelback type bladder in their front pannier, ran the hose up to the bars and seemed to have the best of both worlds. Their only complaint was that it was hard to guess how much was left in the bladder, but they had regular bottles as a backup.

I've seen this done once and thought it to be a boon. I've used camelbacks but dislike them and temporarily have got back to the bottle. After seeing the bladder in a pannier trick, have decided to try that as using bottles is a bigger pain to keep hydrated (especially for my fat a...). I've also thought about using a handlebar bag as storage for my water bladder.

Picture of camelback in front pannier at "Two Grads and a Dad on Tour (http://tinyurl.com/ypsjrj)" blog

I love my camelbak for my 4 hour weekend rides. I wouldn't want to wear it on my back much longer. My back does get sweaty like others have mentioned and it does start to tire my back. I know a girl that straps her's to the rear rack. I was thinking about giving that a try. The water does stay cooler a lot longer than my normal bottles.

I've toured with a 2L camelbak a few times and been more than happy with it. In fact, touring is about the only use I have for mine these days. You do get a sweaty back, but over time you get used to that, and it isn't really the end of the world. The extra weight can be a problem if you're travelling light, but that doesn't generally apply on loaded tours. As others have pointed out, they do promote proper hydration, and that's the real benefit, although they also increase the amount of water you're able to carry at any given time.

The real downside that I see with them is that they don't provide any reliable indication of when you're going to run out of water. I've had days where I've thought mine was almost empty, and still had a litre of water to sip from. There have been other days when I've suddenly run out when I thought I had plenty left. Consequently, I won't use a camelbak unless I have at least one waterbottle on the bike as a back-up. As a general rule, I'll start looking for somewhere to refill as soon as I start on my last bottle.

Sounds like someone needs to reinvent the the old canvas water bag, but for bikes. Before air-conditioned cars, it used to be rare to see a car in outback Australia without one of these hanging off the roo-bar. The idea is that the canvas leaks slowly and the water that's evaporated by the wind keeps the water inside nicely chilled (there's a photo of one at www.campout.com.au/products.html). Attach one to the front of the bike with appropriate tubing and sip cool water all day. A similar idea is to put a water bottle inside a wet sock.

Many water containers used evaporation for cooling. The old metal canteens with the cloth strip was not for looks, it was keeping the water cool. Though, I don't think I would want a leaking canvas bag on my bike. I think the wet sock idea is a better idea.

I have Deuter race x air, which has the pack suspended of the back with some mesh. With this I don't get a sweaty back. It holds about 2-3 liters. When I am doing a big ride, I freeze it the night before and I can have cool water for 6-8 hours.

Hi SweetLou
Good point about the canteens. Maybe "leak" was a poor choice of words, probably should have said "seep". The water that seeps through the canvas doesn't spill on the bike, it evaporates. The seepage rate is a just a design issue, as is the location of the bag (down beside the front wheel maybe?). Anyway, it's only water -- a bit like rain, which our bikes all seem cope with.

Clarenza, it wasn't having the water sprayed on me or the bike, but rather I would not want any loss of water to drink. I drink a lot of water. Not just when I am riding. I always have something to drink. At night I have a 32oz cup next to me. It is often empty in the morning and sometimes I need to refill throughout the night.

The seeping idea is good, since as long as you have water to drink, it should be nice a cool.

SweetLou, Ahh, water loss is the issue, I'll have to check that out. My guess would be that you might lose 5% during the course of a day.

Clarenza, it wasn't having the water sprayed on me or the bike, but rather I would not want any loss of water to drink. I drink a lot of water. Not just when I am riding. I always have something to drink. At night I have a 32oz cup next to me. It is often empty in the morning and sometimes I need to refill throughout the night.

The seeping idea is good, since as long as you have water to drink, it should be nice a cool.

A 100 oz Camelbak bladder will almost hold a full 7 pound bag of ice with enough space to put in a pint or more (I know it doesn't make sense given that 100 oz is 6.25 lbs but it does work;)) of liquid water. The ice melt fast enough that you never really run out of liquid...or if you do you can add the water from the bottle. But the bag is also well insulated enough that the water will stay cold for, literally, hours. No seeping or loss of water needed.

Additionally, the pack isn't nearly as sweaty as you'd think because the ice in the bag cools your back at the same time...not super cold, but enough to keep things comfortable.

Another advantage I find in using a cargo pack like the M.U.L.E. or the Blowfish, is that my wallet, glasses, snacks, tools, etc. are readily accessible when I stop. If rain is threatening, I can carry my jacket back there too and not have to dig around in panniers to get it out for use. I do carry a handlebar bag but that's for camera gear;)

I have a 100 oz Camelbak that I do put ice in. My back still gets sweaty, even though I have a model that has the air channels to help prevent this. The water does stay cold. The water in the bladder is cold, the water in the tube might not be though. I do run out of water, but this is usually on my 4 hour fast ride that I do on Saturdays or Sundays. I rarely run out of water on my shorter rides.

Frees up the front triangle for a frame bag and some heavy stuff.

I was thinking about this but I did not think the hose would be long enough. Did they have to extend the hose or did stock one work?
They used the stock one but had to bend down a bit to drink with the lowrider racks. They have small frames so if your bike is bigger it may be more of an issue. The setup they used was from walmart (not camelback brand) and was about $8 I think. It was just a bladder, hose, and bite valve.

