Camelbak HAWG NV Hydration Pack

Sometimes you need to carry a lot of stuff on a ride.  Epic rides are often unsupported and you may need to bring multiple layers of clothing, lots of water, food, tools, etc.  For this type of ride, the HAWG NV comes into its own.  I actually know guys that wear this model for their everyday use, but for me, that is way too much pack.  There is a an adage that rings true - you will tend to fill the pack with what it can carry...so if I wear a big pack all the time, I lean toward kitchen-sink thinking and soon I am pedaling out for a 90 minute ride looking like a Sherpa guide. A smaller pack forces us to pack smart. 

But the Camelbak HAWG NV is all about packing smart for a bigger day.  The pack itself with an empty 100oz/3.0 liter bladder is just over 3 pounds in weight but has 1120 CU inches/18 liters of storage space.  The materials and multiple compartments keep it from the lightweight class.  Fill this bad boy up with water and gear and you will know you are carrying something significant back there.  Thankfully the NVIS system of foam pads and air channels keeps the pack stable and well ventilated against your back.  The shoulder and waist straps are substantial and adjustable and the D-Link feature and anatomically designed curves in the fitment of the pack make for a nice feel for the wearer.  

The bladder sits in its own space with a sewn in loop of string that the bladder clips to to keep it from sinking into the pack as it is carried.  Like all bladders I have seen so far, the 100oz/3 liter version balloons up when full and becomes a big old tubular shape.  It sits in its section fine, but obviously intrudes (bulges) into the other cargo compartments.  There is a thing that goes on with hydration packs that I call the 'stacking effect'.  When empty, the compartments seem huge, but as you begin to fill them, each compartment bulges into the other and lessens the capacity of that next compartment. 

There is room for more than one bladder in the HAWG.  The next compartment, the main 'cargo' section, also has a sewn in loop for bladder retention.  If water is more important than other stuff, you could carry two 100oz reservoirs.  The cargo section is pretty generous and has quite a bit of room for clothing.  There are five other compartments - a tools and essentials area with organizational pockets and a key clip, an overflow/external section that might fit a slim helmet but certainly is good for a jacket, etc., and has compression straps to keep things tidy, and two side pockets that are excellent for keeping cameras, GPS, or what have you.  The last storage space is a zippered pouch at the top of the pack that is soft and cushy for sunglasses, iPhones, mp3 players, etc.  Some packs I have seen are just a couple of big compartments with little compartmentalization...not the HAWG NV...tons-O-pockets here. 

Hidden in the bottom of the pack in its own storage space is a rain fly for wet days on the trail. 

Just for fun, I ran around the house and grabbed a bunch of stuff that would see me through a long day with changing weather conditions.  All that is laid out in this pic.  It all fit easily into the HAWG NV and I was not pushing the limits of the pack at all.  I have ridden with this pack on some half day unsupported rides and it worked very well. 

The HAWG is ready for the 'epic day' or for pack-rat guys that cannot carry enough stuff in a MULE sized version.  The NVIS system is very effective, much superior to my old HAWG pack from years ago, a pack I did not care for at all as it rode very poorly on the back when loaded up.  This new version is head and shoulders (my shoulders in this case) above the older version in fit and carrying comfort.   

Comments

[zonedripper]

Anybody have a list of hydration packs that will hold two bladders?

[admin]

That is a good question. I would imagine most of the larger packs would do that, but they may not be a bike specific pack, per se. For instance, the Osprey Talon 22 would easily swallow two 100oz reservoirs, but it is not a cycling specific pack...it is a great bikepacking pack, though.

grannygear