Camel bak, good or bad?

[JesseGrrl2009]

Buy an off-brand pack and then stick a genuine Camelbak bladder and valve in it. Camelbak charges WAY too much for their packs when any old brand will do, but their bladders/valves really are worth the extra cost. And yes, the insulated tube and especially the bite valve cover are essential. Fill it half-way with ice, the rest water and you'll have icy cool hydration the whole day and night. The ones with storage are great out there, perfect for carrying snacks, wet wipes, camera, goggles, extra drinks, lip balm and sunscreen, etc. I never leave camp without it. And you can lock it up with your bike by threading the cable through one of the non-adjustable straps, so if you feel like dancing without the weight on your shoulders, no problem. That doesn't guarantee that someone won't steal something out of it, but at least they can't steal your whole pack.

Has anyone ever brought a bike chain/lock that was used solely to lock up packs while out and about? The post above inspired me, just wanted to see what others had tried

[Savannah]

Buy an off-brand pack and then stick a genuine Camelbak bladder and valve in it. Camelbak charges WAY too much for their packs when any old brand will do, but their bladders/valves really are worth the extra cost. And yes, the insulated tube and especially the bite valve cover are essential. Fill it half-way with ice, the rest water and you'll have icy cool hydration the whole day and night. The ones with storage are great out there, perfect for carrying snacks, wet wipes, camera, goggles, extra drinks, lip balm and sunscreen, etc. I never leave camp without it. And you can lock it up with your bike by threading the cable through one of the non-adjustable straps, so if you feel like dancing without the weight on your shoulders, no problem. That doesn't guarantee that someone won't steal something out of it, but at least they can't steal your whole pack.

Has anyone ever brought a bike chain/lock that was used solely to lock up packs while out and about? The post above inspired me, just wanted to see what others had tried

I haven't, but I'm thinking about it now.

My usual modus operandi = leave the camera and other valuables back at camp (at night), remove backpack and put it out of the way, then dance near it.

If one rolled a backpack onto itself slightly, and then locked it to something, it might be too great a pain in the ass to ransack it.

[JesseGrrl2009]

That's kinda what I was thinking. It wouldn't deter someone who was really looking to be a dick, but it would deter the general drunk from walking off with your bag instead of theirs lol

[Savannah]

That's kinda what I was thinking. It wouldn't deter someone who was really looking to be a dick, but it would deter the general drunk from walking off with your bag instead of theirs lol

Exactly. Good idea.

[dustyroller]

i highly reccommend a camel bak. ive used mine on the playa and other random festivals for 4 years now and it has been one the best investments i have made so far. i had a problem with it last year but then i accidentally broke/fixed it and now it works better than ever. the only down side is how warm the water gets in the tube. mine is just big enough to carry everything i need for night and day. and if it gets warm at night i just throw my extra layers in the elastic straps on the front.

[Ratty]

I made some very handy cables to lock up our snowboards while we eat and drink. The big home stores sell thin metal cable by the foot. Buy a tiny lock and make a custom length cable. You can even thread it through your pack before you make the loops at the end. It weighs practically nothing and you need heavy wire cutters to remove it. The employees at the store will point you towards something to make the ends of your cable into loops.

I have never locked up my pack.

[trilobyte]

Another good way to keep someone from walking off with yours by accident… make yours unique. Get some fabric paint and go nuts, add fabrics, do something to make it fun and arty. This will make it tougher for a person (sober or not) to mistake it for their same model of off-the-shelf hydro pack, but also make it much easier for you to spot.

[C187]

I've been putting the same off brand bladder in my authentic eBay rip-off Jack Bauer via 24 style messenger bag for years. Never have any warm water in the tube, because the tube is kept under the flap. Easy to reach in and pull the tube out to bite down and grab a sip. The bag has enough room for a 17" laptop, and tools to take down the terrorists. The set-up isn't sexy, but it gets the job done on the cheap, and works.

