Gear: You say hydration pack, I say party on my back

by Alicia MacLeay
posted Monday, July 19, 2010 at 8:06 pm

The other evening, I was walking to a restaurant here in Maine. The town was happening that night — a summer festival, boat races on the river, people out and about on foot and bike near a rail trail — when two young, fit-looking men got out of a nearby car. One, presumably a runner or hiker, was wearing a hydration pack, which I naturally noticed (the same way I instinctively look to see what backpacks the contestants on The Amazing Race are wearing).

Then the guy got on his phone. "No, I can't meet you there ... because I'm wearing a camel pack!"

Do his friends have something against hydration?, I wondered.

"It's obvious that it's full of alcohol," he went on, explaining impatiently to the listener who also didn't immediately follow his logic.

My first thoughts on overhearing this exchange: Have I have been using my CamelBak (wait... I mean CamelPack) all wrong? Does everyone I run or hike by think I have a problem?

My second thought: How does he get the smell out of that reservoir?

Ahhh outdoor gear... its purpose can rest in the eye of the beholder.

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Filed under: CamelBak, hydration packs, Gear

Comments

senterj

Junior Member
Joined: 3/14/10
Posts: 5

July 19, 2010 at 9:03 p.m. (EDT)

My friend puts alcohol in his camelBak also..He's the only one that I know of that does that, everyone else either puts water or some kind of sports drink in it.

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amEuphorbia

Full Member
Joined: 3/12/10
Posts: 33

July 19, 2010 at 11:04 p.m. (EDT)

Stainless Flasks are for booze.

I suggest Absolut steeped in fruit for 2 weeks, then strained. Flavored and strong to be cut with H20, or enjoyed neat.

As for the camelbak, and its use there, it at least shows ingenuity in terms of escaping detection.... Maybe Dude shouldn't brag aloud to maintain his gig, but...

If it was flushed the next day with a baking soda/H2O solution, then H2O, would that clean it?

And how does the material within react to alcohol? Would it cause disintegration? Apart from legality, that would be my only worry.

I can imagine a Camelbak clad gal at a nude beach, selling shots and earning a year's tuition.

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SnowGoose

Full Member
Joined: 7/25/09
Posts: 64

July 20, 2010 at 1:10 a.m. (EDT)

When filled with alcohol does it then become a de-hydration pack???

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whomeworry

Senior Member
Joined: 3/16/10
Posts: 393

July 20, 2010 at 4:25 a.m. (EDT)

This whole thread is dring me to drink! Where's Johnny!

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Alicia

Editor in Chief
Joined: 3/14/01
Posts: 2082

July 20, 2010 at 7:39 a.m. (EDT)

SnowGoose said:

When filled with alcohol does it then become a de-hydration pack???

"Dehydration pack" was part of my original headline.

amEuphorbia said:

Stainless Flasks are for booze.

Unless you are overly concerned about capacity, like this guy was.

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yock

Senior Member
Joined: 1/5/10
Posts: 213

July 20, 2010 at 8:02 a.m. (EDT)

Good God, how much liquor can one person drink in a night? A standard fifth of booze is 750ml, and your standard reservoir is upwards of 2 liters! Was he really carrying 2+ bottles of booze with him?!

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noddlehead

Ex-Member (Deactivated)
Joined: 5/15/10
Posts: 365

July 20, 2010 at 8:04 a.m. (EDT)

Maybe he wanted to share?

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Explorer Robby

Senior Member
Joined: 4/20/08
Posts: 159

July 20, 2010 at 7:42 p.m. (EDT)

I live in Louisiana and am a member of the LA Hiking Club. We have member who comes on all hikes with a 2 litter bladder full of ice cold beer. Never water, only beer.

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mahoosicmayhem

Senior Member
Joined: 1/3/09
Posts: 174

July 20, 2010 at 10:03 p.m. (EDT)

Bethel kids...

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Alicia

Editor in Chief
Joined: 3/14/01
Posts: 2082

July 20, 2010 at 10:09 p.m. (EDT)

mahoosicmayhem said:

Bethel kids...

Nice try! It was Hallowell though.

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bccroney

Full Member
Joined: 6/4/09
Posts: 70

July 20, 2010 at 11:20 p.m. (EDT)

I always thought that people razzed me about having alcohol in my hydration pack because I am in my early twenties, which apparently predisposes me to constant drinking. Of course as soon as I convince someone its really water, the next question is "So, you're dehydrated from drinking last night?"

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Seth

Review Corps Coordinator
Joined: 4/19/10
Posts: 49

July 21, 2010 at 12:13 p.m. (EDT)

Oddly, I spoke to an ultra-marathoner recently who really praised a beer or two after 50 miles. He said that his metabolism was so fast by then that the booze bypassed his liver and was used as a complex carb. With several hundred calories, and convenient packaging, I think this deserves a try!

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fieldsls

New Member
Joined: 7/21/10
Posts: 1

July 21, 2010 at 3:48 p.m. (EDT)

There's already a product called the Beerbelly (thebeerbelly.com) that does that, and as you can guess by the name, it is worn on the front for smuggling beer into events.

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bccroney

Full Member
Joined: 6/4/09
Posts: 70

July 22, 2010 at 9:52 a.m. (EDT)

Seth, a friend of mine told me about a study that confirmed this belief, I was skeptical, but sure enough I found an article on it:

http://www.backpacker.com/beer_hydrate_water/blogs/daily_dirt/1074?utm_source=newsletter01&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter0

I started a separate thread in the off topic section, though I'm beginning to to think that it would have been perfectly appropriate here...oh well:

Gear: You say hydration pack, I say party on my back

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