Camelback Hydration System
Reviewed by: Joe Ames
Where to buy: Sporting Goods Stores
Cost: $30-$150

The Camelback system is a large, food-grade bladder that sits in a small knapsack. A long tube is attached, with a neat "bite valve" through which water is taken on demand.

It's a lot more accessible than a traditional canteen, and you can drink without spilling precious water all down your face. Of course, you can't put out a camp fire with it, but that's not its purpose.

There are many varieties on the knapsack, some with huge storage capacity and others with practically none. All parts are replaceable, and a variety of accessories are available--which is surprising, given the simplicity of the idea.

Numerous competitors are sold, too, many of them much less expensive than the Camelback originals--you can even buy a "canteen straw" that works with either hard or soft GI canteens. I've used one of these and am happy with it, costing all of $5.

Anyway, the camelback system is great for hikes and what not where a belt and canteen are awkward, but it does not replace them when camping--the canteen and its cup are too handy to be without.

The CamelBak company makes a variety of backpacks that are designed to let you drink without stopping what you are doing. Basically, they are a water bladder with a hose and a bite valve on the end.

The idea is really ingenious--bite the tube, suck on the water like a big straw, and you don't have to use your hands or even break your stride.

The BlowFish model carries 100ozs (honest!) but also has enough "backpack" room to carry all you'll need for an all day boot-busting hike.

I've used this for about 15 hikes now, and it really does work. Put in a few handfuls of ice on a hot day, and wow! The ice kept the water cool for an entire 4 hour hike.

One of my biggest problems is dehydration, but with the CamelBak, I don't need to worry. I would often go without water since it slowed me (and whoever else was along) down. The CamelBak system lets you drink without breaking stride.

The BlowFish in particular is a nice model, and I highly recommend it, since it has a very large capacity backpack built in.

Accessories are available for drying and cleaning, and they really come in handy. The drying gizmo is particularly useful--it holds the bladder open so that the air can get inside, thus preventing mold or other scum from growing. After six months, I've not had to use anything but hot water to keep mine clean and fresh.

If you do think you need a little more, or there's some scum growing inside, there are official 'CamelBak' cleaning tablets that sterilize the innards. Just add one, shake to disolve it, wait five minutes and rinse. This saved one of my bladders that I had forgotten to clean and then stored for several months.

Click to buy CamelBak packs and hard to find Accessories
from Brigade Quartermasters

The UnBottle is a simple thing, but simple is sometimes what you need. The unbottle is simply a Camelbak reservoir that fits nicely into a padded nylon case. A strap lets you hang it, D-Rings let you hang stuff from it, and lightweight padding keeps it puncture free.

I use my unbottle with an LBE setup, and it works great. You can also throw it in your pack for a quick change on those 'two reservoir' days without worrying about it getting a hole in it.

The design of Camelbak products is really what sets them apart from the competition. But, why pay more for a Camelbak? They are simply better, that's why :-)

The Omega reservoir that comes with the unbottle is a great example of how much better these things are than the generics you'll find at discount stores. Rather than rest on their laurels, the designers at Camelbak have improved on their already excellent designs. To wit:

The omega hydration bladder (as the name implies) might just be the last design change we'll see for a while With a giant screw-on filler, you can easily stick your whole hand inside to clean it, fill it or empty it. Ice cubes go in by the bunch, and even the plastic around the lip is designed to make it easy to fill--it balances perfectly to keep the bladder in the proper position while you fill it.

The unbottle is designed around the Omega reservoir, and the opening is available while the bladder is in the pouch, so you don't have to fiddle with getting it in and out.

I liked the Camelbak Blowfish quite a bit, but for winter hiking, it was a bit too small, so I looked at the other model available. The Sherpa was designed for cold weather, but I don't think anybody's using one on Mt. Everest.

While it's no substitute for a full backpack, the Sherpa does give you a generous amount of room for longer day hikes and winter hiking. I can easily pack enough stuff to spend an emergency night on the mountain, and with a plenitude of attachment points, pockets and even ice axe holders, I'm quite happy with it.

About the only thing I don't like about the Camelbak packs is the 'one size fits all' shoulder straps--they are simply too small for my XXL frame. Still, they're close enough to keep me using them, and the other features outweigh that inconvenience. I find that as I empty the 100oz bladder, the straps seem to fit just fine.

I added a 'winterizing' kit for my Sherpa, but I thought that it should have been included since the pack is obviously designed for winter day hikes. The kit, which sells for $25, includes an insulating layer for the drinking tube and a foam rubber cover for the bite valve. Both work as advertised, keeping things from freezing up during a few of my 20 degree hikes.

Overall, I like the Sherpa, but I think a more adjustable set of shoulder straps would be nice, as would an adjustable torso length. My torso is 21", and the pack is quite a bit short. The bag still fits better than the Blowfish, though, and I find it useful when I need to pack a poncho, fleece, instep crampons and sundry other items.