Originally Posted by
cyccommute
I'm not sure what you mean by the "D-ring". Camelbaks have traditionally just hung down...usually hitting my leg which I find bothersome at times. The Osprey that taz777 bought has a magnetic clip at the sternum strap which is rather clever and keeps the tube from banging against my leg.
Mine isn't a Camelbak. It's a cheap knockoff type which has plastic D-rings on the front of the straps. I zip-tied a spring clip to the drinking tube so I can clip it onto the D-ring and hold it when I'm not drinking from it. Before I made this modification, it didn't have any way to attach the tube and keep it from hanging down. But I do like the idea of magnets. I do have some small, strong magnets I could use. Maybe attach one to the shoulder strap and a small piece of steel around the tube.
I use my nearly every day (200 to 250 days a year) and seldom empty it, much less dry it without problems.
I only use mine once in a while, so after I'm done using it I'll rinse it out well and hang it up on a clothes hanger I cut in half to let it dry. Maybe it doesn't take several days to fully dry out, I just hang it up and forget it.
As a bicycle rider of many different flavors and many different areas including many fast downhills, I seldom notice the pack and certainly don' t feel like it is a "sail". I'm not racing but I don't ride slow either. On the other hand, laying on the side of the road because you ran out of water and are suffering from dehydration really puts a dent into setting records.
I'm certainly not out to break any land speed records on the bike, so I'm not worried about aerodynamic characteristics of the hydration pack. It's far more valuable to have extra water while riding in places where there's nowhere to get fresh water unless you want to knock on doors and beg for some, which I'm loathe to do.