Hooray! Someone who wants a hydration system and a thread at BFC that I can comment in without feeling redundant!
I own two CamelBaks (a '96 MULE and a '99 Razor) and have been eyeing the purchase of a third (another MULE, probably) for over a year now. I have no experience with the competitors' (e.g. Blackburn) products beyond reading descriptions in catalogs and maybe a few minutes handling in the store, while browsing. CamelBak makes an extremely wide range of products (I just counted 21 in the recreation section alone!) to suit almost any need, as compared to when they were pioneering the concept with three (ThermoBak, IceBak, HalfBak, and probably one that I've forgotten) designs. I've gotten a sort of brand-loyalty thing going, and since there's really no reason for me to even look at competitors that just jumped in the last few years, I don't. One can find reviews on hydration systems in general at <a href="http://www.mtbr.com/">Mountain Bike Review</a>.
<a href="http://www.camelbak.com/">CamelBak's site</a> has a diagram of their basic product under Sports & Recreation (I assume that would be relevant), then Products->Anatomy. The site has been revised to be more busy, so it's probably more pleasant to browse, but more difficult to find specific information.
Alastair, hopefully you've already taken price into consideration. The systems cost about what I'd expect for a
specialized (and thus more expensive) sports bag, maybe a little more. I'm not aware of great price differences, but if you find that a particular brand is much cheaper, I would immediately suspect inferior quality.
A major difference between systems is the design of the valve at the end of the tube. The CamelBak's "Bite Valve" works fairly well, but it must be bitten to allow flow. Unlike drinking through a straw, where one's lips form the suction seal, the teeth are exposed almost directly to the liquid, separated only by the thin rubber wall of the valve itself. My teeth are just a tiny bit sensitive (I eat ice-cream sandwiches because of the insulation of the cookie), and when I really iced my Razor (probably 50% ice, that's a LOT), I had some problems early in my ride before I figured out a technique to deal with it (sip only a tubeful at a time, and give the water that's in the tube a little while, maybe a minute, to warm up and lose the edge). If sensitive teeth might be a problem, one perhaps should look at the Gulp Valve (Blackburn), which is actuated by the tongue on a spring-loaded button, or other designs.
I bought my '96 (I think it was the model's first year) MULE (it's actually a rather stupid acronym, especially when the HAWG followed; look it up on the site if you'd like) the early summer of '97 (FYI, model years seem to be announced/previewed in the fall sometime, dealers get the goods around the change of the calendar year). I was actually looking at a ThermoBak/Pakster combo that did pretty much the same thing, insulated water chamber plus carrying capacity. The MULE is very comfortable; I've taken it trail riding, road riding, and hiking. The weight is present, but disappears, and the coolness of the water offsets the absence of airflow across one's back. The cargo capacity is good for biking (there's a mini-pump pocket), but the bungee-cord system on the '96 lacks somewhat. Significant improvements that I can see in current models include a greater liquid capacity (more is definitely better), the wishbone harness system (it's the semi-circle/triangle visible where the straps meet the top of the pack), and what seems to be an improved cargo system (the buckle in particular).
The Razor is purpose-designed for road biking, and it just makes me feel fast (plus it matches my color scheme
). It has a small pouch between the liquid bladder and the back of the compartment. I put a $1 and a $5 inside (phone money, which jingles and would probably press uncomfortably, and ID go in my saddle bag) for bus fare and emergency rations. There's zero cargo space, but food, including PowerBars and bananas, go in my jersey pockets. Features include wishbone harness, Tube Director, and IceBak option. The wishbone harness (which seems to be standard on almost all 2000 CamelBaks) is indeed more comfortable than the old design. The Tube Director is an insulated sleeve with a wire that keeps the tube in place. While it does solve the problem of a loose tube hitting the top of my quad, I had the problem of fixing it to my more aero/bent-over position. I could kind of work my mouth over and take a drink totally no-handed, but the thing would hit me in the face if I sat up. I settled for moving it a few inches out and using my hand to push it in for a sip. The IceBak option means the insulation between the user and the water can be removed. Unless one is going to be doing some sustained hard riding, it's a feature that can be skipped. I was looking for some half-strength insulation so I could get some of the chill, but I don't think I'll be warming my water for the sake of making my entire back numb anytime soon.
In conclusion (if anyone got this far), I recommend CamelBak products, but I really haven't looked at any others.
Alastair, if you'd describe the activities that you have in mind, plus possible models of interest (if you get the time), I'm sure that I (and any other knowledgeable forumites) can help you out.
