CamelBak Reservoirs and Accessories
By Steve Mann

One item I've added my essential list for both backpacking and day hiking is a water reservoir, and when it comes to on-trail water storage, no one does it better than CamelBak. We've previously reviewed one of CamelBak's hydration pack systems, the Hawg, now its time to look at the water reservoir itself.

Why would you buy just a water reservoir? Two reasons. First many packs do not include a reservoir, even some that have built-in pouches or pockets for a reservoir do not include one with the pack. Second, among those packs that do include a reservoir, every one I've seen so far is inferior to CamelBak's product.

Inferior in what way, you ask? The bite value. The reservoir closure. The leak-proof construction. The accessories. That should do for now, although I may think of a few more reasons while your reading about these.

CamelBak made several improvements in 1999 to the already market-leading reservoirs. One enhancement is a new higher-capacity Big Bite valve, which more than doubles the flow (100% more water with each sip) of the previous valve. It fit any standard CamelBakĘ 3/8-inch (10mm) delivery tube, so you can buy the new valve for your current CamelBak reservoir.

The new value is greatly preferred by our crew. When you're sucking air as you huff your way up a steep slope, whether trail running or backpacking, the last thing you need is to fight your bite valve and tube for enough water. Sure you don't need a fire hose, but I haven't come across any water reservoirs with too high an output. The new CamelBak valve is easy to bite down on to start the water flowing, and delivers more volume than any other we've tested.

A major improvement is the screw-on cap. Now it is easy to tighten the lid when the reservoir is full--no more spilling water all over while you try to push the cap in down into a lip-closure indented into the bag. I always found this difficult on the old indented-style cap, where a round ridge pushes into a hole, with the snug fit causing pressure that prevents leakage. I had two choices, either spill a bunch of the water out, or just give in and only fill the bag part way. The new screw on-lid allows you to make full use of the bag's capacity without spills.

I used CamelBak's previous model reservoir for two years, and the '99 model on nearly a dozen trips prior to writing this review. Neither bag has ever leaked. I've seen three competitors' models leak, two inside tents on winter campouts, and several reservoirs that came with backpacks break open on the trail. I've also seen the bite valves on three different reservoir systems develop slow, steady leaks, one on the first day of its inaugural trip. I have never seen a CamelBak bite valve leak. Conclusion? These reservoirs offer the highest degree of leak-proofing and durability available. I have had one leak with my CamelBak through user-error. Be sure that you tighten the screw-on lid tightly, as a loose lid will allow water to escape, especially when the water is sloshing around in your pack. That however, isn't the product's fault, that's the users fault (or in this specific case, my fault. Good thing I had all my clothing and sleeping bag in waterproof bags on that trip . . .)

Accessories: Finally, someone came up with a good system for drying out the reservoir between trips. New for '99 CamelBak created a plastic insert (reservoir dryer) that holds the bag open, allowing moisture to evaporate out of the bag. In the past, I stuffed my reservoir with paper towels to hold it open and absorb the water inside, but the new insert is much more effective, as it keeps the entire bag open, getting air into the hard-to-reach bottom corners. Removing the bite valve when drying open the entire system to air movement. The insert can be cut to fit smaller reservoirs. If you get a CamelBak reservoir, get the reservoir dryer insert. It is an excellent enhancement.

CamelBak also makes a cleaning brush for the reservoirs. I have used this, but don't consider the brush essential. Since I only put water into the bag (never flavorings such as KoolAid or GatorAid) drying is the only cleaning my reservoir needs. If you use powdered flavorings, the brush would be worth while.

One note here about drying out your bag. You should never blow air into either the bag or the tube. A water reservoir is a closed system, i.e. only clean water and air get into the bag so there is no bacteria. Blowing into either introduces bacteria from your mouth into the bag or tube, where it is difficult to clean out. I run my reservoir and tube through the dishwasher to clean the outside. The high temperature of the dry cycle also helps to eliminate bacteria. This method is helpful, but is not guaranteed to kill any bacteria in the bag or tube. Prevention is the best method here-don't blow into the tube or bag, and never put unfiltered water into the reservoir. CamelBak also suggests mild biodegradable soap or two tablespoons of bleach in a full reservoir.

CamelBak manufacturers several sizes of reservoirs ranging from a small 40 ounce (oz) bag, to the agua grande at 100 oz. I prefer the 100 oz version for backpacking, as I drink lots of water on the trail. In fact, I usually take the 100 oz-er on day hikes as well, as it saves me the time of stopping to filter or treat water along the trail. For shorter trips in cooler weather, or for less active sports such as fishing, the smaller reservoirs serve the purpose, taking up less space and weight.

So is their anything wrong with CamelBak's reservoirs? So far everything has been positive. The only problem I've encountered is that the long rectangular design (which I like) is not supported by all packs. A few, like some of the new Marmot packs, have a pouch made specifically for CamelBak's (or other similar shaped) reservoirs, but such packs are few. Of the packs that include their own reservoirs, many are square and are designed to fit in the pack's top pouch. I put my CamelBak reservoir in the main pack compartment at the very top along the back (against my back) and run the tube under the top pouch. This works well for me, but does create a potential disaster should the bag leak. Since has only happened to me once (user-error, remember?) I don't worry about it anymore. The smaller (40 oz, or perhaps the 70 oz also) reservoirs could fit into the top pouch of most backpacking packs.

Summary: First, everyone who backpacks or day hikes more than a mile or two should have a water reservoir. CamelBak back makes the best reservoirs on the market. You can put two and two together to arrive at a conclusion from those two statements. The CamelBak offers a high-capacity non-leaking bite valve, sturdy construction and materials, the most effective lid closure system, and great accessories.

Suggested Retail Prices (US:)
$19.95 - 40oz./1.2L Reservoir
$22.95 - 50oz./1.5L Reservoir
$23.95 - 64oz./1.9L Reservoir
$23.95 - 70oz./2.0L Reservoir
$24.95 -100oz./3.0LReservoir
Bite Valve $5.95
Reservoir Dryer (Insert) $8.95
Brush Cleaning Kit $9.95

Steve Mann is contrubuting editor for GearReview.com.

For more information, contact:
Camelbak
FasTrak Systems, Inc. P.O. Box1029
Weatherford, TX 76086-1029
(817)594-1000