Camelbak UnBottle 70 Oz Hydration Pack, True Blue/Graphite
July 22, 2010 by Backpack and Duffel Bag Tips
Filed under Duffels & Other Pack Products
- Insulated reservoir sleeve keeps liquid cool.
- Made with abrasion resistant materials
- Hanger loop allows UnBottle to hung upside down for drying.
- External D- rings allow UnBottle to attach to different backpacks.
- External fill reservoir makes filling a breeze.
Easily add hydration to any packWant the convenience of a hydration system while still using your trusted daypack? Check out the 2-liter UnBottle, a leak-proof water bladder that converts any traditional pack into a personal hydration system. The UnB
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(out of 6 reviews)
List Price: $ 30.00
Price: $ 28.34
Review by Pen Name for Camelbak UnBottle 70 Oz Hydration Pack, True Blue/Graphite
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This is a very strong 2-liter water bladder that fits inside an outer pouch (what you see in the picture). This is definitely “leak-proof.” The bladder itself is stronger and thicker than other bladders I’ve used, and once it is inside the outer pouch, I don’t see any way of it getting punctured. I am fairly confident I could fill this up and toss it onto the rocks from 50 feet and it would be okay. So it should hold up to branches and thorns that you brush up against. The reservoir comes with a lifetime warranty as well.
The description says it attaches to the outside of your pack. I guess it does using those clips if you purchase a couple straps, but I could not figure out anything to attach it to on my overnight pack or how that would work. There were no instructions explaining how the “slick clips” worked. I just stuffed mine into my pack. The handle at the top is very convenient for hanging it on a tree though, and I would say is one of the best features of this product. This bladder will definitely not fit in a pack’s reservoir pocket, as one description told me. Even the smallest 2-liter Unbottle is fairly enormous. It will take up a lot of room, so if you need to bring a lot of water, it is best to go with several smaller bladders like the Platypus Bottle 2+L (80 ounces).
The outer pouch does seem to insulate the bladder fairly well, and keep your water cool, which is going to be a requirement if this is clipped to the outside of your pack in the direct sun. The bladder has a huge opening on it, which makes it very convenient for filling up. The hose has a lock on it, although I never had problems with it leaking so I have never used it. If you stuff this in a pack however, it might be nice in case something shifts and presses down on the bite valve.
Lastly, if you’ve never used a bladder or water container with a drinking tube before, you don’t know what you’re missing. It is so convenient to run the hose through your pack so you can just bite down on the valve and get water. I keep water bottles in my pack’s side pockets, but it is a pain to use them when I can just stick the hose in my mouth and bite down. You also drink more often with a tube so you stay better hydrated. My only gripe is that the Unbottle doesn’t come with a clip to attach the tube to your shirt, that way it is right in front of you when you need it.
Overall, if this bladder is all the water you need, and you are able to figure out how to attach it to your pack, I would definitely recommend it. But it is very bulky and takes up space, so if you are planning an overnight trip and need to bring along several containers of water, I would only bring one 2 or 3 liter UnBottle with you.
Review by Caedis Hax for Camelbak UnBottle 70 Oz Hydration Pack, True Blue/Graphite
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Let me start by saying what a well made product this clearly is. I’ve owned CamelBaks in the past but was frustrated that it wasn’t modular allowing me to retrofit other backpacks with hydration if they weren’t specifically built for hydration. I’m talking about the cheap, or general purpose packs you buy in Wal-Mart or target. (for the most part)
Now, on to the main reason I’m writing this review.
After reading the other reviews of this product on this very page I was very close to not purchasing the UnBottle system and looking for a “normal” CamelBak system. After taking the plunge I’m very pleased to report that all the whiners in the reviews on this page are very clearly wrong.
For one, these so called *mystical* clips for which no one can imagine a use are very easily used with even a half a brain. By simply attaching to the webbing of a pack or using a nylon strap tethered to a larger pack, one can effortlessly use the clips to securely attach this system to most bags.
Two, anyone who’s owned a Camelbak for longer than a day knows that the bladders are always removable. This one is no exception. Its just the same as the previous generation, you’ll have to play with the plastic cap section to wiggle it out, but its do-able.
Three, the insulating sleeve is fantastic and while it is large… how the heck are you supposed to insulate 2L of fluid in an automatic dispensing system and NOT have it be at least a *little* big? Again, another common sense thing that requires no special users manual.
Four, so what if it tastes like plastic, would you like it to taste like metal? How about fungi? That plastic is antimicrobial and is stopping your drink from fermenting in the sun. If it’s too much to handle, buy a CamelBak cleaning kit and clean it out properly, not some cheap baking soda magical remedy. Come on people, this isn’t rocket science!
So in closing, I’m glad I ignored the whiners and just bought it. It’s an effective system for taking regular backpacks you already have, and making them top of the line hydration systems. This means you don’t need a special CamelBak for more, or less storage or portability. The sleeve works as advertised to insulate and protect while giving the average user common sense options to mount the unbottle to most backpacks and heck, why mount it when you can just slip it in the pack itself, works fantastic.
Review by A. Dunkin for Camelbak UnBottle 70 Oz Hydration Pack, True Blue/Graphite
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I really love my Unbottle. We used it for our trip to Australia. It worked exactly liked I was expecting it to.
Review by N. Chen for Camelbak UnBottle 70 Oz Hydration Pack, True Blue/Graphite
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First of all, It’s my first time using a Hydration Pack.
The Clips that were supposed to be used to clip to existing bags are difficult to understand.
I’ve read reviews about it saying the clips don’t really work. But being an Engineering student I thought “if the producer said it will work then it should, one just need to read the instructions more carefully….”
Well, turns out I am wrong in this case. no instruction was provided regarding how the bag clips should work and after trying several things on it, I declared that the clips are either quite poorly designed or required additional purchases to work on your bag.
It fits on the side pouch of my bag in an awkward way due to its large size.
so unless you plan on leaving this waterbag inside of your existing bag(which works pretty well, mind you). you should get a stand alone hydration pack instead.
-NJ
Review by Timothy P. Scanlon for Camelbak UnBottle 70 Oz Hydration Pack, True Blue/Graphite
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I’m partial to Camelback products. I use one for my recumbent bicycle, in fact that’s what introduced me to the product. It slides into the flap in the bag on the back of my seat.
So I got this hoping it would be useful.
My objections are twofold:
1) The plastic bag doesn’t slip out of the sheath. Rather, they’re all one piece. That makes cleaning more difficult, and I just feel more “secure” if I can seperate them if I want;
2) I have a Camelback backpack which is valuable IF I want a complete backpack. But if I simply want the bag of water, I’d love to be able to strap some shoulder straps on this and fit it onto me like a backpack. But if I want to do that, I have to get another similar Camelback, or other product.
If they’d provide the kit to make it “into” a backpack, it’d get 5 stars!