User Review: CamelBak Day Star

CamelBak Day Star
Above: The current Day Star, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed November 1, 2005 by CanyonJane

Rating:
Price Paid: $55

Overall - I was very pleased with the Women’s Day Star hydration pack. I am petite (5’ tall) and this pack was short enough to fit comfortably on my back. I purchased it for a strenuous 12.2-mile day hike in the Grand Canyon. The hike lasted 8 hours and the Day Star allowed me to carry everything I needed in a compact, efficient, minimalist way.

Pros - The pack was large enough for me to carry three 1L bottles of liquid in addition to the 2L reservoir filled to capacity, snacks, a small lunch, suntan lotion, and other small supply items. I clipped two carabiners to the daisy chain that were handy for carrying layers of clothing which started to come off during the heat of the day. The carabiner/daisy chain system made it convenient to attach gear to my pack without having the hassle of unloading and rearranging the contents inside it.

Cons – The bite valve is made of a soft, rubber material that easily collected lint and dust whenever it touched anything, and even though a small Velcro pouch is built into the shoulder strap to house the end of the tube, the pouch itself also tended to collect dirt. It would be useful and more hygienic if the bite valve could be covered by a small, all-enclosed casing when the pack is used in transit, like when traveling through airports and stuffing the pack under the plane seat in front of you.