Hydropack / Camelbak

[knyte]

I think there are a few folks here with Camelbaks.

My Klim Quench Pak - 2 litre - should arrive today (review to come).

I'm curious to know what other folks use, how you like it, how has it changed your riding (if at all); general thoughts.  Would you add ice to the water, or slip in an ice pack?  I have a full-face helmet so I'm not entirely sure how to route the tube, but I'm sure it's not that difficult.

The Klim has a baffle inside which is an interesting feature.

[angrygirafe]

I have some old low profile camelbak I’ve used for multiday tours or just long hot days.

I made the mistake of just trying to carry the bladder in my back armor sleeve once. Killed my shoulders after a few hours. 
 

In the actual pack though, it’s great. I just tuck the bite valve in my collar when I’m not using it, and it’s really easy to shove it into my helmet when I need it, even with a chin skirt. If you’ve got a particularly soft bite valve, lock it off though. 
 

I don’t ever use ice. Not that it doesn’t sound good, but it’s a hassle, and in my experience, body heat and air temperature warm it up pretty quick. Even backcountry skiing with camelbaks only the water in the hose would get cold/freeze if you didn’t clear it. Body heat warms up the bladder quick. 

[PeterL]

We have a pair labelled "OlarHike" (dunno) bought off Amazon maybe 5 years ago. The packs are very well insulated, which was a big factor in our purchase decision. When out for a long day of riding, we'd stuff the bag about half full of ice, then top it up with water. At days end, even if we'd added water during the day, there would often still have a bit of ice left. Note that we'd wear the units OVER our jackets rather than under to avoid the body heat issue.

If I can, rather than wearing the unit, I stuff the bladder into my tankbag and wrap it in spare clothes or a towel for insulation. Then I just clip the (long) tube to my jacket and run the nozzle up to my helmet. Much more comfortable.