Camelbak Fourteener Product Review

I got tired of carrying my water bottle clipped to my belt, fumbling with stuff in my pockets and having to decide whether or not I wanted to also bring binoculars with me during each hiking trip.  After talking with a couple of friends, I decided that a hydration pack was the way I wanted to go.  After doing some research, I decided that Camelbak was the way I wanted to go.  The version that I have has been discontinued, but it is still available.

This version has a 100 oz reservoir, which is (so far) much more than I’ve ever needed.  This is a good thing because it has plenty of left over for refilling other water bottles. The open pocket on the left bottom isn’t very easy to reach, but it is easy enough and works well for holding a bag of trail mix or other snacks. The open pouch in the middle is very handy for holding binoculars. This is nice when hiking with someone else. The zippered pouch is perfect for stashing the car keys and other pocket stuff.

Of course there is a waist and chest strap to secure the pack in place while wearing it, and the fixed loops are handy for holding our hiking poles when we’re not using them.  Another nice feature is Camelbak’s lifetime guarantee.  You might pay a little more for this pack, but they stand behind it.
The pack is lightweight (less than 3 pounds), and very well made.  I haven’t had any rips or seen any bad stitching.
The only thing that this pack doesn’t have is a convenient spot for my cell phone.  Since I use my phone as my GPS and for taking pictures, I needed to add an accessory to hold it in an easy to reach spot.  Right now I’m using the NcStar Small Utility Pouch looped over the waist strap.
I have to say, I’m very happy with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone looking for a hydration pack.