Rogue™ Light Hydration Pack 7L with 2L/70oz Reservoir
by Chris Galley
In Camelbak’s marketing material, they say that the Rogue lightweight pack is everything that you crave for on the everyday trail, by being: minimal, durable, cool and comfortable. They sent one to us here at Pedalnorth.com, in a lovely teal colour for us to try out and see if their marketing spin is true. It certainly looked the part on first impressions.
At Pedalnorth.com we spend a lot of time really getting to grips with products that we’re sent to test. We use them in various ways, test them in various conditions and activities, wash them, and generally give them a real life bashing about. That’s because you will do the same, either intentionally or otherwise. Most products are treated to a rough life over the time you own them and we want to make sure that our reviews reflect that. I’ve been using the Camelbak Rogue light in various situations, including: mountain biking, running, trail running, hiking and even long casual dog walks.
The Rogue lightweight pack is Camelbak’s minimalistic take on a hydration bladder pack that will afford you some convenient and clever storage capacity at the same time. It’s a new design that reflects their work with athletes and their desire to stay ahead of the competition . Lightweight it most certainly is, at 400gms on my scales. Pack material is durable with a ‘ripstop’ type cross weave, stitching is solid and the stretch material is also good quality. This pack is striped back to the bare essentials and in doing so gives you a decent weight saving over other packs in this segment. In fact wearing this pack on your back you would hardly notice it’s there. The ‘Air Support’ back foam and meshing does a great job at providing both comfort by moulding to your back shape and channelling sweat away. The shoulder straps are made of an open mesh for excellent ventilation and have just enough adjustment plus it fastens across the chest again with just adjustment. However my only real criticism of this product sits here.
The chest strap is set up for customers who like their water nozzle and hose on the right shoulder strap. The right sided chest strap with hose clip can detach and does appear to fit for left sided users but I couldn’t seem to reattach the straps on my test pack. It would be much easier for Camelbak to provide hose clips on both sides and for £70 it’s a glaringly obvious omission that could be easily resolved by Camelbak.
There’s 4 storage compartments (3 with zips), which provide ample storage for on the hoof items, including the 2 litre fluid bladder. The front pocket even benefits from stretch material to the sides, giving this pocket the ability to increase in size. There’s also a couple of extra loops and clips for keys, and the ability to clip your helmet onto, which is a thoughtful touch and useful at cafe stops. An internal and stretchy band provides a snazzy holder for a small bike pump too. Finishing touches like the reflective logos and the high quality zip pulls, again mark Camelbak out from the crowd.
The provided bladder comes in the form of the 2 litre or 70oz tried and tested Camelbak ‘Crux’ reservoir. Found in lots of their packs, it really benefits from the extra large bite tube which helps deliver more liquid and seals to prevent dripping. The nozzle has an on and off lever to lock shut and can easily be used with one hand. The bladder is made with Camelbak’s ‘Hydroguard’ technology which helps prevent bacteria growth in the bladder and the tube but as good as that is, it shouldn’t stop normal cleaning after each use. The final point worth mentioning is the handle at the filling cap. This makes for a much easier filling experience at the tap and is a great touch. It’s just a shame this handle doesn’t benefit from an insert within the bladder compartment of the pack for this handle to nestle into and prevent the bladder from slouching in the pack.
Camelbak have been making hydration packs for years now and that shows in this quality product. Providing comfort, ventilation and clever storage that can hold way more than you think. It certainly fits into a range of activities and despite a couple of very minor niggles it should really be first on your wish list for a lightweight, fast moving hydration pack.