The first step in choosing a hydration pack is what type of riding will I be using it for? When I am training I like to be prepared, probably a little over prepared actually. So for my long training rides (3-5 hours) the Camelbak Havoc is my bag of choice. It features a 100oz bladder and a tons of storage.  I carry 2 tubes, 1 Big Air, a pump, a Crank Bros multi tool, a rain jacket, zip ties, camera, cell phone, iPod, 2 Gu flasks, and a few ProBars. Loaded it is about 14 lbs. Overkill? For sure, but I want to make sure I make it home without walking. Plus, all that weight give a nice training effect. DaKine and North Face also make some really nice big bags as well.

For racing I actually still use water bottles for most of my races since they are short or multi lap deals. For a race like La Ruta or the American Mountain Classic, I will run a pack as the stages are 5+ hour death marches with tons of climbing. In fact at the American Mountain Classic I will be running a Camelbak Lobo. It still has a 100oz bladder but the pack is slimmed down to just carry the basics. Tube, Co2, multitool and some Gu flasks. The idea here is I am still gonna need lots of water but need to be able to get up the climbs at a good pace as well. For a true bare bones race pack I would check out the Camelbak Hydrobak or Classic.

I am partial to the Camelbak brand. They fit me well and the offer a bag for pretty much every application under the sun. They created the entire hydration pack industry and continue to be the innovators today. You really can’t go wrong with them and I would recommend them to anyone.  My biggest gripe with a cycling pack is the have to stay put while descending.  If they move up it is distracting and potentially dangerous, my Camelbak’s never move. Ever.