CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack - 100 fl. oz.

Comments about CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack - 100 fl. oz.:

Watch the video! Everything they feature and then some! I really like that the bladder detaches from the tube -- WITHOUT LEAKING, SPILLING! This means that you can haul the bladder out of the bag to empty or refill without having to remove/thread the hose. You can carry a spare bladder, pull the bladder and wash it out, store the empty in the freezer (CamelBak recommends this so it won't grow mold, mildew.) Big Bite valve is perfect, 90 degree mount for access, and a lock/seal latch so it won't "bleed" when you change altitude on the drive, climb, during transport. It FITS -- That can't be over stressed. Nothing worse than a pack that is too small or doesn't hang right. This one fits. I stowed a 2 litre, hard, Nalgene bottle in the main pocket -- room to spare. This bag is large enough for food, a shed layer, odds/ends, 10 essentials, first aid. It's 765 cc stow capacity. That's on the small end of "mid size" -- CamelBak makes smaller and larger. You can find one for your style! 7 mile jaunt yesterday on the trail, 2 1/2 hr, in cool weather and I used 2 litres. The 3 litre capacity is ample -- not too much. Nordic pole hiking and arm swinging -- no movement binds or restrictions. It's light, and comfortable. I forget I'm wearing it (until I get thirsty! then it's PERFECT!) I looked at some cheap hydration from [...]. Took two of them back to the store because they don't do what needs to be done. Yes, the CamelBak is more money -- and worth every single dime!

Comments about CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack - 100 fl. oz.:

I picked this up at REI a few months ago when I got back into Mountain Biking. Loving the pack. It is my first one so I do not have anything to compare it to. It fits snug on my back, caries tons of water, and all of my gear (spare tube, pump, patch kit, chain tool, tire levers, etc). I would recommend this pack to any mountain biker. I have ridden when it was very hot outside and I did not have any problems with my back getting too hot because of the pack.

Comments about CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack - 100 fl. oz.:

I am a casual biker and used to just throw a large backpack on with a water-bottle in it (which was bulky and not very convenient when I wanted a drink).

I looked on the website and in store, and the Mule seemed to be a great choice for someone like me. Compared to a couple others I was considering (eg. Blowfish) it seemed to have very solid construction. There is a nice mixture of pockets and it can carry a reasonable amount of extras (I bring a little pump and some other tools, a camera, my cell phone, a GPS unit, something to eat, etc.) There are more minimalist packs, but this one seems to be a nice balance between storage and bulk.

Despite the amount of storage, the pack is still reasonably small. It also has lots of straps to keep it centered on your upper back and after a few minutes you forget it's there. It also looks stylish, and as mentioned above, seems sturdy and well constructed.

As for drinking from it: the reservoir is great and easy to fill and the bite valve is amazing. 3L is perfect for me, and really is a lot of water. The insulted pocket seems to keep the water cold for a good number of hours (you could also probably throw an ice pack in there), although one complaint is the water in the hose gets warm fast so your first mouthful of water is warm.

Removing the reservoir is painless and all the self-closing mechanisms mean it doesn't make a mess. Getting the reservoir back in unfortunately is a little bit trickier, not that bad but usually takes me a minute or two.

Overall, this is a great product for any biker who doesn't need absolute minimal configuration.It is great for a bike day-trip: allows me to pack the stuff I need and gives me a good supply of water to drink without any hassle. While it is designed for biking, I would certainly take it with me hiking or for other activities.

Comments about CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack - 100 fl. oz.:

I have owned a Camelbak Alpine Explorer for almost two years. I bought it for long day hikes, and I absolutely love the hydration system. So much so that I found myself using it a lot for local "civilized" activities like visiting the state fair, attending my children's events, walking in the park and riding bikes.

I decided I wanted a smaller hydration pack for these activities. I imagined a pack that was basically just hydration with some room for the basics (snacks, light jacket, first aid kit, etc.). After looking at the Lobo, Blow Fish and MULE, I settled on the MULE. The four compression straps can be cinched down so the pack is very compact. Loosen the straps and there's plenty of room for essentials. I like that flexibility.

I have started using it daily on my lunch hour walks. Here in North Texas it is typically 95-105 degrees from mid-May to mid-September. Before I started carrying this pack, I could only do a mile a lunch due to the heat of summer. Now that I carry the pack and drink almost constantly, I can do 2.4 miles at lunch without feeling ill.

The new Antidote reservoir has some great improvements over the Omega reservoir. The quarter turn cap is much easier to open and close. The QuickLink system makes disconnecting the hose from the reservoir far easier.