FWIW: I thought they were nuts when they tried it but later I was jealous when they had cold water on 100+ degree days.

I have a couple thoughts about camel backs vs. water bottles. I really don't like having anything on my back when riding BUT camel backs do have a distinct advantage over bottles. The most important thing is that they promote proper hydration. You take a little sip often as opposed to a "swig" of the bottle every once in a while. The other thing is that the hose for the camel back is further away from the road and hence will stay cleaner than the bottle.

That said, I have yet to switch to camel back.

I have to agree with spinnaker here, except that I do use a 70 oz. (about 2 liter) CamelBack and water bottles in sections of the western U.S. where water/services can be 75+ miles apart. I've found that to be a better solution than carrying jugs of water strapped to the bike (like I've seen quite often in those parts). I tend to drink more from the CamelBack too, but I still roll it up and tuck it away when extra water isn't necessary.

All the best,

I have a 2 liter bladder that I keep in or on my panniers, it usually is used to refill my bottles, but having it on my back would not be comfortable for extended periods of time.

They used the stock one but had to bend down a bit to drink with the lowrider racks. They have small frames so if your bike is bigger it may be more of an issue. The setup they used was from walmart (not camelback brand) and was about $8 I think. It was just a bladder, hose, and bite valve.

FWIW: I thought they were nuts when they tried it but later I was jealous when they had cold water on 100+ degree days.

Camelbak makes a hose extender (http://www.rei.com/product/610513) or you can use a piece of 1/4" tygon tubing.

Well I was bound and determined not to use one on the cross country trip last because I didn't like the weight, but mid way through the trip I bought one. It was rather petite holds 60-70oz - I have a Mule which just hold to much stuff in a addition to water. This is a petty basic model, wide mouth - but used it in addition to 6 bottles at times.

I use one on longer rides on my dedicated roadie, and one thing I like about them is that they keep the water much cooler than in my bottles.

Well I was bound and determined not to use one on the cross country trip last because I didn't like the weight, but mid way through the trip I bought one. It was rather petite holds 60-70oz - I have a Mule which just hold to much stuff in a addition to water. This is a petty basic model, wide mouth - but used it in addition to 6 bottles at times.
I agree about the Mule. I was looking for one that held 100oz. but didn't have all the pockets and compartments. I wanted some pockets, but I thought the Mule had too much for me. I forget what model I have, but I finally found it. It does have a bit more carrying capacity than I wanted, but not too bad. If I ride with it, I don't need my seat bag, since everything including my pump can fit in it.

I rode for two seasons on my Giant hybrid, wearing a 3-liter Camelbak that become like a seat belt for me -- couldn't ride without strapping it to my back. Rode a 4-day charity ride from Raleigh to DC setting personal bests on that hybrid, and I give some credit to the Camelbak. Very efficient, held a ton of stuff before I had a bike with a rear rack.

However, now that I have a touring bike and the bags that go with it, I rely on water bottles.

This really is a "your mileage will vary" topic -- you're either comfortable wearing a backpack all day, or you aren't. The Camelbak is such a functional item that I would recommend you buy one and try it for a few weeks. I'm pretty sure you'll get at least local use out of it.

Tip: resist the temptation to put Gatorade or juice in your Camelbak bladder. Use it exclusively for ice and water. You'll spend more time than you'd think carefully cleaning, scrubbing all the parts. I learned this one the hard way.

You don't mention where you are traveling in Australia, but on my trip around the perimeter of Australia, I carried as much as 16 liters and more often 9 liters of water. A camelback was helpful to carry some of that water (I had a 3L version and a second 3L bladder so could carry up to 6L on my back - most typically I only carried 3L).

This really is a "your mileage will vary" topic -- you're either comfortable wearing a backpack all day, or you aren't. The Camelbak is such a functional item that I would recommend you buy one and try it for a few weeks. I'm pretty sure you'll get at least local use out of it.

Tip: resist the temptation to put Gatorade or juice in your Camelbak bladder. Use it exclusively for ice and water. You'll spend more time than you'd think carefully cleaning, scrubbing all the parts. I learned this one the hard way.I agree. I do like my camelbak. Comes in very handy, especially when I am out in an area where I might not even see a store to buy some more water.

That must have been a fun cleaning! :D I hate trying to clean the bottles after I put some Cytomax in them. But that is what I do. Besides the Camelbak, I also bring two large bottles with me. I put the powder in the bottles and use the water from the Camelbak.

This is an interesting thread. I have a camelback and have used it extensively. But in the last three years I have not used it at all. I even carried it cross country last year and never took it out of the panniers. My three water bottles were more than enough for my needs, I normally only use two of them. If I were to go out to the desert again, I would probably use the camelbak so that I could carry more water.

I have two. I use it exclusively on the mountain bike, but, yeah, it might be nice to use one on the road when it's hot, with the ice back there keeping things nice and cool. Hadn't thought about it before, but will definitely give it a try.

Oh yeah, they're also the only way to go when you're hiking.

i use camelbaks on the trails.

grabbing a straw hanging from your shoulder strap is a lot easier than grabbing for a bottle clinging to your downtube that will go flying the first time you jump a boulder or felled tree.

on the road i go sissy and use polar bottles with lots of ice.