[Milayna]

I used a 70 oz and it definitely worked, but during the day I did run out of water a little faster than I'd like. SO I'm eyeing this:

My understanding from the description is that this can be used in your pack as a bladder, on its own as a water bottle, OR strapped to the outside of a pack to add more water!!! Amazingness........

[daft]

I prefer the big bite valve on a camelbak and they have a new 100oz bladder that is very nice.

[dustyroller]

oh! i totally want one of those!

[Eddie]

I personally do not like having anything on my back. I take over driving duty for a few art cars so having to constantly put on and take off a pack and potentially loosing it sucks.

It's also annoying and too hot and sweaty to wear all day in the heat.

My solution(s).

1. A Camelbak bottle with sippy straw and hands free bottle adapter, which turns your bottle into a hydration reservoir. Clip the bottle to your belt or pick up a cheap belt mounted bottle carrier (Condor makes one with an integrated hose pass through for $15). Don't forget some sort of clip so the straw stays close to your mouth.




2. Essentially the same set up can be had through bluedesert. It's called the smartube. This is slick because it includes a few different bottle adapters. You can turn practically any bottle you have into a hydration system. I own this as well as the camelbak variant. They're only about $12 or $15 from amazon.

The 1 liter smart water bottles are great because its a standard sized bottle, just taller so it will fit into the side pocket of your backpack, or leave it in the bottle cage of you bicycle and route the tube to your mouth.

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I use the camelbak cap or the smartube system with either a 48oz nalgene bottle or a 40oz Hydroflask insulated bottle. They share the same thread for the cap with the Camelbak so you can use either the camelbak cap or the smartube adapter on any of those bottles.

3. A camelbak "unbottle". It's basically a bladder in a small insulated cover. The cover has webbing and loops so you can attach the bladder to anything you like. I like it clipped to my belt when walking or to my tankbag on my motorcycle. I use a retractable key\id badge reel for the bite valve so it always goes back to the same place. Tip, ID badge reels have a short strap with a snap on the end, just the right size to snap over a hydration tube. Use a strong one, the keybaks have ratings in oz or number of keys they will hold up. Not those 5 for a $1 ones from eBay.

4. A lumbar or hip mounted hydration pack. Everyone makes one, camelbak, mountainsmith, smartube, bluedesert, hell, even walmart has some not too crappy ones. Some offer hydration from a bottle, others from a lumbar shaped bladder.

[LittleJack]

Love my camelback for all of the reasons mentionedin this thread. I've used one since my first burn, and have never been seriously dehydrated on the playa. The comination of an oral fixation with a hydration tube / bite valve right by my mouth ensures that I never forget to drink water.

[Ratty]

Yes I'm drunk. So what? I have been unpacking my stuff and couldn't help but notice that I have 3 extra bladders. (Very handy when you're drunk, I might add). I would like to make 3 extra holders for them. ONE in my Yoda back pack. One that fits like a shoulder sling and one that goes around my waist. Although that one may be tricky. I figure anything can hold a bladder. (Except maybe me when I sneeze and laugh at the same time). I really don't mind hauling a bunch of useless crap to the playa. After 3 or 4 days I put it out with a free sign and it disappears. Usually that the day before I really, really need it. The playa provides.

Hey neighbor, can I borrow a cup of common sense?

[forty_eight]

Platypus is a brand of very durable bladders, and they come in enough sizes and shapes to fit a variety of bags and applications. You can use a hose or a cap with sport drink type opening.

I plan to have mine for water (in a small DaKine pack) with a steel canteen for other drinks - electrolyte to alcohol - and a cup for anything else I may get offered.

[pretty_monster]

i was gifted a 2 gallon gel insulated bladder with an insulted hose in 2011. best gift EVER!!! i kept in in my regular backpack that year and it was the greatest thing since tinted goggles. i've just finished making a custom pack for it for this year and am super, super excited to have cold water available for hands free consumption at all times.