CamelBak 2016 Rogue Hydration Pack

The wife and I like to bike, walk, or hike in the southwest. We can go through 20-30 ounces of water each in 30-60 minutes in no time in the summer time heat. Wanted something to hold more water and keep our hands free. We purchased two and it adjusts and fits our frames of 6'3" 250lbs and the wife's 4'11" 125lbs with very good comfort. We fill ours with ice/water and it stays cool for hours in the car when not in use or on our backs during exercise. No sloshing feeling because of the bladder design. No drips from the bite nozzle. Lower pocket is large enough several items like car keys, wallet, cellphone, powerbars, etc... Easy access to drinking tube. Simple to fill and lock with large opening with no drips. We haven't had any real issues of being to hot on our back because of lack of breathing. Brother-in-law purchased a cheaper no-brand model for 1/2 the price and he had problems with leaks, plastic tasting water, poor ergonomics on his back, and leaky bite nozzle.

This pack has been a lifesaver for me. I run Spartan races and have used it for my Beat and Super. It is not too heavy, but has plenty of water and space for storing fuels and whatever else you may need. Pockets are big enough for phone, keys, energy bars, and more. To put it in perspective, on my most recent race, I took 4 builder bars, 7 clif Blok packages, a roll of medical tape, a headlamp, 15 packs of mustard, and a small pill bottle, and STILL had room! The tube for water was in a comfortable position and easy to access while running, as were the pockets. It does rub a little when directly against the skin on your shoulders, but a sleeved shirt can combat this. I am a woman of average built, and I found it fit well, and did not bounce as I ran. It was also easily adjustable.

AMAZON AND TECH CONCEPTS CANT GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER...Tried THREE TIMES ordering this 2016 style hydration pack w/ antidote bladder #62239...Got the 2017 hydration pack delivered THREE TIMES #1120002000 w crux bladder. Unless your looking to be frustrated dont try it.Too bad, would of liked to try the 2016 Rouge which had BETTER reviews.

Product description states that this is the 2016 model with the Antidote bladder. Instead, they are shipping the 2017 model with the Crux bladder. The Crux bladder has a different closure mechanism and the gasket does not seal at all. Water pours right out regardless of how tight you get it to close. I bought this to replace my really old CamelBak Rogue that is worn out. I am very disappointed in the low quality of the new hydration pack.

I'm very disappointed in this Camelbak product. I purchased a Camelbak based on great reviews, recommendations and reputation, but am left feeling like the only one willing to say the emperor has no clothes! First the pros & cons, then the details.PROS:*Solid Construction*No leaksCONS:*Top flaps around unless the bladder is installed*Bladder is hard to dry*Bladder is hard to fill from a water cooler*Pack moves around a lot and rides up when jumpingI bought the Rogue for cycling. I ride both road and mountain. I willingly violate roadie style rules and ride with a pack. Usually not for the water, but for carrying tube, pump, phone, wallet, tools, etc. I hate messing up the clean look of my bike with a saddle bag! Plus when I switch to my mountain bike, I don't have to move my equipment over, I just grab the pack and go. And that brings me to the first problem- the top flap on the Rogue is only secured to the water bladder. If you try to use the pack without it, the top just flaps around. There's no velcro or snap to hold it in place. When I'm riding on the road and using water bottles, I have to keep the empty bladder installed in the pack to keep the top down. That alone would have been enough to keep me from buying this pack if I had been able to see that in the pictures or other reviews. -2 stars for this poor design choice.The next set of problems is with the bladder. First, the opening offset from one end is a pain, both for filling and for drying. When I try to fill this from the water cooler at work, the water comes out with enough force that it hits the back of the bladder at the opening and splashes everywhere. As for drying, there is no way to sit or hang this thing so all the water drains out of it. It has some plastic levers that are supposed to open up the bladder when it is sitting to aid in drying, but they are barely functional and still leave large areas where water is trapped and never wants to dry. From now on, I will only purchase bladders with a top opening.The final problem I have with this pack is the fit. It sits fairly loosely on my back. It isn't a problem for most road riding, but if I attack a hill out of the saddle, the pack tends to shift around which is a minor annoyance. On the mountain bike it is a bigger problem. On jumps (launching off little rocks or bunny hops) the pack flies up and hits me in the back of the helmet. It really needs a hip strap, though my old worn out Blackburn pack didn't do that and I didn't use the hip strap on it. There is something inherently unstable in this pack design.I have just ordered an Osprey Viper 3 to try out instead hoping it resolves all of these issues. With any luck I can sell the Camelbak to someone who thinks the emperor's clothes are just dandy.

I've had Camelback hydration packs with previous closures and never had a problem sealing them or having water leak. I read all the negative reviews about the Crux bladder and thought maybe it was just new users who weren't accustomed to getting the closure just right. But I still wanted to get the older version to be on the safe side. But what they sent me was not the 2016, they sent the current version with the Crux style bladder. I gave it a chance, but have to say this is a terrible design. It really takes a lot of time to get this to close properly and sometimes it's actually not even possible. Today I'm headed out for a ride with a pack that I patiently worked with for 10 minutes and I know is still leaking. This is ridiculous, but it's been over a month so I can no longer return the product. There are several other choices out there, please don't waste your money on this Crux version of the Camelback... Which is exactly what they'll send you.

For riding single track mountain bike trails, you rarely have time to grab a water bottle, unless you stop or really slow down. This eliminates that problem! 2 liters of water or whatever fluid. Also r good sized little pouches for phone, keys, wallet, food bars, etc.....