Review on Stay Hydrated on-the-go with CamelBak Rogue Hydration Pack, 85oz! by Matt Ellis

I live in North Carolina and have built thousands of miles of mountain bike trails across the state, and the one thing I never want to be without is water. When I first started riding I tried to take a bottle of water with me, but on a hot summer day I drank it all in under an hour. Cutting a trip short because you ran out of water was never fun, and I felt like it was time to get serious and invest in a hydration pack. CamelBak is a brand that has been around since 1988 and is known for making backpacks specifically for mountain biking. The CamelBak Rogue is who I've ridden and since it came out I've used it on every ride I've been on. The CamelBak Rogue features an 85-ounce reservoir, leak-proof on/off valves, a top zip pocket, and a bottom pocket perfect for your car keys, multi-tools, or other small items you need to carry around. The rear valve is up. exposing the bladder with a large lid that CamelBak advertises as "an easy-open airtight lid". They claim "it's been redesigned for easier refilling and the latches close with just a few twists." Although CamelBak claims to be made for easier refilling and better sealing, I found that wasn't the case. I usually fill my bladder with a fridge and due to the way it's placed it almost always makes a mess. The plastic around the lid is so big I have a hard time wringing out the water dispenser so it stops before water spills outside the hole. . The airtight lid isn't as _simple_ as they say, either. Because it closes with just a few twists, you have to be very careful to align the threads. otherwise it will leak. That's why I made some riots. Everything from the fabric to the stitching is durable, and the Rogue is a tough backpack. After a year of hard use, it holds up amazingly well even on all the dirt rides. Another nice feature is the removable drinking chamber and the outside is washable. This is great for keeping clean and protecting from bad odors in the hot sun. The large bite valve has a locking mechanism so you can rest assured that no water will spill. Without it, water comes out in the closed position even while driving, so I leave mine in the closed position until I'm ready to drink. I believe that the tubing from the bladder to the valve is very long. I'm a short guy, 5ft 5in, and sometimes I wanted to cut off a piece of the tubing so I didn't have to stuff the excess back into my bag. As I mentioned before, I've used this backpack for every trip and carrying it with me is part of my routine. I've done everything from three to four hour rides to a quick 3 miles for lunch and it works great. I've even survived a few hard falls. and even came off my shoulder slightly while wearing this backpack and it still seems as durable as the first day I tried it. Of course, mention that they should pay attention to the cap and make sure it's screwed on properly, but other than that it's a great hydration pack. Pros: *Cost *Quality construction *Easy to use bite valve Cons: *Refill cap requires more threads *Long hose