Originally Posted by
taz777
Indeed. This is something I'll have to watch and work out whether the convenience of hydration outweighs a sweaty back!
That may have been true with first or second generation Camelbak and the hydration packs. Modern packs are better designed. It's not that much of a problem anymore and the benefits far outweigh a sweaty back.
Hydration packs can be packed with ice which makes them into your own personal cooler. Because they are insulated much better than any bottle and because they have a greater capacity, they will keep cold for several hours even in highly humid environments. As an added benefit, water condensing on the bag will drip through and cool that sweaty back. I've carried one throughout the southern, eastern, northern and western US. Drinking ice water on a hot day...whether dry or humid...is far better than drinking tepid water from a bottle.
Originally Posted by
FlMTNdude
Great for running mountain trails in an arid climate. Otherwise they restrict air flow and evaporative cooling as mentioned. If you are one of those who don’t sweat it may work. Otherwise I have two bottle cages on the bike and not difficult to reach down and have a drink.
Don't assume that it's easy for everyone. taz777 has already addressed the limit of water bottle for small frames in terms of size but hasn't addressed the issue of getting even a regular sized bottle out of that small a frame. It is trickier to get a bottle out of the cage when your frame is very small. The bottle just barely fits and requires more maneuvering of the bottle to clear the frame. That's time spent
not looking at where you are going.
Hydration packs are simple to use and require a lot less hassle. Mountain bikers discovered that long ago which is why they embraced them. On a trail where you are bouncing around, grabbing a tube that is at your shoulder is a whole lot easier the looking down at a cage. You don't run into trees as often. You also have to put it back.