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.

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.

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.