What's your favorite hydration pack?

Mikie said:
I agree. On my "In Week Rides" after work ride I try to get in a minimum of an hour sometimes up to two hours and all I use then is a hip pack for tube and tools and a water bottle. I really like the hip pack and I would be interested in trying a Camelbak type hip pack. I would need at least 70 oz. and prefer 100 oz. in the dead of the heat.
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I can't imagine a hip pack with a 70 or 100 oz capacity. It seems it would be pretty cumbersome.

I received my hydration vest yesterday and I've only tried it on so far. It fits like, well, a vest. I'm anxious to fill up 50 oz bladder to see how it feels. It actually has several storage compartments so I think it will definitely be my go-to hydration pack for the summer.
 
UPSed said:
I can't imagine a hip pack with a 70 or 100 oz capacity. It seems it would be pretty cumbersome.

I received my hydration vest yesterday and I've only tried it on so far. It fits like, well, a vest. I'm anxious to fill up 50 oz bladder to see how it feels. It actually has several storage compartments so I think it will definitely be my go-to hydration pack for the summer.
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Yeah the largest Hip Pack I could find is your typical 1.5 Liter (50 oz.) Not going to get you very far out where I typically ride. :oops:
 
Faust29 said:
Strongly recommend the Camelbak hip pack... It is comfortable and fits everything you would need to carry, except for rides that require double clothing options. The 50 ounce bladder is short of your 70 requirement, but add a bottle and you're there. I got mine for $39 when I found one on sale at Jensons.

I've been using it on "regular" rides lately, as well as at True Grit. I like that it seems to disappear, and I forget that I'm wearing it.
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I guess I could go with 50 oz in the pack and roughly 20 oz in a bottle both laced with Tailwind and not carry just pure water. I rarely drink out of my water bottle.
 
Mikie said:
I guess I could go with 50 oz in the pack and roughly 20 oz in a bottle both laced with Tailwind and not carry just pure water. I rarely drink out of my water bottle.
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I have been doing just that when I need a little more fuel. Four scoops in one bottle and two scoops in the other. I fill both bottles with ice first and for some reason it seems to help not tire of the taste.
 
Stkx66 said:
At the Sedona Bike Festival I was looking at the Osprey Seral waist hydration pack but they only had Red. When I returned home and tried to order one on Amazon but had a long lead time. So I ordered one from REI and received it. I decided I don't care for the front handle bar mounted bag because on the rare occasion I catch air the bag was beating up the brake cables to much and that was from weight of the multi tool in the front bag. Other than that the bag held my jacket for rainy weather. So I'm reserved to tying the jacket around my waist for such days. As a bonus REI gave me $ 55.00 dividend for spending a bunch on a sleeping bag, tent and air mattress I had purchased a couple of months ago for bike packing purposes before Kokopeli jumped to the front of the line and has seemingly derailed bikepacking for now.

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Thanks Steve! Otherwise you like the Osprey as a Hip Pack? It carries 50 oz as well, correct?
 
Mikie said:
Yeah the largest Hip Pack I could find is your typical 1.5 Liter (50 oz.) Not going to get you very far out where I typically ride. :oops:
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I wouldn't tote much more than a liter in a hip pack. I am considering another Wingnut pack, the 2.5l one:

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Note that some people get confused when you start talking pack capacity in liters. They think you're talking bladder capacity. I don't buy packs that contain bladders. If not a bottle on the frame, I use my own Platypus bladders as I have for decades. Mostly the 2.5 and 1 liter sizes.
 
UPSed said:
Anyone here using the Camelbak Chase bike vest? I'm looking for something a little less cumbersome then by 100oz volt.
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I use one of these and i freekin love it. I don't have much else to say other then this is the only shoulder/back bound hydration pack that does not give me low back issues. With a 24oz bottle on the frame I'm good for rides up to about 3 hours +/-. More then that and I need to change over to something substantial. What of the main things I like about this thing is that it doesn't really seem to change weight distribution or comfort level when loaded as full as I can get it with food, clothing water etc. Enough storage room to carry arm warmers, my jacket, extra gloves etc etc.
 
Stkx66 said:
It's 50 oz. I moved into it last night so I have not ridden with it yet.
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I rode with the Seral Osprey for the first time last night. I can't say I'm in super love with this waist pack. I found myself stopping to tighten it up after it was catching on my seat. I'm not sure that it was a result of consuming the water and having the pack become more loose or it might have been the cinch buckles giving way.
 
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I have gotten so used to not riding with a pack that I was a little leery of trying yet another one. I'm so glad I did. The CamelBak Chase rides high and fits like a small life vest. With the 50 oz bladder full and a few tools and my phone you hardly notice it's there. There's plenty of storage though like all CamelBaks once you start stuffing it it's tough to get the bladder in. No biggie though. It also leaves full access to my jersey pockets in case I want to pack more essentials for a bigger ride. Thanks @Ebruner for your feedback. It's helped in my decision.

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Yesterday I donated most of a 24oz bottle to a rider wearing a fanny pack and carrying a bottle...
I drank about 4-6oz on the climb from JPL to Sunset. I found that I drank a lot more water if I carried it on my back.
Usually, I will drink a 12oz water on the way to the trail. Two 24oz bottles have proven more than adequate for me, on rides up to 3hrs.
Obviously, everyone is different, and your urine can be a great indication of your current hydration state.
Clear and copious my friends.
 
