Selecting A Hydration Pack
Article update: I’ve recently upgraded hydration packs. Watch a video and write-up review of Roc Gear’s Mad Water Waterproof Action Sports Hydration Pack.
My activities have recently outgrown my first hydration pack, the minimalist Camelbak Classic. As one of my best designed pieces of gear, the Camelbak brand held a lot of weight in my decision when buying a new pack.
The Camelbak Classic hydration pack is little more than the material required to contain the 70 oz. water bladder. There is a bungee compression cord on the back and one small pocket, large enough to hold a pair of keys, I.D. and phone. Of course the advantages are a light weight, stream-lined pack that is great for short to mid-length runs and rides. For me, this small hydration pack is also the right size for adventure race training , allowing me to toss it in a 10 liter dry bag along with my shoes to tow during swims.
Camelbak hydration packs - Classic (left) and Helena (right)
The 10 to 12 hour adventure race that I have next month will require that I carry more gear, prompting me to select a hydration pack with more capacity. I’ll need to pack a rain shell, bike repair tools, first aid kit, knife, rope, food and–of course–water. With a very strong affinity to Camelbak, I went straight to their lineup of larger packs to begin my search.
After spending time online to look at all the possible hydration pack selections, I went to a local store to try them on and figure out what works for me. Half Moon Outfitters in Mt. Pleasant, SC, had a pretty broad selection with at least a dozen different Camelbak models. Of these, 6 were in the large capacity category. I filled each hydration pack with sand bags, used to test the weight distribution and fit of backpacks, and wore them around for a while testing range of motion and comfort. (Check out REI’s article on How to Choose a Hydration Pack)
Camelbak hydration pack strap connection
I was surprised to find the best fitting hydration pack for me, my build and my needs was Camelbak’s Helena model, a unit being marketed to women. I like that it rides fairly high on my back, leaving my torso mobile. I also found the actuated connection points for the shoulder straps to be significantly more comfortable than the sewed on straps of other models—perhaps this change represents an enhancement from 2009 to 2010 models. Additionally, the hipbelt on this model was narrower than the male models and suited me better.
Other features of the Camelbak Helena are 1,300 cubic inches of storage, 100 fl. oz. water bladder, a bike helmet pouch, tool organizer inner pocket and plenty of attachment points to tie down gear.
05/26/2010 update
I’ve been using the Helana for adventure racing and training for about three and half months now and have some more feedback…
There’s so much that I like about the pack that’s it’s difficult to come back with negative feedback. But the following features are worth mentioning since they would influence my future purchase decisions.
- Multiple Pockets: It turns out (perhaps obvious) that the increased compartmentalization with multiple pockets adds material to the pack. When training it really is nice to keep everything tidy. But when racing, in and out of rain and rivers, the increased fabric traps a tremendous amount of water and weight.
- Pocket Openings: The two primary pockets on the Helena have a limited circumference, making it difficult to get into them. Because they’re fairly deep, it’s tough to sort and retrieve items that are at the bottom.
- Pocket size: Again regarding the compartmentalization, in a race scenario it would be easier to have one large pocket to stuff items into (clothes, zip-lock bags of food, head lamp, etc) than having to neatly position them within two smaller pockets.
- Hipbelt pockets: This may be the number one differentiator between a hydration pack and an adventure racing pack. You would think that over 24-30 of racing, you would have sufficient time to stop and get things out of your pack. Not the case. That the Helena doesn’t have single pocket that you can access with it on your back makes it a poor choice for racing.
So my final verdict is – I love this pack. It’s perfect for hiking, adventure training, heading to the beach and bouncing around town. But it’s not my choice for adventure racing.
However, given a limited budget—where I need to purchase one tool for everything, and that I train pretty much every day but race only a couple days every several months—the Helena continues to be a solid all-in-one option. If you plan on having specialty packs, this is not an adventure racing hydration pack.
TIP: How to remove the air from your Camelbak hydration pack and stop the water from sloshing around.
Turn the pack upside down (so that the hose connection point is now on top) and suck the air out from the tube. Now with the air removed from the bladder, the water won’t bounce around and make noise while running.
This may seem obvious, but it took a couple uses for me to figure out. My first attempt was to fill the bladder to the very tip top before putting the back lid on. This method won’t work – there’s no way to fill it all the way up, leaving no air pocket.
TIP: For greater comfort, hang the bladder so that the lid and hose is between the bladder and the pack, not between your back and the bladder.
I enjoyed article and thank for this information.
The wife and I ran our first AR at the Santee Endurance Adventure Race. We put all of our bike related items in pouches on the bikes. We also put spare food and water in a dry bag in our canoe. I ran with a Camelbak HAWG. It carried more than I need and then some. The heavy duty material seemed to be too heavy. It’s military grade which means over-engineered–which means heavy.
We own several Camelbak packs. I think next time I’m going to carry a lot less, still stay in the 3 liter range of water bladder, but on the home stretch I’m going to dump all of my water from the bladder and leave only one bottle on the bike full for the last hour or so. I’m not in the condition I was like and the last two hours were not so fun. I think it a combination of conditioning, sun, and refueling during the race.
Our race organizers allowed us to stage bike related items with the bikes and paddling related items with the canoe. Is there a reason you packed you bike helmet in the pack? Do other organizers require you to carry bike related items with you the whole time?
Thanks for the site. It’s been a good read for a new AR racer.
Ken – thanks so much for sharing. I’d love to hear more about the Santee Endurance Race. If you’d like to share some more thoughts – I’ll put up a separate post.
I’ve also found the 3 liter hydration pack size to be ideal. I don’t think I’ve ever finished a races with much water left on board, so I won’t be considering a smaller reservoir. But as I shop for a new adventure racing pack now and will definitely be looking for a minimalist pack with thinner fabric, fewer pockets and just smaller overall.
With each race, I find myself packing less and less stuff. It’s funny because you spend so much time thinking through all the “stuff” that you just might need while you’re out getting your adventure on. Now I look back at earlier races and get a good laugh at the extra weight I was needlessly carrying. On the flip side though—to the credit of beginner adventure racers—bringing a bit more than you need when heading out into the complete unknown, actually helps to provide a great deal of confidence. The thinning out process happens naturally over a couple races, leaving you with only what you really need. And not everyone ends up with the same necessities.
No, I don’t actually pack the helmet during races – I’ve staged just like you described. I do use the helmet pouch during transition training when I carry all my gear forward. But I haven’t found this feature especially useful and won’t look for it in my next adventure racing backpack.