Every year I’m excited to visit the Camelbak booth because it seems like there’s always something new and this year was no exception. The Camelbak hydration system has been around for more than 20 years but it’s been a while since the venerable blue bladder has seen a major update. Camelbak’s newest bladder, the Antidote, improves on the design in a number of ways.

The oversized screw cap that Camelbak introduced with the Omega reservoir several years ago was a big improvement over the smaller inlet but for many it was prone to leakage if not tightened properly. The new cap tightens with just a quarter turn, much like the gas cap on your car for a leak-proof seal every time. Camelbak claims the new cap is also 20% lighter and even lower profile than the previous version. The icing on the cake: built-in, retractable dryer arms attached to the cap.

A new quick-link system makes it a cinch to remove the hose from the bladder for cleaning and installing accessories (like an inline water filter called the Fresh™ – wonder if it filters out the taste of plastic?). But the feature I’m most excited about – and which seems so simple it’s hard to believe no one thought of this before – is the addition of a stabilizing baffle within the reservoir itself. The baffle serves to stabilize the water and minimize sloshing while making the bladder itself flatter and therefore easier to pack. In the photo above you can see the baffle – the line running down the center of the bladder – is pretty much as simple as it gets.

Camelbak has also improved packs like the Lobo by adding easy access to the fill cap so you don’t have to take the entire bladder out every time you refill. Freeride packs have been redesigned as well with hot graphics, cool colors, and refined pockets and straps (top photo).

Some riders still prefer frame-mounted water bottles to heavy, awkward hydration packs so the company is working on better methods of distributing water weight to improve comfort and stability. The Octane LR pack (above) wraps an Antidote reservoir around the waist and lower lumbar which places water weight closer to the hips where it’s much more stable for XC and all-mountain riding. I got a chance to put on a fully loaded Octane LR pack and it felt surprisingly natural, almost like I wasn’t wearing a hydration pack at all.

This year Camelbak has gone way beyond adding more pockets and new color choices to their packs by rethinking and refining the core hydration bladder at the heart of their products. Look for the new Antidote and Octane LR bladders to make appearances in the full line over the next year. If dehydration is what ails you, Camelbak has the Antidote.

Earlier this month we sent our man on the street, Chris B, to Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City to check out the latest camping, hiking, and trail running gear. Little did we know he’d get the scoop on new mountain bike stuff almost 2 months ahead of Interbike!

Camelbak

Last year at Interbike element22 and I were pretty impressed with the innovations from Camelbak (flow meter, freeride packs, etc.) and it looks like this year there’s more cool stuff on tap. For starters, some of the new hydration packs place the bladder closer to (or in?) the waist belt to shift weight from the back to the hips. This makes sense in theory, though we’ll definitely need a hands-on to see how this translates on the bike.

Hydration bag screw caps are also getting an update and Chris B says the new caps are like the gas cap on a car – one turn and they’re screwed on. I know I’ve been frustrated with hydration pack screw caps on more than one occasion, recently soaking my full pack (with camera inside) overnight before a ride. There’s gotta be a better way and it sounds like Camelbak may have found it.

Inno Racks

New bike racks from Inno. So new, in fact, the reps told Chris B they didn’t have any info on the racks pictured because “they’re not done with them yet.” Can’t tell much from the pic below so we’ll try to get more info at Interbike.

Osprey Hydration Packs

We’ve been singing the praises of the Osprey hydration packs that were introduced this year and for 2011 the company is diving even deeper into the bike scene. The Momentum (yellow pack in photo below) is geared toward commuters, though urban mountain bikers will love the hydration compatibility, LidLock helmet attachment, and U-lock pocket. This pack is so new there isn’t any info on Osprey’s website or in the pamphlets they were handing out.

Thule

Chris B says Thule didn’t really have much new stuff but these racks do look pretty sleek. Almost makes me want to drive around with a road bike on my car. Almost.

