USWE, Camelbak or Osprey Hydtration Pack

I’ve used the USWE Outlander 2 for 4 rides so far, the last being a 4 hour mixed surface ride with a bit of single track. 5,000+ feet of climbing over around 37 miles, so plenty of time seated in the power position and cranking out SS and sub threshold efforts.

After the first hour I was really enjoying it, as advertised, it’s the most stable pack I’ve ever used and in that regard it absolutely disappears. After hour two the pack changed for me - as the weight is held on your mid-back I started to feel an unusual amount of fatigue in my lower back. My core could be stronger but I don’t experience that with other packs.

I’m not giving up on it, I’ll continue to strengthen my core and try to stand up more in longer rides but this pack does what I expected, creates a very stable back mounted hydration system with the trade off being comfort on longer rides. I could see this being a drop bag kind of pack, picking it up half way through an endurance race to wear for 2 hours or less.

I’m ranking the now defunct Camelbak Charge as the most comfortable and stable pack I’ve used. Mine is very long in the tooth but after using the USWE, I prefer carrying the weight lower. The USWE is great on the DH, for that I would rank it higher, but the Camelbak Charge is much more comfortable and is almost as stable on the descents as well.

I think it’s odd that the lumbar style hydration pack is very hard to find now, I’m not talking about hip packs, but true packs with straps that feature horizontal bladders, and ergonomic side pockets that are easy to access while riding. One last nod to the USWE, yes, it’s great being able to access your jersey pockets, it’s nice not having to fish for your fuel while pedaling. I think for me, (I’ve become used to riding pack free for the last 5 years, hard to do when you set off for long adventures) the USWE may fall into the minimal use department. I’ll add more if I can start getting along better with it down the line.

It’s interesting that you say the USWE being higher on your back is giving you lower back discomfort. I have the exact opposite experience. When I started to ride with a pack I had a Camelback Lumber pack and it gave me pretty bad lower back pain after only about 1.5 hours mtb rides. And moving to a USWE made it go away and I find it 90% as comfortable a riding pack free.

I guess it just goes to show that everybody is different. We have different muscular strengths and respond to the load distribution differently.

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+1 Camelback Chase, love it !!

I’m probably in the minority here, but I really like running packs for biking. I have two Nathan VaporAir packs. They hold 2L of water, sit high up so I can access jersey pockets, have pockets on the FRONT (hello easy to access nutrition) and fit very well (made for not bouncing around while trail running). Worth a look. They have them marked down on Nathan’s website.

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No, I used a Innov8 pack for a few years and really liked it. It was, at the time the most refined lumbar pack I had used. Prior to that I used (and never liked) a Wing Nut pack, that was the most distracting pack I had tried, it would ride up on steep descents and was not worth the trade off of low hanging water weight.

I was hoping to fall madly in love with the USWE, really. It reminds me of the back pain I experienced when I was new to the sport and bought my first Camelbak - Lobo. Never got along with that one either. I’m not giving up. The ride that brought on back discomfort was a long one for me (at this point). The shorter rides were more comfortable, I also think any pack requires some getting used to. It reminds me why I went pack free for so long, but it is also very nice having extra fuel, water and tools for longer solo remote rides.

Not the Chase, this discontinued pack - (apparently I was in the minority of people who liked it) Camelback Charge LR:

**Wanted to add that after really looking at the Chase, I’d like to try it. It does look similar to the USWE but with front pockets.

And the corresponding bladder:

The idea here is that the water weight is held as low as possible which for some relieves back distress. Trade offs being only zippered pocket access (little trickier to get food or tools), a bit heavier, and no jersey pocket access. Oh, and they don’t make anything similar that I have found yet. Everything is either a running vest, a USWE or knock off, or a full on hip pack (which I find the least appealing of any type of pack).

I would always choose Osprey over Camelbak.
Arguments I mention below concern my personal experience with Osprey Raptor 14 and Camelbak Mule
Osprey:
+Lid-lock system for helmet on all Osprey MTB backpacks
+Best storage capacity among all the backpacks (important for long distance biking)
+Great fit
+Improved airflow
+Included tool roll that stows in a dedicated pocket at the bottom of the pack
+Reservoir and hose routing is more accessible
+Improved compression straps and over all stability

  • Pricey
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I have 2 of the three you list and prefer the USWE. Any of them will do the job well thought, can’t really go wrong.

+1 for the USWE Airborne 3 based on @Jonathan’s recommendation. Absolutely love this pack and has completely changed my thoughts on riding with a bladder. Used to get lower back pain as a result of other packs bouncing around especially on bumpy trails, whereas with teh USWE I actually forgot that I was wearing a pack. So good!!!

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You have probably already chosen but there is a comparison here.

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+2. I was a pack hater before discovering USWE and would only use them when an event absolutely required it. Besides the comfort, I also love that you have full access to your back jersey pockets since the pack rides high on your back. I now own 2 of them so I can just swap packs out during long events.

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USWE hands down. Used to have a Camelpak. The USWE stays in place does not move around and is so comfortable. Even for a big guy like myself. I have used on both gravel and MTB with zero issues. Also the hydration pack is super easy to fill and clean.

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Ordered a uswe airborne 3 and got delivered today but the front bag is way to small for me. Going to replace it with the 9.

Yeah you can fit very little in the main pouch other than the hydration bladder if it is fully filled to the 2L. If you connect the baffle and only fill the 1.5L capacity then you could probably fit a couple things like a light jacket, pump, etc. So if you are looking for an actual pack to carry things then the 3 most likely won’t be enough.

Wanted to follow up that I’ve been using my USWE Outlander 2 more often. On 2-3 hour mountain bike rides I am preferring the feel of this pack more and more. My initial impressions were a little sour since I used the pack on a big old 4 hour gravel ride. Since I stand up and move around much more on the MTB, also probably have a stronger core at this point, I’ve really gotten along much better. Just another +1 for USWE. The biggest things I like are the DH stability, the ability to access jersey pockets and the ease of removal. Still prefer pack free riding of course but this one has grown on me.

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