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Photos by Scott Johnson
Camelbak is pretty much the undisputed leader in hydration packs, and for good reason: it builds the best on the market today. There are lots of imitators out there, but very few measure up to Camelbak's standards. I'd been using a Camelbak M.U.L.E (Medium to Ultra-Long Expeditions) for the past four years and was reasonably happy with it, but I often ran out of water on epic rides and there wasn't a lot of room inside the pack when the water reservoir was full. Solution? Move on to the next size up - the H.A.W.G. (Hold A lot of Water and Gear). |
 Image © Camelbak 2003 |
 The view from the back of the pack |
The exterior of the bag is well designed. Padded shoulder straps with D rings and elastic webbing to hold the drinking tube are wide enough that they don't dig in, and a waist belt helps carry the load on your hips. A mesh pocket and bungee cord are handy for small items or loose clothes. The back of the bag features Camelbak's "Air Support™ back panel with 3-dimensional Air Mesh," which is (supposedly) contoured to keep your back from getting too sweaty. There's also a plethora of compression straps to tie down anything that doesn't fit into the pack. Good Points
It didn't take long to realize that the H.A.W.G. was a big improvement over my last Camelbak. There's room for an extra reservoir (which holds the equivalent of three large water bottles), and that's going to come in handy when I'm riding up to the top of Upper PowerSmart in the middle of the summer. |
The additional storage space also lets you carry a set of Roach shin and arm pads inside the bag. You can strap them on the outside of smaller Camelbaks, but I'm always worried that something will fall off during a long climb and I won't notice until I get to the top. It also means you can carry plenty of extra layers if you're not sure what the weather is going to be like, or use the bag as a daypack when you're not on the bike.
A big(ger) pack can be a hassle if it's not designed to carry the load effectively, but the H.A.W.G. is relatively comfortable once you figure out all the straps and have it set up to your liking. Neither the added weight nor bulk of a full pack interfered with my riding, even on technical climbs or steep downhill sections.
Shortcomings
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Another issue I had was with the reservoir cap. The cap was attached to the mouth of older reservoirs but it isn't on the newer Omega design. You now have to pick up the cap and put it back on a full reservoir while trying not to spill anything. Not a big deal, but kind of annoying. The last thing was the cost. Retail pricing for the H.A.W.G. is about C$190, which pushes the final price to about $220 with tax. Compare that to Mountain Equipment Co-op's largest hydration pack, the Whopper, which has a 19L volume and also carries two reservoirs. It will set you back $115 including tax. Final Thoughts
Will the H.A.W.G. be overkill for some people? Definitely. It will be too big for smaller riders, and others don't need that much water. There's also a chance it will turn into your mother's purse - filled with crap, just because there's lots of room in it. The $100 price difference between the H.A.W.G. and the Whopper is a bit of a kick in the wallet but you're getting more features, a better bladder, and a more stylish and streamlined pack with the Camelbak. And it'll be worth the extra cash when I get the four or five years of use out of the H.A.W.G. that I fully expect to. |
 A fully loaded H.A.W.G. |
Bottom line? The H.A.W.G. is a large pack that's good but not great at what it was designed to do. This is definitely an excellent hydration pack for people who are going to take more than a windbreaker and an energy bar when they hit the Shore.
Total weight of the H.A.W.G. with one full reservoir is 3.81kg according to Camelbak, and you've got a choice of black or garnet-coloured bags.
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