CAMELBAK Fourteener Hydration Pack

Comments about CAMELBAK Fourteener Hydration Pack:

Great pack with awesome hydration bladder system. Makes an awesome lightweight alpine hiking accessory.

Comments about CAMELBAK Fourteener Hydration Pack:

This is one of those rare pieces of equipment that does exactly what it is supposed to do, and does it very well.

I have two other Camelbak packs and one bladder: this new bladder system is by far the easiest to use, and the new center baffle helps the bladder keep a low profile by preventing the water balloon effect. My water stayed cold for a long time due to the nicely insulated back panel.

The pack itself is roomy and well constructed. Many pockets help organize your gear. The straps are comfortable and well padded. This is a great three season daypack (there isn't enough space for winter use in my opinion). One of the pockets has a soft fleecy liner which is great for cell phone or electronics. The compression straps make it possible to stuff high volume gear in a space between the front pocket and the main body. It has side pockets that can hold water bottles, but you probably won't use them unless you're hiking in the desert.

I used this in a downpour one day and some of my gear got wet. My fault for not packing it in waterproof bags. Not many backpacks are waterproof.

Improvements: I can only think of two possible improvements. 1 - it could be lighter. I think Camelbak could get it under 2 pounds with some tweaks. 2 - I wish the hip belt was detachable. The hip belt is too large to wear on a mountain bike, so I just clipped it behind the pack, but it would be nice to be able to remove it completely for biking and lightweight trips when it isn't needed.

Comments about CAMELBAK Fourteener Hydration Pack:

I really never leave home without it.. I take it through every day commutes to NYC packing it full of my tech devices. I take it out on a boat, bring it kayaking with me, or the rigors of downhill mountain biking.. The best thing that I love about this product is its durability.. I've gone over the handlebars on my bike and landed on this pack with sharp rocks and gravel all around, it not only cushioned my fall, but kept everything intact and in place. It has really has taken a beating with the way that I use it. I don't know what kind of fabric it is.. but it just doesn't rip, fray or wilt, especially rubbing up against gravel. I expect nothing less from camelbak which has always made great packs.. this is actually my fourth back pack from camelbak. I have the mule,tycoon,fourteener, pit boss and the unbottle. The fourteener is versatile enough to have room for an extra clothing, gear and whatever else you think you would need for your adventures. It's a no brainer anything that's not a camelbak is garbage, if you're gonna spend money, might as well go with the best. Before I started with this review.. I tried to think of the cons.. while nothing is perfect.. I just can't say anything is wrong with it.