Ray,

You're comment makes me want to give the CamelBack a try. (I've never had one.) On tours, I tend to stop to drink the entire bottle at once, or just about, instead of drinking while riding. I feel great after the drink, but get sluggish sometimes before it. Yes, I know, I should drink a lot while I ride even from bottles, but just call me lazy.

Thanks,
David in FL

David,

It is easy to lose sight of the need to drink water, no matter what the source. I think it is better to drink a little bit all the time instead of large amounts every once in a while. Before I was using a camelback, I had a doctor tell me that I was dehydrated. When I told him about my bike riding, he recommended drinking more water when I rode.

Keep in mind that your kidneys need water to flush out the stuff they filter from your blood. Without enough water, your kidneys have to work harder and you might even get kidney stones.

For me, it isn't about bottles versus backpack (I use both), it is about keeping my kidneys in good working order.

Ray

At least camelbaks have come down in price a lot in recent years, probably dirt cheap in America, so its not too expensive to try on tours. If you dont like it, use the bladder for storage, or retire it for hiking/running if your into that stuff too...

I have two camelbacs now for different purposes, the first one i bought was expensive.. as they were new out...

Both or either depending on ride length and outside temperature. 35 miles of less on road bike - two bottles. 25 miles or less on MTB - two bottles. Anything more than that, 100 oz Camelbak and at least a bottle with electrolyte.

Thinking of camping/touring in the next few weeks - intend to take at least a full camelbak and 4 or more bottles.

By the way, if anyone's curious: I picked up one of the Camelbak Water Bottles this week. Decent compromise between regular bottles and a full hydropack.

Mini-review over here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=296527

I just finished a 7000 mile tour and used both. When Climbing passes at a slow speed, nothing beats having your water supply a turn of the head away. And if your complaining about a cb hurting your back, you need to do some back strengthening exercises, 5 lbs on you back should not create back strain.

Also, I used bottles for sports drink.

I use both. Generally, I keep ice water in the CB, as has been previously said, the 100 oz bladder keeps it cold for a long time. In my bottles I usualy keep gatorade or something with a flavor. I also usually strap a few other bottles of gatorade onto the top of my panniers/sleeping bag.

"do you enjoy tepid water that has been baking in a plastic bottle all day?"

No problem at all, though not likely. If it is really hot then it isn't staying in the bottle for long. In any case I have always been told, though never really believed, that cold water is bad for you during hot exercise. It sounds like an old wife's tale, but either way, I can live with it.

I find it hard to beleive one can't carry cool water in a thermos, or use a foam wrap. It really should be easier keeping water cool if it isn't stacked on top of your hot body, that sounds like the design mistake that cost us so many kilowatts in conventional fridges.

I think one can sip consistantly more easily through a straw, why that has to be attached to your back I don't know. When it's really hot I like to pound it back through the 3/4" hole in my Nalgene. Trying to drink over a quart of water an hour is not something I elect to do through a straw, and I doubt most hit those levels either.

"When I only use bottles, I find that I have to be more deliberate about when I drink. The end result is more water in me when using a camelback."

One of the recent research results about hydration is that thirst is a good indication of hydration needs. Pay attention to it. So really all this talk about whether one gets enough, and at what rate can be put to rest if you just pay attention to the usual signs, like thirst and urine colour, rather than believing in the corporate marketing.

Another issue these days is overhydration. People in sports have generally gotten the hydration message, and some are taking it too far. So current guidelines try to scale back the message. It's a little confusing if one tries to take all the messages together at once, though overall it's comon sense.

I read the colder the water the body will absorb it faster. Anyhow I went to Academy and got insulated bottle carriers. They are the same plastic bottles, but they fit into a insulated carrying case. It comes with a strap that I cut off, of one, and I left it on, on the other one. I put about 1/4 ice in them with whatever you want to drink and it last for quit a while in the Texas sun. I thought about the CB, but I thought it would put to much weight above the center of gravity.

Heres the only real hydration solution:
http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/06/smbu...eer_bag.03.jpg
Best of both worlds!

[QUOTE=Peterpan1One of the recent research results about hydration is that thirst is a good indication of hydration needs. Pay attention to it. So really all this talk about whether one gets enough, and at what rate can be put to rest if you just pay attention to the usual signs, like thirst and urine colour, rather than believing in the corporate marketing.
[/QUOTE]

I firmly believe that the above statement is only half right--at least for me. There's been many times when I've felt only mildly thirsty, or I'm bonking but don't feel hungry or thirsty, and then I pull out my water bottle and drink all of it and part of another in just a few seconds. After bonking and drinking the water, I was renewed and ready to go even though my original thirst was barely noticeable.

David in FL

I personally do not really feel thirsty or hungry much at all... My mother is the same way... I KNOW I should be hydrating, but my body isn't really yelling at me to do so. Sometimes I only notice I am hungry because I am in a terrible mood due to low blood sugar. Before my summer trip I am looking to find a wristwatch with a repeating alarm that I can set so that it beeps or vibrates every 15 minutes or so to remind me to take a sip of water, because left to my own judgement I often forget. I saw some nike watches with a 'hydration alarm' but I don't see how that would differ from a self repeating timer...

What I do: Even though I have a bottle cage on both bikes, I use the camelback. I have the 100oz bladder for just water, and on a REALLY long ride, I have an additional 35oz to hang next to the big one to fill with gatorade (hangs in the CB bag from the same hook). What works for me is, the night before, if it's going to be a HOT day, fill the bladder half way with water, blow it the rest of the way up, lay it carefully in the freezer overnight...then in the morning, it's got a big chunk of ice that I fill the rest with water, and if I was lucky, the tube is not blocked and the cap can come off easily. On a couple of LONG rides (most of the day), I have filled both bladders and emptied them.

I don't like the back sweat, and having heat trapped between the CB and back. Also, I don't like anything attached to my body that can sway my movements.

I use bottles, throw some ice in them and they keep chilled.

My M.U.L.E. has some pads on the pack that seem to channel air around my back. Sweat that is air dried almost seems like a swamp cooler. Keeps my back cool!:D

I kep seeing ads for the Mule...but my CB still works, several years after purchase. Since I don't use bottles these days, I almost think of taking the bottle cages OFF the bikes. Maybe. Hmm.

All credit to ang.x on this one, before we went out training the other day, ang, being the bright spark she is, decided to try something... no-one has thought of it yet in here...

For those with handlebar bags, being of big enough size i suppose, take your CB bladder, and put it in the bottom of it, load your goodies on top, and fed the straw through the bar connection point. Pull on tube when needed, drink, push down... out of sight outta mind...

Worked a treat, using 1.2 litre CB bladder, and ortleib handlebar bag, mapcase an all fitted. Pity my CB bladder is 3 litre, i might have some problems :-)

Ill load a photo of it... nifty, and works, solves all the CBs drawbacks... and saves on the idea of loading from front pannier...

When I go on any ride over 50 miles, I bring my MULE, and 2 waterbottles. If its really hot, I'll stick a couple more bottles in the backpack giving me roughly 180oz of liquids.

Its not uncommon for me to empty my 100oz CB in under 3 hours so obviously waterbottles alone isn't gonna cut it for me. Since I drink so much, I glad to have the bottles for backup but my primary will always be the camelback.