TESTED: Camelbak Palos LR4

Thanks to Enduro, there’s been a resurgence in what’s old is new again, giving manufacturers the chance to have another crack at things they sorta released and then sorta buried.

(Re) Enter the cycling waist based reservoir (have a go saying that 5 times fast after a few sherberts) codenamed Palos LR4 by it’s manufacturer, Camelbak.

As a bottle rider I was mighty curious, it’s been hardtail land for me the last few years and with a recent switch back to full suspension, bottle spots are on my priority list. So, any option to avoid a hauling a backpack round the trails was worth investigating. After all, sometimes you just can’t be seen using a jersey with pockets and need to rock the casual cut to ease the transition from trail-to-pub-to club.

The test venue was the sweet sweet trails of Rotorua, they got ups, they got downs, they got flow, they got huck..they got it all Bro! 2hrs and 20kms of challenging trails was the day.

With a 1.5l capacity, I filled it to the top to fit the ride planned and to get a sense of the feel of the weight on my lower back. Filling – no problem. Camelbak have that nailed. Construction quality and panels/pockets design are also up there with the right balance of zippered and stretchy pockets with expandable areas. Snug over each hip is an easy access pocket., decent, but as someone that rocks a non-massif phone, I found it a tight fit, so others packing imax cinemas may struggle and need to use the main, rear pocket – but- (and here’s where the cool kicks it), ya just swizzle it around and voila! Access, no unclipping and removing from your back, plus you get that Pro ‘tourist checking currency’ look, right there on the trail. Bonza.

Rolling with the Palos LR

With a 4km road/firetrail roll to the trails, it/I had time to settle in. Yes, I could notice it, but I was ‘looking’ for it. At the trail head, I adjusted the tightness of the straps, this would be the first of three adjustments. I don’t feel the need to adjust straps was anything but newness, and will subside. For anyone that’s ridden through a winter with a pack, you know how webbing soon stays put and won’t be moving again…ever.

Into the trails, I’d picked ones I was familiar with. I could notice the pack, it ‘rolled’ a little vertically as I made my way through the trails. I was hypersensitive to it though, I’ll admit. It took until about 50% through the trail ride for me to become unaware of it, but only at the back.

The front was a different story.

With a large front and centre buckle and pull straps, combined with an east-to-west drinking hose slung across the errrr, lower abdomen, there’s a whole bunch of stuff down there that wasn’t before and it was noticeable. It felt like one of a number of things were going to get snagged mid-flight, on the seat, the stem, whatever. Of course, nothing happened no matter what I did on or off the ground, but the sense was still there. A better retracting mechanism would do a lot to make the drinking hose less noticeable.

On that, the hose unclipped for drinking in one of two ways. The hose itself sits in a U-clip, which you can pull it out of. The U-clip sits on the belt via a magnet, which also unclips and did… 50% of the time when trying to lift the drinking hose. The U-clip stayed put on the hose but could be lost and if so, that’s it, you no longer have a secure option to stow the hose that sits round your lower abdomen… and that’s going be annoying. A better magnet or a decision on just one or the other method of attachment may be the best way to go on this Camelbak.

So to the primary purpose – Drinking? Nice and simple, on the move, on the trail, the hose head was locatable and stashable on the go. Tick. My back is airy and free to do that cooling thing. Tick.

The all-important Trail cred? When it comes to comments from other trail users, it’s up there with a lefty fork. But care ye not, as you let you back hair flow freely in the wind. Rock that brumbag.

I can’t tell you the good and bad, because it’s just my opinion, but here’s what I did and didn’t like.

Liked:

Well made, light, quality. Range of pockets and ease of access

Available in a range of colours.

Didn’t like:

Double hose securing method. Can be a lottery

Needs an improved hose retraction method

Buckle could be offset to left or right, not centred, to limit strapping hangdowns over seat.

From: Camelbak

RRP: $109.95