I have two MINOR issues with the pack. The reservoir pocket is slightly too short (another half inch would be awesome). Be sure to avoid catching the reservoir in the zipper. The other issue is the new way the reservoir hooks onto the pack. "Properly" mounted the business side (cap and hose connection) are facing away from pocket opening. I remedied this by simply facing the reservoir out for easy access. Since the pocket is snug, the reservoir doesn't go anywhere or bind. Again, these are minor inconveniences, and I'm still willing to give it five stars.

I have not used other hydration systems, but my family has five different Camelbak models. We are very pleased with them, so there was never a question about the brand I would purchase when I started looking for a smaller pack. Bottom line, the MULE is another great product from Camelbak.

Comments about CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack - 100 fl. oz.:

We took TWO Ful Cargo hydration packs back to [...]. At $24.99 and about 700 cc capacity they seemed like a good fit. The bite valve on the second Ful had no slot. Kinked hose from shipping, poor water delivery, and the lowest position on the sternum strap is right up under the Adam's Apple. (I'm 5' 10", large shouldered.) The Mule -- We looked at some North Face, Osprey, and a LOT of CamelBak options: Lobo, Octane 18, CloudWalker, RidgeRunner, BlowFish, some other CamelBaks (In the REI shop, hands on!) I want 100 oz / 3 litre, water. I hike on coastal trails w/ no water access at all. If I don't pack it, I'm parched. (I have a Platypus 2 litre bladder as a back up.) We're looking for about 750 cc capacity. I have large day packs, major mountain assault three-day packs. We want room for lunch, socks, "shed layer" (rain shell in these parts), GPS, shades, MP3, multi-tool, cell phone. Mule accommodates all, and well laid out. Fleece lined top pocket for glasses, MP3, several internal pockets for organizing. LARGE "shed layer pouch" -- This is a hot feature! It's the size of a medium shopping bag, open top, w/ compression and cinch straps. Fast access, large enough for a bike helmet! Hypalon tab at the bottom of the bag for a carabiner or web strap. Top loop affords securing Nordic poles, ice ax, or a grab loop for carry. World Class Sternum Strap! -- adjusts all the way to the BOTTOM of the strap pads. It features a elastic flex segment, pull adjust band. Velcro, removable waist strap. The strap slips through a D ring, folds over and secures w/ the Velcro. It's seriously secure, solid, reliable. Water tube can run off either side. Shoulder straps have loops to secure the tube. CamelBak bite valve -- it's perfection, 90 degree bend, LOTS of water delivery. Shoulder loops for water tube can also be used to hang a carabiner for a GPS. 2 pair of compression straps afford cinching down, securing the load, accommodating the pack to the size of the mission. Mostly, it's the RIGHT SIZE. I want 3 litres of water, lunch, a few items, and light/compact for Nordic Pole walking -- arm swinging, and a serious pace on the trail. But it's large enough for extra clothing, 1st Aid Kit, "10 Essentials" and then some. Not too large though! GoldiLocks says it's "Just Right!"

Comments about CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack - 100 fl. oz.:

I bought this for day-hikes and after using it for about a month on a half-dozen different treks ranging from 2-8 hours I can say this is a quality pack that was perfect for my needs and had enough cargo room for a shed layer, snacks, medical gear, and more. The fit is very comfortable and even after hiking all day the raised padding on the back helps keep your back cool and mostly sweat-free.

The only thing I would note is that the reservoir that came with this pack had a slight leak to it at first. After inspection I determined that the rubber gasket at the fill-port was slightly twisted resulting in a slow leak. After setting it straight I have had no issues and will certainly get many years of use from this quality product.

Service and delivery comments:

The rubber gasket on the reservoir fill-cap was twisted for about an inch which resulted in a slow leak when the reservoir was full.

Comments about CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack - 100 fl. oz.:

I hike several times a week and absolutely LOVE this backpack. The reservoir valve did start leaking and I called Camelbak directly - they sent me a new reservoir right away (their products have a lifetime warranty). Highly recommend!

Comments about CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack - 100 fl. oz.:

This pack is perfect for mountain biking. Has plenty of space to carry tools, keys, etc. For the price, a great buy. Love the color.

Comments about CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack - 100 fl. oz.:

The MULE is the perfect pack for mountain biking whether you're a XC, FR or DH rider. Just fill it up with water and gear based on your particular excursion. I like that its design holds tons of stuff yet remains compact in form. I never feel it shift around while riding and I actually forget that it's there most times. It holds all my tools, spare tubes, gels, keys, phone and there is tons of room left for other stuff. I'll be using it for trail running and hikes as well.