Camelbak Arete 18 Hydration Pack

I love hiking, but one thing that I hate is running out of water when I am in the woods because I can only carry a limited number of bottles. That is why I started to look at the different hydration backpacks that are on the market. When I looked at these, I really noticed one name that came up on a consistent basis and that was the Camelbak name. Well, I have to say I really liked the way this backpack looked and what all it provided me with. At the same time, I like the fact this makes it easier for me to get the water I want to have and keep my hands free for grabbing onto trees or branches if I am on a difficult trail. Well, I decided I would share what I think of the Camelbak Arete 18 hydration back here so you will know if this will work for your needs or if you should consider one of the other backpacks that we have talked about before.

Features Of The Camelbak Arete 18 Hydration Pack

• This is a pack that will have a water capacity that is going to hold a total of 2-liters of water. This may not seem like a lot of water, but if you consider that is the size of a bottle of pop that you would put in the refrigerator this is going to make it easier to see this is actually quite a bit of water to have to drink.
• When you are using this backpack you will notice it is going to have a drop of a couple of inches. So this allows you to know if the drop will fit you or if you need to consider something else for the needs you have.
• Has several pockets that are going to be available for you to use when you are using this backpack and will help you out in getting the great look you want to have, but also allows you to have some extra storage for the gear that you are going to be bringing with you.

What I Like With This Hydration Pack

The Exterior Zip Pocket

Normally with a lot of the hydration backpacks, you will find that they are not going to have any additional space. This is a pack that actually takes the fact you need to have some space available for other items and has an exterior zip pocket. This pocket is not the largest in the world, but it will definitely work for you to put some of your items in and know it will work for what you need to have it done.

Has Two Multi-Function Pockets On The Side

With quite a few of the hydration packs that we have looked at in the past, they tend to not have the proper pockets that are on the outside. This is a pack that overlooks this problem because it will have a couple of the mesh style pockets on the side. This will remind you of some of the school backpacks that you may have used in the past and could shove water bottles in. However, with this water bladder, you could easily shove other items into the side pouches.

Easy Open Valve For Adding In Water 

This is a great feature and a bad one at the same time. That is the quick open valve that makes it easier for you to get the water into the bladder in the backpack. The backpack bladder will open with a quarter of a turn. This makes it easier for you to fill the bladder of the hydration pack up quickly, but at the same time, you will find that it does mean it can get caught on something and easily open up when you are hiking.

What I Did Not Care For Here

Can Be Difficult To Use For Longer Hikes

While I do not like to say this, this is a hydration backpack that will not work out really well if you are going on a long hike. Not because of the water not being enough or the water getting warm in the pack. Instead, it is more because this is a backpack that has thinner straps on it without much in the way of padding for the weight. So when you are hiking with this bag for a long period of time it will start to dig in and this makes it extremely uncomfortable to use.

Our Final Thoughts On The Camelbak Arete 18 Hydration Pack

Well, I have to say when I was looking for all the different hydration backpacks on the market I was kind of surprised at how many were available. However, I quickly found that one of the industry leading companies for this product was the Camelbak company. That is when I looked at the 2-liter capacity offering in the Camelbak Arete 18 hydration pack.  With this pack, I have to say if you are going on a short hike it would work great. If you are on an all-day hike, then you may find the straps of the Camelbak Arete 18 Hydration Pack to be annoying and digging in. So for short trips, it is highly recommended, for an all-day hike, I would give it a pass.