You got that right!

...whatever works for the individual...

You say you are using a 100oz camelback. That's over 6lbs of static weight. I would rather not have that on my back, hour after hour day after day.[/QUOTE]


I absolutely agree with the first statement.

Regarding the second statement...Most people will drink more often when wearing a hydration pack so 6 lbs. of static weight hour after hour, day by day will only occur if you don't drink at all. Actually, as you tire, you'll drink more and the more you drink, the lighter the pack gets...seems to make sense.

FWIW, your math is pretty fuzzy. Yes it is over 6 pounds, but WAY over. 100 fluid ounces is over a gallon and a half (1.5625 to be exact). A gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds so 100 ounces of water weighs a hair over 13 pounds. (Edited to say "ignore my stupid mistake")

Personally I think that is fine under some circumstances where the advantages are sufficient to justify the weight on the back, but figured the correction was worth making lest someone make the choice based on incorrect info.

For me it can be worth it for long days in the desert with 100 F heat if the camelback is filled with ice and I get the cooling effect of melting ice all day. For most general use I don't care for them.

Hmmm. Since the actual weight of 100 ounces of water is 13 pounds the average weight on the back is probably fairly close to 6 pounds if you start with a full or near full pack and drink it all or at least most of it. I guess it would actually be a bit more since you likely won't empty it dry and a typical 100oz hydration pack weighs something like 1 lb 6 oz empty. (edited to say "please ignore my stupid error")

A fluid ounce is a unit of volume, not weight. One fluid ounce of water does not weigh exactly one ounce (thanks, Imperial system). A gallon displaces 128 fluid ounces, but a gallon of water weighs 133 oz.

There are 16 ounces in a pound. 100 ounces/(16 oz/lb) = 6.25 lb

My math was incorrect as I accidentally based it on 64 ounces being a gallon. Dumb mistake, too early in the morning. I stand corrected.

Could have gone either way. I just thought of ounces as weight and extrapolated 16/pound. Didn't even consider fluid volume at all

cyccommute
I have one of the 100oz military Camelbaks It has the insulation even around the tube. I have had it for over a decade. I don't have any problems with the weight either.

All you imperialists, just use litres and grams, it would all be so much simpler.
seriously though, I've totally lost my ounces stuff and always find it confusing when folks describe x camping gear in ounces...
And yet, still haven't picked up on bar tire pressure and only understand psi.....

I'm a 57 yo Canuck and can think in metric for everything except temperature. For the life of me I can't stop my brain from picturing the weather in Fahrenheit.

Yea, that’s not going happen. I’m amazed we don’t use “cubits” down here based on the arguments used against the metric system


Well if you are going to be all Système international (d'unités), “bar” isn’t the measurement you use. You use Pascals (N/m2).

“Bar” is atmospheric pressure or 14 psi/atmosphere. 100 psi~7 atmosphere or about 7 bar. Of course, that assumes sea level. Up here at around 1600 meters, our “atmospheric pressure” is 80% of that of sea level.

Pascals are harder to use (and wrap your head around) because there are just so many of them. One standard atmosphere (14 psi) is 96,500 pascals. 100 psi is 675,000 pascal. Even if you convert it to kilo pascals (kpa), that 675 kpa which is still hard to think about. Even professionally, few people use pascals.

I had to be a metric interpreter on a VBT Bike and Barge tour I did several years ago. They gave us queue sheets for directions. There wasn’t a map, just a list of directions. The sheets would say “0.1: Turn left” or “1.3: turn right”. Each direction might have a street name but many didn’t. All the ‘Mericans would look at the sheet and say (out loud) “Oh, that’s a tenth of a mile” or “that’s 1.3 miles.” I have to constantly remind them that 0.1 was a tenth of a kilometer or about a city block or, more practically, “Right now!”

I had to interpret from metric to imperial (really just ‘Merican now) for the Dutch guides. They couldn’t wrap their heads around temperature in Fahrenheit (nor could the ‘Mericans think in Celsius). I explained that 20°C is room temperature and body temperature is 37°C.

Luckily we never had to deal with volume or pressure.

Same aged Canuck that can only think of my height in feet and inches, so there you go, we are a mixed up bunch.
I think we've had this discussion before, but I'll always remember the first time I rode a motorcycle at 100mph, a real milestone.

Cycco, I've known a number of Pascals and Pascales. Very nice people.

It just occurred to me that 1 bar is 14 psi, and 1 stone is 14 lb, so 1 stone per square inch is 1 bar.


Mind blown

All good arguments for being assimilated into the Borg

The only reason I know Bars is because I scuba dive. We still use psi but I can think in Bars if I have to.

I've always appreciated the water connection to metric as a way of making sense of the measurements - there! tied the segue back to the topic

I often make use of a 2L Camelbak when the bulk of my tour is going to be in very hot and humid environments and or the distance between available water refills can be so great, as was the case this summer touring Nebraska ( silly me, I didn't realize it could be so hot and arid there). One thing for sure is I tend to drink more when wearing a Camelbak because it is so easy to catch a sip vs. having to grab for a bottle.

I can't afford to carry another gram of weight on my body when ridding. I am just to heavy to begin with. If I am planning a hike or a bike route my first priority is available water. That's just the way it is in most of Texas. My Brother and Kuz were taking a day hike in Big Bend. They asked a ranger how much water for the high point hike from the last station. He said 3 gallons then followed 3 gallons each way. It was April.

Sometimes I find myself grabbing for my canteen on my hip... Old Army Habit... ha

Growing up and working with my grandfather as a kid I remember he was always making the challenge, "?quantos pulgadas", how many inches. And, "?quantos centemetros", how many centimeters. He said you need to know them both and many more. Like speaking Spanish, English, German and Coahuiltecan. But that's in South Texas. It was advice I did not follow but kinda wish I did.

I got a good dose of the metric system when stationed overseas in the Army. I hold the skill close...

I have 72 ounces in my three water bottles. My Camelbak has 100 ounces. When I use the Camelbak I drink more often and ride further. Riding further helps me loose more weight. I cant afford not to use the Camelbak. I don't notice more weight on my hands when I use my Camelbak. I guess If I was riding in an aero position real low the extra weight might be more on my hands.

Just for clarification, I was only pointing out someone else's comment regarding the "hour by hour, day by day" statement saying that the weight reduces as waters is consumed. As for the beginning weight, your correction is fine, but notice that the portion I quoted says a bit over 6 pounds so he was correct.