The Camelbak Octane LR is the most comfortable and practical hydration gear I have ever used. For more than a year, this pack has been my go-to kit for runs of 13-22 miles. It is too heavy for under 13 miles, and too small for over 22, at least for us copious sweaters, or unless you have a way to refill. But if you regularly pound out runs in that 13-22 mile sweet spot, this pack deserves a place in your gear bin.
First, this pack is simply amazingly comfortable. The lumbar bladder sits low and wraps somewhat around your waist, keeping most of the the weight off your back and shoulders. It's very snug and there is very little excess motion -it moves with you, not against you. The wide shoulder straps spread the load across a larger area while being soft enough to avoid chaffing. The shoulder and waist straps are easily adjustable and while there is occasional slippage, they are generally don't require much readjusting while on in motion.
Second, this pack has usefulness to match the comfort. The waist straps have mesh pockets that can hold several gels or other small necessities. On either side of your spine sit the two main pockets that are big enough to hold a light windbreaker, towel, phone, and other larger items. An exterior mesh pocket is great for quickly stowing things like sunglasses, a hat, etc. There are several convenient places to clip a iPod shuffle or nano. I opted for the lime-green color, which hopefully makes me easier to see along the rural roads I frequent.
I also have the CamelBak Octane 18x, a larger 100oz pack. While the larger capacity is nice, it is much less comfortable for running than the Octane LR. Unless you need something to sustain you for distances longer than a marathon, the Octane LR is the obvious choice. I also pick the Octane LR over dual-bottle waist packs, which I find are tough to position comfortably and almost always experience serious strap slippage.
A wholehearted recommendation.
I am training for an ultramarathon later in the summer, and need to put in some big mileage without stopping for water. I looked at a bunch of options; chose this vest because it looked like the best of the bunch. I am pretty satisfied with it, although there are some issues you need to work through. 1) the hip bladder is great and keeps 2 L pretty cool even when running 18-22 miles in 80 degree heat. The compession straps, though, are not really useful-they only compress the bladder a little before you run out of strap. 2) the whistle is a waste and is stuck in the mount (as others have commented).I am going to use the attachment for something else or just cut it off. 3) The fit is pretty good (I am a medium) and the 2 xzippered pouches are great for stuff like keys,phone,ID,gels,salt tablets,etc, but they are a little too far back to get at easily during the run. 4)The compartments at the back are great but not accessible during the run. I can see using them in fall/winter for a shell/maps/whatnot, but right now I am using them for 1-2 0.5 L sports drink bottles (on a 22 mile run in 80 degree weather I go through 2.5-3.0 L of combined fluid) and it is a pain to stop to get the bottles. 5) You need to figure out for yourself the best routing for the drink tube-there are no instructions and there are a couple of ways it can go. The tube is definitely long enough and has a great quick release. I started out by routing it up the right side and around the back of the neck to end on the left strap, but now I route it across the front and up the left side. Either way works. 6) I wish the front mesh pocket on the pec strap had a zip or velcro closure. Seems like a feature they should have provided.
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holds just the right amount of water for long runs and very comfortable the way it rests low on hips.
used on several long trail runs where i usually run low on water and had plenty to spare.
i would reccommend to anyone doing 50k trail runs or longer.
Very satisfied with the hydration pack.
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This is the second one of these that I have owned. The first one I gave away to a friend in Central America. But I run ultramarathons and do Obstacle racing and mt. biking so my Camelbak is a must! I have worn this one on several races and it has always served me well. At first I was skeptical about the bladder being down by the waist more like a waist pack but it works! I also had to do some swimming with it on my back and it is very bouyant! I highly recommend it.
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As my runs get longer and take me further away from my house I've been finding I want to carry a little more than my water belt allows.
The generous storage compartments on the back easily hold my cellphone and extra food with room to spare, the side pockets are easy to get to and are perfect for quick to reach eats. Oddly, though, the clip for your keys are in one of the side pockets where it would be better off moved to one of the main compartments on the back.
Initially, I tried running with the Camelbak I use for moutain biking and found that having the water situated right on my back made the pack swing as I ran putting my off balance and made the straps dig into my shoulders. The Octane LR doesn't suffer from this problem as it hugs close and low on the back and with the water sitting on your hips helps keep the sloshing down as well as help you maintain your center of gravity.
Drinking from it is a simple affair and the flow rate is good and doesn't require much effort. The on-off toggle for the mouthpiece is a nice touch so that you don't have water dripping all over you while running. The complaints about getting the last drops out of the bladder are valid, for the most part you can drink it nearly dry but for those last couple of mouthfuls of moisture might take some work and contortions.
Overall, I'm very happy with the pack and certainly see getting plenty of use out of it on my long runs.
Pleasantly surprised this is generously sized with nice features and seems to be well made. Much nicer than I expected for the price. My grandson loves it!