Funny you say that @rossage. I've done several monster rides on 2 bottles but knowing I had a little extra I definitely sipped more yesterday. It's also a lot more convenient to grab a hose as apposed to balancing a water bottle in one hand and negotiating singletrack with the other.
 
mike said:
Too many different kind of riding scenarios and styles to get boxed into one system. Options!
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True. Interestingly, I had one bad run-out-of-water experience in CNF, and I never wish to repeat it. I always roll with a CamelBak M.U.L.E. with its 100 oz. reservoir. I recently bought a new one when my old one wore out... but otherwise I've been using the same pack for over ten years. I usually only fill it partially full, but the capacity is there when I need it. I have all my tools, spare tube, emergency blanket, couple of protein bars, bug net, etc, all stowed away where can easily access them, so I don't switch packs for different rides. On shorter rides where I won't be needing water, I'll roll with an empty reservoir... but the same pack.
 
I rode again with the Osprey Seral. I found myself adjusting the straps all day long. With one frame mounted bottle and 2 more bottles of water in each pocket combined with the Seral's 50 oz. That's 100 oz. After 36 miles 70-80 deg. 5,700 of climbing I returned to my truck with half a bottle of water left. I go through a lot of water. I've ordered the Wingnut 2.5l and will give it a try for rides lasting more than 3 hours.
 
After picking up an Osprey Syncro 10 recently I can't imagine wearing anything else. My shirt/jersey always ended up completely soaked with any other pack, in anything remotely approaching warm weather. The mesh frame that suspends the pack an inch or so off the back works like a charm in keeping me dry, and doesn't cause the pack to feel heavier even though it shifts weight slightly outboard. I lurv it.
 
rossage said:
Yesterday I donated most of a 24oz bottle to a rider wearing a fanny pack and carrying a bottle...
I drank about 4-6oz on the climb from JPL to Sunset. I found that I drank a lot more water if I carried it on my back.
Usually, I will drink a 12oz water on the way to the trail. Two 24oz bottles have proven more than adequate for me, on rides up to 3hrs.
Obviously, everyone is different, and your urine can be a great indication of your current hydration state.
Clear and copious my friends.
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I thought you were talking about me for a minute there...
I used my 70 Oz Charge Camelbak on our San Gabe ride on Saturday along with a small water bottle on my bike. When Ross was peeling off to go to work he offered me a refill on my water bottle, I was begging for that water! I was already out on my bottle and well into my Camelbak. I laced the Camelbak with a potent dose of Tailwind as I knew we had a descent climbing day. So my water serves two purposes, hydration and fuel as I don’t carry any other thing to eat except Tailwind.

I ran out of all my water, both bottle and Camelbak, before the last climb to El Prieto.
I should have brought my 100oz Volt. I drink a lot of water on my rides. I would never make it on two water bottles. I think we were out ther for 6 hours.

I need to get better at prehydrating. I don’t think I drink enough water during the week.
 
Mikie said:
I thought you were talking about me for a minute there...
I used my 70 Oz Charge Camelbak on our San Gabe ride on Saturday along with a small water bottle on my bike. When Ross was peeling off to go to work he offered me a refill on my water bottle, I was begging for that water! I was already out on my bottle and well into my Camelbak. I laced the Camelbak with a potent dose of Tailwind as I knew we had a descent climbing day. So my water serves two purposes, hydration and fuel as I don’t carry any other thing to eat except Tailwind.

I ran out of all my water, both bottle and Camelbak, before the last climb to El Prieto.
I should have brought my 100oz Volt. I drink a lot of water on my rides. I would never make it on two water bottles. I think we were out ther for 6 hours.

I need to get better at prehydrating. I don’t think I drink enough water during the week.
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During the week... And on the way to the ride. In the warmer months, I'm a full bottle of Tailwind in before I ever get on the bike. I know how far I can go on a bottle, so that puts me well into the ride before I need to dip into the supplies.

Unless of course, you need to use half of your water to clean out your drive train... Like yesterday. :oops:
 
Faust29 said:
During the week... And on the way to the ride. In the warmer months, I'm a full bottle of Tailwind in before I ever get on the bike. I know how far I can go on a bottle, so that puts me well into the ride before I need to dip into the supplies.

Unless of course, you need to use half of your water to clean out your drive train... Like yesterday. :oops:
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Thanks for that! @Voodoo Tom and I ride a lot together! Almost every Saturday. We have kinda a ritual where we stop at a Subway about an hour before the ride. We practically get the same thing. The hour to the trail gives my body about an hour to digest the breakfast. My plan has always been to start hydrating about 1 hour into the ride on the basis of fuel. Maybe I should start rethinking this.
 
Faust29 said:
During the week... And on the way to the ride. In the warmer months, I'm a full bottle of Tailwind in before I ever get on the bike. I know how far I can go on a bottle, so that puts me well into the ride before I need to dip into the supplies.

Unless of course, you need to use half of your water to clean out your drive train... Like yesterday. :oops:
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This preemptive strategy can’t be overstated, especially for riders with otherwise demanding lifestyles. @Mikie, you self diagnosed this one. It’s kind of a hassle to be running to the wizzer every half hour at work, but it pays big dividends. You will bring and need less if you camel up a day or two beforehand. Depletion training is real, but going all week with little water doesn’t really count. (Guilty here sometimes.)

But do be wary of overdoing it. That would be taking in too much too quickly, which I did once and it was a disaster. I can see how it could be used as torture. Consistent, moderate water intake 48 hour in advance seems to work pretty well.
 
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