I've used Camelbak products for a number of years
now when rollerskiing. I find them a huge improvement over
the traditional water bottle carrier. The flow tube is always
handy and can be raised to the mouth in an instant. I drink
a lot more fluid, and at more even intervals with a Camelbak.
The Camelbak Rocket has a number of great improvements
over past models. First, it has a nice baffled pack in the
back where I can store things like my keys, an energy bar,
and something else like a cell phone or GPS unit. The 72
oz reservoir incorporates a recent change: a rib down the
center of the bladder that prevents the classic "sausage"
effect, keeping the bladder much flatter. I found this rib
also help keep the bladder open a bit, allowing it to dry
now without having to stick some sort of insert into the
bladder. Another nice touch on the Rocket is a small pouch
on the front left side that easily accomodates gel packs.
The pack also has a bright yellow color pattern which makes
it easy to see (good for those road rollerskis). There is
a removable torso strap on this model to help keep the pack
stable and flat on higher tempo workouts.
Bottom line: If you plan to do much rollerskiing or hiking,
especially over longer distances, a Camelbak is really a
must have accessory.
Thanks to REI in the Twin Cities for supplying
a Camelbak Rocket for our field reports. REI carries
the Camelbak Rocket, along with a few other Camelbak models,
as well as a wide assortment of other products for your
workouts.
