CamelBak Rogue

Nice, small hydration pack, but cheaper than the old one.

I've used an older version of the Rogue for close to 10 years, so it has held up well. This new version has some "short-cuts", or silly weight saving measures that effect the quality and usability of this pack.

The old version had a nice velcro strap to open to easily remove the bladder; the new version has only a piece of elastic with little room to force a full bladder back into its sleeve.

This new version has a very small little "pocket-opening" to keep the top compartment closed over the bladder; old version had a much beefier, deeper pocket to keep it in place.

And (like most manufactures have gone with), the wide open male-half of the buckles, making it easy to miss the correct closure, instead of having this a closed piece (instead of two prongs to catch and "miss-buckle").

It appears Camelbak continues to cheapen many of their products to cost and weight savings, at the expense—a real shame.

Background

I'm a pro hiking guide and avid cyclist having used Camelbak products for decades.

The CamelBak Rouge is small, light, and comfortable to wear. For runners who want to try an alternative to water belts, I cannot recommend the CamelBak Rogue highly enough.

The CamelBak Rouge is my first foray into the world of hydration packs and I haven’t been disappointed. I use the pack for runs of all distances. I used to wear a water belt, but I wish I had tried this product years ago.

The CamelBak Rogue looks deceptively small for its 70 oz capacity. Even with a full reservoir and carrying more than I need in the various pockets and enclosures, the pack is comfortable and stable. The shoulder straps are comfortable and have never chafed. The chest strap keeps the pack secure and minimizes bounce.

For runners who might tend to turn a wayward eye to hydration packs, I would strongly recommend the CamelBak Rouge; light, small, and comfortable. I love it.

Bought in 2004 and cap's gasket just went (2007). Like another reviewer, the cap is often hard to get off. It's a wrist breaker. And it's even worse if sports powder has been mixed in (stickier) and the cap isn't opened right away when done. Sometimes I have to use pliers to get it off. Otherwise, it does its job ok, if you don't mind having to readjust the straps all the time and the hose slipping down (more exposed), no matter how well one tucks away the extra.

It's strange how the design of these kinds of packs is backwards for (at least) men. Best weight distribution should keep the pack closer to the shoulders, but as the contents are used the weight continuously shifts down into the lower back.

Great hydration pack!

The Rogue was my first hydration pack and after two years I still love it. I use it for mountain biking and short hikes and it is perfect for my needs. There are two zipped pockets so you can carry your wallet, phone, energy bars, and multi-tool with you and an expandable pouch that will hold a light jacket.

The 70oz bladder holds plenty of water and the pack is insulated well enough to keep it cool for a couple hours.

I would not hesitate to buy another one.

Like the storage space, like the water capacity, the weight is good, it's pretty comfortable...

I cannot believe how hard the screw cap is to remove. It is so hard that I have been reading reviews on the 'net for the past 10 minutes trying to see if anyone else has this problem. I literally have to reef on that thing as hard as I can 9-10 times to get it to start moving. For the life of me I can't understand why that is.

I think I'm going to take it back to The Bike Store, if I can.

I bought this pack at the begining of the summer for mountain biking. I had a larger pack that weighed more and didn't sit right for biking so I went with this. It has plenty of storage for my bike too, a cell phone, pump, and a few energy bars. My back stays cool due to the ventelation. So far it has held up really well. The one downside is that it tends to shift when I'm in real rough terrain.

I Love my Rogue! It's perfect for a short day hike, or mountain biking! Holds all that I need, and non of the paranoid stuff I don't. My girlfriend is even super jealous of it!

I'll admit that the cap is a bit tricky to get off...however it builds character! I've owned a couple different types of Camelbaks, and this one has been my favorite! Kudos Camelbak!
-pirate