I went on my first ride with a CamelBak today. People, they are worth their weight in gold, if you are considering one,GET ONE!!!! It is 96 degrees outside, and very humid, but with my CamelBak I had no problems!!!!

Here's a tip for the warm weather riding: fill the Camelback 50% with ice cubes and 50% with water. Keeps things nice and cool for the ride and by the time you are done the ice has finished melting. It's my new secret weapon!

I'll try that next time. Some of the water was warm because the tube is exposed, but I really don't mind.

Servus!

riderx, so much for it being a "secret" weapon! Performance offers a special "ice bar" tray that makes these rods of ice that are eaisier to put in your drink bladders. Haven't got one yet but I would think that it would be great (if not a bit curious) to own and try out.

Camelbak - you either love it or you hate it. I can't ride without mine anymore. I even bought a rucksack from Jack Wolfskin so I could carry my water and all of my "notwendig" crap wherever I go.

Of course my riding companions and colleages laugh and make obscene remarks but I'm not the one who falls out because I only brought along one 15 oz. bottle to last a 100km trip!

Fubar, whenever I go on a shorter ride when I know I'll have plenty of water, I always take the first mouthful and spit it out. Helps to rinse the mouth out and then you have cold water to drink. I've always put ice in Camelbak so I'm spoiled!
When we rode the Berryman though, I didn't waste any because I knew water would be tight. Filled the 100 oz. bladder and took a large frame bottle, drank sparingly and still ran out about 2-3 miles short.

I use a 70 oz. Camelbak Razor on shorter MTB rides. It minimizes size and weight (carries only water and maybe your keys and a couple dollars) and has a couple of neat features: if you remove the Koolbak insulating pad, the ice/water cools your back; the Tube Director fully insulates the otherwise exposed tube while allowing directional positioning of the mouthpiece next to your mouth (similarly to how pipe cleaners can be bent) - no more fumbling for the dang thing on your shoulder and the first sip stays cool!

I've got a Camelback Mule! it's a hoss.
100 Oz. water + 240 cui storage and lots of stuffing places.

Anybody tried a Trans-Alp? It's a little larger than the HAWG, but it has a built in rain cover. I looked at both today and the weight is about the same. Just can't decide...

I did not hesitate to do this. I felt like Superman flying into the center of the sun...(ok. that's too corny, but.)

On my last ride, I found I didn't want to drink. Soon, I realized this "ice bag" was chilling my spine!

Wow...this has possibilities...

Hmm making different shaped ice cubes. Talk about thinking outside the box. Maybe I'll make gatorade popsicles and throw them in with cold water. Yeah. COOL.

That sounds like an awesome idea. You should try

Standard size ice cubes fit in the opening of my Camelback Mule, so no need to buy special trays. Also, Platypus makes bladders w/ a giant zipper so you can easily clean and fill w/ ice.

After every swig, I blow the water back down the tube and it stays cold in the bladder! It's not enough air in the tube to bother me each time I drink.

Just another alternative!

Thats also a great tip for winter cyclists, and thoes who use there hydration packs in the winter (i have used mine snowboarding, snowshoing and xc skiing). I also have one of thoes black neopreen (sp?) covers, this keeps the water warm enought not to freeze in the winter. I have also noticed that if you keep this cover wet in the summer, the evaporation of the water will keep the tube cool, very cool tip

MtnBikerChick, welcome to the forums!

THANKS JOE!!

I have a Camelbak Mule with a 100oz bladder. The large bladder is nice for those long rides but the Mule doesn't have enough storage space for me.
A friend of mine just bought a Blowfish and it's very nice. It's expands when you have lots of stuff to carry or you can zip it up and make it more streamline if you don't have much to carry. I know what I'm spending my next paycheck on.

I know what you mean Carlos. I have a MULE too and for most rides it's fine but on longer rides it doesn't do the job.
So today I ordered a HAWG. If that doesn't do it, I guess I'll have to get a trailer!

I agree the MULE doesn't have quite as much storage as I would like, but for everyday use it works good. The shock cord definitely helps when loading things up though. The HAWG will be my next purchase if I really need more room or see one for a good deal.

The blowfish is an excellent in-between-er pack from the Mule to the Hawg. Plenty of room for necessities and extras but not too big. Anybody care for the elbow shaped mouthpiece valve? I switched to the straight one before I even went for a ride. The locking valve is a nice touch as well. Water bottles are history!

Haven't tried the elbow piece and don't think I would like it. I keep a water bottle cage on my bike for two reasons:
1. x-long rides I fill a bottle w/ gatorade or cytomax and run water in the camelback
2. If I'm ever stupid enough to forget my camelback when I load up the car, I can stop at the 7-11 and grab a bottle of something drink.

I have a few friends who have the elbow style mouthpiece and they don't care for it. Plus they are a pain to clean.

I need to start carrying a bottle filled with Gatorade or some type of sports drink on those very long rides. Right now, I only carry water.

Wanted to chime in here! I use both! I carry a Camelback (Razor if interested) and I also carry two water bottles. Why? My yellow lab (Sierra) comes on all my rides with me. The camelback is for me, the water bottles for Sierra.

Lator Gator

I went on a MTB ride this weekend. I was awesome!!!! No way to explain it. Switchbacks, fast descents, and these things where you would plummet 5-6 feet and then shoot up the other side. If you were really good you got some air. Its really funny, when I set out to do jumps and stuff, it freaks me out, but when I'm cruising along on a trail, nothing phases me.I went off this 2 foot drop and I wasn't even in control of my bike!!! My shoes wouldn't clip in and I hadn't strapped my gloves closed. But all that is aside from my point, during this ride my CamelBak proved its worth again. There was now way I would have been able to use water bottles on this trail. I think the best investment(besides my bike) this year is my CamleBak, and for all the people that think the prices for hydration packs are outrageous....well...GET ONE ANYWAY!!!!

[off topic]
Anyone else remember when CamelBack.com was a website for a nudest camp? Im so glad the people at camelbak purchased that website... When i was purchasing my hawg, i showed my mom what i was getting, she was kinda suprized when i pulled up camelback.com and blurted our "Isnt that cool? This is what i want!" as the website loaded ....
[/off topic]

That was probably funny.