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CamelBak HAWG hydration pack review
CamelBak has long been at the forefront of the hydration pack market and it shows. The company has refined its products in such a way that they provide excellent on-trail performance and great durability. The CamelBak HAWG, which comes with a 3.0 liter water bladder and space to lug a whole bunch of extra gear, is an excellent way to introduce people to the CamelBak lineup. While the pack isn’t flawless, it certainly ranks at or near the top of my options for this area.
For this review, I used the workhorse from my small stable of cycling packs: the CamelBak HAWG. The HAWG is a great, high-volume pack that leaves you with enough space to pack enough essential gear and water for those day-long epics and allows you to carry it without blowing out your back or cursing the pack’s fit.
The HAWG has a capacity of about 13 liters, which places it in the middle size of the company’s line of products. Loaded with a full water bladder, the pack weighs in at around 8 pounds, although with full gear and food, my pack usually weighs 10 or so pounds. Keep in mind that I rarely carry a full water bladder unless a) it’s really hot or b) I’m going for an all-day epic.
First impressions
When you first pick up the CamelBak HAWG, it’s impossible not to notice the little things: quality stitching, durable material, high quality bladder and mouthpiece. The back panel is made of a high density foam-like material that conforms to your back without sitting flat on it. This does a good job at keeping your back relatively cool — it’s still much hotter than no pack but it’s not prohibitively warm.
The pack is divided into three internal compartments: the first is closest to the rider’s back and it is reserved for the water bladder; the second is a large, full length compartment that has room for a pump, a tube, a lightweight jacket, and a small camera (if you’re so inclined); the third and smallest compartment is where I store the ‘little’ things (keys, patch kit, multitool, small snack, etc.).
The outside features a mesh net that can hold an array of accessories (I used mine for work gloves, garbage, and stuff like that) and compression straps to cinch your loads down so that they don’t shift around while you’re riding.
Performance
Before I headed out on the trail, I got down to loading up the pack with my usual array of gear. Everything went into the pack well and I was able to organize the inside of the pack in a satisfactory manner. When it came to strapping my full-face helmet and leg armour onto the outside of the bag, it definitely took a little bit of experimentation. In the end, I ended up strapping my helmet (visor and opening facing down) to the bag and then affixing my leg armour alongside the helmet. Definitely not an elegant solution but it does the trick.
Note: make sure you fill up your water bladder BEFORE you load your bulky gear in and strap anything to the outside of the bag. Trust me.
Once you load the pack up and put it on your shoulders, it just ‘feels’ right. Loads are well balanced and distributed across your shoulders and hips (if you use the integrated waist straps); granted I’ve never really had to ride uphill for extended periods of time with the pack loaded to the gills, but it was good to know I could deal with a substantial amount of gear in my bag for a 60 minute climb.
The CamelBak HAWG feels great on descents. When using the integrated waist belt and chest clips, there’s a minimal amount of movement or shifting; when not using the belt, you’ll find that the load inches up your back as you’re going down but this is a common sort of movement for almost all hydration packs.
Durability
CamelBak is reknowned for making high-quality hydration packs with great stitching, tough material, and top-notch water bladders and the HAWG is no exception to this rule.
Even though I’ve used this bag for an extended period of time and carried loads that likely exceed the expected use for the pack, it’s taken everything with aplomb. Aside from some stitching that’s starting to make its way loose (and this is undoubtedly a result of my strapping gear to the outside using compression straps), I have had few problems with the pack.
Additionally, should you ever loose a bite valve or find that your bladder is a little, err, funky, CamelBak has a full range of affordable items to replace or recondition your gear.
Pricing
With an MSRP of about $100usd or $180cad, the CamelBak HAWG isn’t a cheap pack. With high-quality hydration packs available from companies like Dakine it will be interesting to see what sort of response CamelBak comes up with.
Wild card
If you don’t remember to ‘lock down’ your bite valve when you put the HAWG in the back of your car, don’t be surprised if you get to the trailhead with a puddle of water underneath your pack. Not that I’ve ever done that, but it is a good idea to close the valve before you start your trip.
Summary
The CamelBak HAWG is an excellent all-round pack for all mountain use. For freeride, the HAWG passes the grade but I have a couple of issues related to the carrying of pads and helmet, which are addressed above. While I do use my bag extensively on cross country trips, it does get a little bulky and uncomfortable on 35km+ rides.
Product quality is top notch; having used the bag in all sorts of conditions for over a year, the only apparent damage to the test product is some loose stitching on one of the compression strap clips.
An excellent, accessible water bladder makes filling up at home and on the trail easy and trouble free. The mouth piece leaks if you fail to clamp down the ‘locking mechanism’ that prevents all water flow but, other than that, the hydration aspect of the bag is great.
While the price of the CamelBak HAWG is greater than some of its competitors, the way the bag fits with a full load and the way it lasts under heavy use, makes it well worth its purchase price.
Manufacturer website: www.camelbak.com
MSRP: $100 (usd) | $170 (cad)
| Category | Rating (?) |
|---|---|
| First impressions | 9 / 10 |
| Performance | 34 / 40 |
| Durability | 17 / 20 |
| Pricing | 14 / 20 |
| Wild card | 7 / 10 |
| Overall | 81 / 100 |
1. Posted by CamelBak Havoc review from Bike Magazine » The Biking Hub | 6:00 pm, 6 January 2006
[…] A while back, I posted a review of the CamelBak HAWG. In general, I liked the pack for all of the reasons mentioned above, but I did have some issues when it came to strapping on armour and pads for the climb up the mountain. […]