Camelbak vs Hydrastorm

[mrstang01]

Can anybody compare/contrast the Camelbak systems vs Blackhawk's Hydrastorm setups? I'm looking @ the 3 liter systems if that makes a difference.

Thanks!

[Billy Sparks]

My vote after owning both is the Camelbak. The screw top for the bladder on the Camelbak has much courser teeth which makes it easier to screw the top on. I have had a lot of problems getting the top of my HydraStorm to seal.

[shadow 1]

Another vote for CB...they tend to have more experience in design and improvements. I own three, plus one BHI, BHI stays on the "Oh Crap" shelf.

[TechBrute]

I like the Eagle Industries versions. They use Camelbak bladders in their own pack designs.

[Jake 98c/11b]

Personally I would avoid the BHI stuff, they tend to steal their designs from others and then lower the quality. They used to have a real sweet deal with the people at Camelbak then they started to pirate their design and moved production offshore, the quality has declined over the years. I still have some of the early blackhawk gear but the newer stuff looks sloppy in comparison.

[Denny Hansen]

Own and use both brands. Early versions from either company has problems with leaking. More recent versions are good to go, and I can't tell a difference between either Camelbak or Black Hawk in terms of performance.

Denny

[lissell]

I dont normally use hydration systems but I work for an outdoor retailer that sells a lot of them. I can tell you we almost never get warranty returns on camelbacks, however those made by ultimate designs are constantly breaking. If you want something a little more burrly that will fit inside of a camelback backpack take a look at the bladders MSR sells, they have a lot of the same features and quality but are nylon coated on the outside, a nice touch for those odd times when you dont have a pack to protect it.

[mrstang01]

lissell, who is MSR?

[lissell]

Mountain Safety Research. They make a lot of backcountry gear for mountaineers and skier's. Their stoves are some of the best you can get for high altitude use ;-)


http://www.msrcorp.com/home.asp

[TimW]

I used to sell both, but now only sell Camelbak's military line.

Reason: The bite vavle on teh BHI product sucked....air, that is.

The push-pull on/off aspect of their bite valve eventually stopped sealing against the incursion of air when I tried to use it...meaning I got about 1/2 air, 1/2 water, at best. I bled the bladder three times before I figured out where the leak was. If I pulled the bite-valve out as tight as I could get it, it would seal out the air, allowing for normal drinking.

Pain in the neck and certainly not something I want my customers having to worry about.

So now I only carry CBs.

In the interest of full disclosure, however, I had a CB Thermobak in Desert Camo leak out of the cap when it was under pressure (such as in a backpack full of gear). A call to Camelbak and in three days I had a new screw-top for the unit.

[Hollywood]

I have a camelback (think it's 72 oz.) It has a large opening, which I HIGHLY recommend ...... why ....... You can jam ice in it !!!! I wear it under my tac. vest and it also helps keep me cool in hot weather.

[45R]

Camel Back.