Stanley

Stanley has been making insulated water bottles and coolers for a long time but they’ve recently developed a water bottle that supposedly keeps carbonated drinks fizzy on your ride. Sure, a nice cold Coke would be refreshing mid-ride but it seems to us the real purpose of this bottle is to keep beer from going flat. We know, drinking and riding is illegal BUT there’s nothing that says you can’t enjoy a beer once you get to your destination. Not sure how this works on super bumpy stuff, we’ll need to test this one as well..

element22 and I are getting stoked for Interbike and are already making appointments to see the latest stuff. Let us know what you’d like to see covered and we’ll do our best at the show in September!

Camelbak is a name that needs no introduction. It’s a name that’s synonymous with hydration and hydration packs for cycling both on and off road, adventure racing, hunting, and military applications. Where there are thirsty people, Camelbak always seems to be around with a solution. In 2010 Camelbak is at it again with fresh styles and new, bold colors to address the wants and needs of mountain bikers everywhere. This spring I’ll be rockin’ The Don ($120 MSRP) with Flow Meter (sold separately, $30 MSRP) and no I was not arrested (just in case you were wondering about the pic).

The Don is a full-featured hydration pack designed especially for AM and FR mountain bikers. This pack sports a lightweight but strong rip-stop material which will stand up to the abrasive nature of all-mountain biking. Another great feature The Don includes is the air director back panel which allows your body to breathe and release heat when you’re pumping the pedals. Along with this intelligent yet simple heat release solution, you also get a wider strapping system (38mm) which will both hold the pack firmly in place and distribute pressure evenly across your body, even when hucking gnarly trails. The wide straps are made of the same mesh material as the vented back panels to encourage moisture wicking.

The Don can carry 3L (100oz) of water and 17.5L (1070 cu in) of cargo split into one main compartment and a few extra elastic pockets to separate your nutrition bars and gels from your tools and any other items for your ride.  Splitting up the space into several compartments allows the Don to hold goggles and electronics without fear of scratching them up or bouncing them around too much. I personally love that feature as it allows me to carry camera equipment as well as food and tools without fear of cutting into my sandwich or trashing my camera.

What really makes this a FR / park pack is that it has a convenient means for holding your helmets (full face as well as your open face) by a clever strap and flap combination. There’s even a clear flap on the side of the pack to hold your park pass! The straps that hold the flap for your helmet also double as the straps to tighten up the pack when it’s not full.

Taking the Don on (go figure) the Don Valley trails ups here in Ontario was just like strapping on any familiar piece of equipment. You just put the pack on, adjust the waist strap, and go. Just about the only thing I needed to learn was how to use the flow meter that I added to the Don.

The flow meter is actually a simple device: it uses a small magnetic sensor built into an impeller that rotates as you draw in water through a standard Camelbak hose. As the impeller rotates, it registers in the flow meter’s circuit board and display. Now the hard part is setting up the flow meter and using its advanced functions – I felt like I needed a PhD or something.

The simplest and most effective mode I found on the Flow Meter is called Amount remaining /  Total volume mode. Using  AR/TV mode for most all my riding I found that it worked great, giving me all I needed to know about my hydration situation. Clearly the most useful thing about the Flow Meter is it gives you an idea about how much water is left in your pack, something that was previously difficult if not impossible to do without removing the bladder from your pack. In terms of the advanced functions, I admit I fumbled around with the buttons a bit but never really found anything nearly as useful as the AR/TV mode.

Using the Don with the Flow Meter was great, though admittedly the color combo I received (Methyl Blue / Racing Red) was a bit loud for my personal tastes (there are 3 other color combos to choose from). Other than that, the Don is a comfortable and very functional hydration pack. On slope-side rides of 3 hours or more, this was more than adequate for my needs and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this pack to anyone.

When you think of Camelbak, you might not necessarily think of innovation. Sure, every year Camelbak gives us new pack colors and more pockets but many of the best selling packs have been around for years. In 2010 however, Camelbak is stepping on the gas and cranking the innovation to 10!

