Packs, Vests, Water Bottles

Featured review by Doggymcnuggets

Really great daypack — durable, spacious, awesome hydration system.

The Cloudwalker is a great daypack. It features a row of gearloops on the front for clip-on storage or for holding a small-handled implement.  There is a smaller front storage compartment with an organizer pouch inside with small zippered storage space (think wallet) and room for smaller items such as maps, snacks, camera, gps, phone, etc.  The front compartment is accessed via a vertical zipper running along one side of the front. I prefer a horizontal zipper for top access to lessen the risk of something falling out and for better visual access, bit it's a minor gripe.  There is a mesh pocket on one side of the bag for quick-access storage.  The main compartment is roomy enough for a day's worth of stuff for most outdoor pursuits.

Read more: CamelBak Cloud Walker reviews (7)

Featured review by Wade In The Water

Keep your cold beverages cold and your hot ones hot...

The Klean Kanteen Classic, available in many colors. I received my Klean Kanteen as part of a prize package. I've been using it almost daily for over a year now and I love it. I take it to work and to play.   Klean Kanteen is a family- and employee-owned, U.S. based company that's been around since 2004. They began the reusable, stainless steel water bottle revolution. They state, "From the very beginning, Klean Kanteens have been built with love— the love of adventure, the love of conserving wild places and the love of replacing single-use plastic." I think that says it all.

Read more: Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic reviews (2)

Featured review by Boo

Nalgene 32 Ounce Wide Mouth Glow in the Dark (green) water bottle:

Front Rear I don't know how to get the camera to show glow in the dark. Capacity 32 oz (1 Liter?) Colors Green Blue (these are very hard to find) Ease of Use Can open with mittens on. Has a leash on the bottle top so you don't lose it. Water purification filters and Steripen work with it. FEATURES BPA-free Glow in the dark Wide Top with leash - you can torque it down for a good seal Construction & Durability I dropped one over 50 feet down the ledge and it wasn't cracked, chipped, or leaked.

Read more: Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Sustain Water Bottle reviews (8)

Featured review by Troyfromtexas

An essential piece of my gear and I never leave home for the backcountry without it. This simple water container has good capacity, is compact, and has proven to be reliable. It is also compatible with other gear like my Sawyer Squeeze water filter.

Why write a review about a water bottle? Well, for me, these Platypus 2 liter water bottles are some essential pieces of my gear that I never leave home for the backcountry without. I like to stay hydrated. These container come in various sizes from 1L to 3L. If find the 2L size ideal for my needs. If I need to carry more water, I just bring two 2L containers. The bottle has clear markings on the side so that it is easy to see how much liquid you are carrying at any time. The Platy is easy to use with a simple screw on cap.

Read more: Platypus Platy Bottle reviews (11)

Featured review by Robert K

Good durable pack for single-day use. I've found this pack carries enough water and materials for up to one full day of hiking (no overnights) and can also be used for mountain biking without being too cumbersome. Offers enough space to pack light rain gear, emergency supplies, light, tools, tubes, camera etc.

After about 18mos with this pack everything is holding up well. The material seems to be impervious to thorns/prickers showing no obvious tears. The water bladder is well protected and has not leaked at all. The zippers have been durable and show no signs of giving in anytime soon. Like most Camelbak products, they might not always be cutting edge, but they work and deliver. Now that we've established it is durable, its uses; I use this pack for day hiking and mountain biking. Occasionally I will use it for my motorcycle as well, when I don't feel like putting my travel luggage on the bike itself for a short ride.

Read more: CamelBak M.U.L.E. reviews (18)

Featured review by Doggymcnuggets

Camelbak quality is great, and this is a super-versatile hydration solution for just about any application.

The Camelbak Unbottle, available in 2 or 3 liter capacities/sizes, is a cleverly designed piece of gear which allows you to add hydration in just about any situation. It consists of an outer insulating sleeve with four clip-on strap holders, a top clip-on loop, and a bottom strap.  The insulating sleeve holds the hydration bladder, which has a detachable tube with a mouthpiece on the other end.  The four strap clips allow you to clip this onto a backpack or any other implement which has straps, or you can supply your own straps and attach this just about anywhere you might want to.  Of course you can also drop it inside an existing pack, put it in a gym bag, attach it to your fishing tackle bag, strap it to your bike frame, strap it onto...

Read more: CamelBak UnBottle reviews (6)

Featured review by Sparkaj

Indestructible, indispensable, 11th essential.

I bought the MSR 10 liter dromedary bag about 5 years ago because I wanted a versatile form of water storage that did more than just quench my thirst. I love backpacking around rivers a lot and was sick of walking to the river every time I needed to fill a bottle, wash a dish, wash my hands or fill my Jetboil for cooking. I also needed a reliable form of large capacity water storage for missions where water sources were far and few between. I came across this gem and couldn't find any negative reviews.

Read more: MSR Dromedary Bags reviews (17)

Featured review by Don Hamlin

The Platypus SoftBottle caught my attention as something practical for excursions requiring lightweight, tightly packed gear. I admit that I really thought I could get the bottle to leak. As it turns out, the bottle soared to the top of my list of water bottles to carry for any excursion.

One liter equals about 34 ounces. In a Platypus 1L soft bottle, weighing in at a hefty 1.2 ounces, the total weight tips the scale at a little over two pounds. I suppose you could go lighter, like carry water in a plastic sandwich bag, but you will get wet. I bought the 1L Platypus (I’ll simply call it the 1L from here on out) for a mission trip to Alaska, wanting to pack a carry-on as lightly as I could. After handling it a bit and rolling it up, I wasn’t so sure that I could trust the keeping of water in it.

Read more: Platypus SoftBottle reviews (8)

Reviewed by Alicia MacLeay

Klean Kanteen's Insulated TKWide stands out among the plethora of vacuum insulated bottles on the market. It's non-leaking (with Café Cap or other leakproof options) and keeps drinks hot or cold for long hours. Made from stainless steel it's easy to keep clean and comes in a range of sizes and colors. In a world overflowing with water bottle options, the Insulated TKWide stands out as a good-looking, well made, everyday bottle for anyone on-the-go to work, school, errands, sports (if you're able to go anywhere), or for keeping drinks hot or cold while working or hanging at home.

I actually assigned this 16-fluid-ounce bottle to my middle-school-age daughter to test. Middle schoolers are really into water bottles (no joke). She already has a large 64-ounce Hydro Flask she loves, but despite our extensive home collection of bottles has wanted a smaller bottle with the cafe style cap for years. So this review is from both of us. 16-fluid-ounce Insulated TKWide with Café Cap in melon punch The Bottle (What's so special about another water bottle?) I often think "not another water bottle!" when I hear about yet another water bottle on the market.

Read more: Klean Kanteen Insulated TKWide review (1)

Featured review by StoicFabian

A great, durable and practical water bladder for outdoor activities. It’s available in various capacities and has clever features: dual opening with large collecting easy, and the ubiquitous 28mm thread and optional 42mm beefed-up version.

  The 2L CNOC Vecto: compact and lightweight but robust and practical Outdoorspeople takes hydration seriously. Every part of the water system—collecting, treating, purifying, storing, drinking—must be easy, reliable and durable to withstand some level of abuse in the wilderness. It must also be practical.  Some prefer bottles and canteens, others use bladders. After using both types, I‘ve settled for bottles (and occasionally a straw) for mountain/road biking, and a mix of both for my backpacking, camping and trekking trips.  This makes collecting, filtering and storing much easier.

Read more: Cnoc Outdoors Vecto reviews (4)