Camel backs????

[CKE]

Looking for some help from any of you kind folks that may have used or heard of Camel back water systems. I just replaced my bike that was stolen last year and now that I have no saliva glands left I find it frustrating to be reaching down to the water bottle all the time. Thought one of the Camel Baks might solve the problem. Any one have one and what do you think???????? Thanks and Take Care!!!!

[Simon G]

Craig,

It was a surprise to me that "camelback" hydration systems took so long to come around. You would have thought it would have been a logical step from the "beer cans on a base ball cap"!! :rolleyes:

I got one last year for "hard hikes" and hunting, fantastic! :cool: There are so many variations around now. Mine is a 2 litre with carrier that does have mesh side pockets but they come with either simpler carriers or as part of a small rucksack and everything in between! More so that the military have seen the advantages since operations in Mesopotamia!

Obviously, when worn for protracted periods, body heat and direct sunlight, does "warm" the water, but when you need re-hydrating, that's just fine!

I reckon you should try one. The added advantage is you will always have two hands on the handle bars!!! :eek:

God's blessing to you and yours, especially the wee fella!!

Simon.

[thenick]

I have the M.U.L.E.

it's amazing :D

[Jimd]

Camelbacks, in general, are a very good thing.
I had one for a few years. The newer models have an anti-fungal interior that fights the green stuff much better, from what I've read.

They hold a lot of water, make it convenient to drink with little movement/effort, and make it fast. Mine kept the water cold for quite a long time, too. Very durable, as well.

I'd recommend this piece of gear to anyone. Wish I'd have had one when I was a sniper, since you can drink from the straw with no movement. Sitting in a sniper hide, you can't be chugging from a canteen all the time, moving around like that.

Also, the back pack style of these units distributes the weight nicely, much better than canteens around the waist. Buy one!

[vampyrewolf]

I've got a Catalyst downstairs, love it for working in the summer. That litre of water gives me about an hour of work.

Took some time to find them here, ended up going to a biking shop. Well worth the money.

[WORKER#9]

Cke I Have Three As I Road Bike Alot And On Longer Rides It Just Makes Sense, I Have A Rocket, For Shorter Rides, A Mule For Longer Rides, Basically 70 Oz Vs 1oo Oz. Then I Also Have A Camelback Max Gear Which Is A Large Day Pack For Hiking And Hunting With Two 100 Oz Bladders. I Am Sold On The Technology, I Have Tried Other Brands And Always Came Back To Camelback. Best Water System. I Am A Believer And Would Recommend Camelback As The Brand To Buy.#9

[spyderknut]

Absolutely. Lots of reasonable clones available too.

[WORKER#9]

I Was Wrong Its A Blowfish Not A Mule Here Is A Picture Of The Three, The 70 Oz Rocket Is On The Right It Has A Plastic Frame Which Keeps It Up Off Your Back Which Is Nice In Summer, Its Cooler And Lighter. The Blow Fish Is On The Left Its More Versatile For Longer Rides And You Can Fit A Jacket In It And Lunch, Better For Longer Rides Or Mt Biking. Finally The Max In The Center Massive Carrying Capacity Desert Camo, 2 Water Bladders, Heavy Duty Cordura, This Is My Favorite Pack Period I Use It For Everything, But Not Biking, But Great For Everything Else Including Just Getting Away For A Weekend, It Is Equipped With A Full Survival Kit And Water Purifier, For Whatever May Come My Way While Hunting Or Hiking. #9

[i.v]

i have a 3 litre one for the a couple of years now, use it all the time, great stuff

[jimbo@stn24]

Hello Craig,
I have a mule and quite like it. It makes it easy to carry required tools and parts for longer rides, and because it is so easy to drink from, you drink more often and stay hydrated. If I may make a couple of suggestions, get the cleaning kit to aid in keeping it clean. As well, because I hate cleaning it, I just put the bladder in my shop 'fridge to keep it cold and only clean it a few times the entire summer.

[butch]

i also have a mule best buy i had made in some time got it while i was in the corp
came with a 70 Oz but i then got a 100 Oz big mouth fill the wide mouth is great for loading it mostly full of ice i use to have to crush cubes before now ice just drops right in
for biking i keep a small tool kit a spyder, sak, tire patch kit i load the top pocket with my discman
make sure to get a cleaning kit and a drinking tube cover for it keeps the water a little cooler for that first drink

[CKE]

Great...thanks for all the replies. Might have to bike over to where I bought my bike and pick one up. I appreciate all the help, Take Care!!!

[HoB]

I am not a big fan of camel backs, tried a few, never worked for me. I use a hip pack with provision for 2 bottles. I only use gatorate bottles with E.D.G.E mouth piece. Cheap and they come even full :p , but most importantly, they don't leak like virtually every bike bottle I tried. I inline skate competitively and on the weekend we do training skates of 35-55 miles length. They take about 3.5 hours. I usually take my hip pack with two full bottles (1.5 liters), 4 gu shots, 1-2 powerbars, cell phone, keys, knife, some first aid. The camel packs contain more water, but they get really jucky if you use them for something else than water often. If you excersise hard you sweat under them like crazy and you are more likely to overheat, since they cover a large area (most of your back) and the sleek ones do not contain enough additional space for the other important little things that I like to carry with me (cell phone, gu shots etc.), the bigger ones are to big and bulky to excersise with.

Just my $0.02 of course.

[WORKER#9]

Hob Try Specialized Bike Bottles, Of All The Ones I Have Tried They Dont Leak. #9

[Tank]

I got the 3 ltr mule.. Enough water plenty of storage,, fits really good,, ive been using camel backs since 95 and they keep getting better.