CamelBak  Cloud Walker Hydration Pack - 70 fl. oz.

I love this backpack! I had been deliberating on what hydration pack to get for a while, and it was worth the wait. I originally bought it with the intention of using it exclusively on day hikes, but it is roomy! I have started using it as my everyday backpack-taking it to school, work, shopping, etc. I ride my bike around town and this is the perfect size! Its never bulky but can hold a lot of stuff! Even when I have it loaded down with my laptop, notebook, a few books, water and yoga clothes, its still super comfortable and feels lightweight. The only thing thats not awesome about it is that I wish the upper part of the shoulder straps was adjustable.

I purchased this hydration pack several months ago and have been enjoying it ever since. I like it because it is nice and compact. The front pocket has 2 zipper pockets in it as well as two little pockets to put pens, pencils, mini-flashlight, etc. This has come in handy! The large compartment can hold many items without the bladder in and a little less when the bladder is out. Like the other reviewers I have also found myself using this backpack without the bladder. It has survived many day hikes around Phoenix as well as trips to Mexico and Honduras where I have done mission work. It can handle some rain, it will get wet, but will keep the items inside dry for the most part. The only thing that bothers me is that the mesh back can be uncomfortable at times when the bladder is in. Other than that I enjoy this one, but would recommend a larger bladder/hydration pack for more lengthy hikes.

As others have pointed out: roomy and versatile backpack. The separate zippered compartment for the hydration reservoir is a plus. My only caveat/complaint is: the Antidote reservoir that came with my Cloud Walker was *not* a Quick Link version, but has a presumably older standard hose barb for the PureFlow tube. The tube fits very tightly on the hose barb, which is good because you wouldn't want it to leak, but at the same time is not conducive to removal during cleaning - pretty weak sauce, which is why the Quick Link version was presumably developed. I must have grabbed some older inventory which still had the original Antidote reservoir; my advice is to make sure that your pack has a Quick Link style reservoir, with the push-button removable drinking tube. In my case, I have to spend another $30+ for the Quick Link version to enable all of its advantages in cleaning, drying, and quick swap-outs of tubes, filters, etc! I also accidentally bought the $20 cleaning/drying kit, which - you guessed it - is designed for the Quick Link version! Technically, my fault but still...not made clear at all that there were even two versions! I'm really hoping that CamelBak is not intentionally shipping their packs with their remaining inventory of older Antidote reservoirs at the same time that they're shipping Quick Link versions - the fact that the price point is the same is definitely not cool!

I actually bought this somewhere other than REI because I found it on sale. And in a red color, which REI does not have listed online. Anyways, it is a great small pack, especially for what I paid for it. It doesn't hold a whole lot, but it holds plenty of water, lunch, extra layers, a camera, and the essentials for a day hike. This pack seems to be water proof. The outside will absorb water in heavy rain, but nothing inside ever gets wet. And it's comfortable as long as its not over packed or too heavy. I also use it for snowboarding to carry water and a camera, and as a daily book bag around campus. A 3 ring binder is almost too wide to fit inside when a Nalgene bottle is in the mesh pocket. But it does fit, just not as easy as I would like. There are a few not so great things, but they are not major, just something I would have preferred differently. There is a chest strap, but no hip belt, which would be handy for climbing and snowboarding, but would add more weight. And the compression straps go over the mesh water bottle pocket, so getting a bottle in while its compressed is tricky. Last thing, if you have the Camelbak bladder in there, and its full of water, and the pack is also stuffed, it pushes the bladder into your back and isn't very comfortable. So either pack lightly and efficiently, or do what I do, and take out the bladder, and just use a couple water bottles. But the bladder does have a nice zipper pocket to go into, so it can be taken out and put in without having to empty the inside. If I wanted a better pack, I would have bought a different one.