Digital flow meters. One of the biggest complaints Camelbak users have lodged over the years is that it’s tough to know how much water is left inside the hidden reservoir. The Camelbak Flow Meter, which can be attached to any existing Camelbak hose system, solves the problem and gives you an avalanche of data and display options to maximize your hydration awareness. Just enter the amount of water in your reservoir and your weight and the Flow Meter will tell you how much water you’ve consumed, how much you have left, and if you’re over- or under-hydrating yourself. It even flashes a warning when you have less than 10 ounces left – time to turn around or refill!

Quick connect hoses. Cleaning out a Camelbak bladder is just about as fun as a root canal and fortunately the oversized fill cap has gone a long way toward making this less painful. This year, new quick connect hoses allow you to drain your Camelbak bladder more easily and make gunk removal a cinch.

New freeride packs. Camelbak has put a ton of thought into designing a new line of freeride/downhill packs that have some pretty cool features. Aside from straps for cinching body armor and an oversized pouch for carrying a full face helmet, the top of the line pack (the Don) features a see-through pouch for a lift pass and a spot on the shoulder straps for ipod ear buds. The reservoir holds 100 oz. which is perfect for all day sessions at the mountain.

Other cool stuff. Though not necessarily MTB-specific, Camelbak is introducing cycling jerseys with integrated hydration and a water bottle that claims to keep liquids cold 4-times longer than a standard water bottle – without adding weight or reducing capacity! We’ll keep you posted to see how this new tech finds its way into mountain-specific products.

“Shrink it and pink it” used to be the standard in women’s specific mountain bike products. But the Camelbak L.U.X.E. is hardly a shrunken version of the popular M.U.L.E. hydration pack: with the same 100 oz bladder and same 600 cubic inch capacity this is a pack for the woman that rides IN FRONT of the big boys. As for the pink, well, my L.U.X.E. is crushed violet, or purple, which happens to be my favorite color!

I’m typically a minimalist when it comes to riding–risking walking out of a trail because I’ve left behind tubes and mini pumps for fear of being weighed down by extra stuff. The L.U.X.E. can carry a lot in its five compartments (not including the separate bladder compartment) so now I can easily take along a pump, extra tube, a few tools, food and much more. There’s a nice organizer pocket with a key holder that is perfect for small items like gu, energy bars, or your cell phone. The small lined pocket is great for keeping scratches off your camera or ipod.

The Camelbak L.U.X.E. has waaay more capacity than my previous pack (a Camelbak Classic) and even with the 100 oz bladder completely full of water, the L.U.X.E. did not feel any heavier while riding. The handy adjustable waist and sternum straps helped keep the pack stay put without even the slightest jostling over technical rocky sections. The back of the pack has six strategically positioned pads for a comfy fit and to provide areas of ventiliation. On short or long mountain bike rides, you’ll hardly notice it’s there.

Overall, I felt really confident and comfortable riding with the L.U.X.E strapped on my back. This women’s pack is not too bulky despite its huge capacity. There is more than enough room for storing bike accessories or stuffing in clothing. Plus, the 100 oz of water will definitely be useful on hot, humid summer rides here in the south. The only problem I have encountered so far is that one of the zipper pulls broke off, but luckily there are two zippers so I can still access that compartment. I plan to take my L.U.X.E. on all my mountain biking adventures – who says it’s just the boy scouts who need to always be prepared?

Just a couple quick shouts on new 2009 MTB products we’ve seen (and liked) at Interbike:

Giro Athlon Mountain Bike Helmet

Giro Phase Mountain Bike Helmet

Camelbak elixir – We sampled a couple new flavors at the outdoor demo (Berry and Lemon Lime) and the stuff tastes really good. It’s not very sweet at all, more like ‘flavored water’ and I’m guessing it’s just enough to cover up the plastic/vinyl taste from your Camelbak on hot days. Bonus: electrolytes included