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  1. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Nothing good comes from adding weight on your shoulder straps
    On my burn without a hip belt I DO find having some weight up front makes it more comfortable and obviously more accessible...though I agree with a reg framed pack the weight is more comfortable on the hips...I’ve also got arms so trying to reach back is a pita and hurts my rotator cuff. Typical carries I have a 20 oz Gatorade bother on each side with a 20 oz smart water on one side pocket in the event my evernew dirty water bag ships the bed....yep it’s happened twice.


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  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Nothing good comes from adding weight on your shoulder straps
    Thank you for saying this.

    All these systems are nice, but more weight than I want to carry. I use a flat Evernew flexible bottle that slides nicely into the side pocket of my Arcblast.


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  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by ldsailor View Post
    I have another take on this. Why not use a water bladder that goes in your pack? I use one and it is extremely convenient. I just grab the hose velcroed to my shoulder strap and drink. To fill it, I use a Sawyer filter and have configured the hose with a quick disconnect (available as a kit) to which the Sawyer attaches and then I fill the bladder from a Sawyer squeeze bag. My backpack is never opened to access the bladder. I carry the Sawyer and squeeze bag in the webbing on the back of my Zpack backpack. The amount of time to do a refill is not long at all.

    After using this system for three years, I have a pretty good handle on when the bladder is getting low, but if you don't trust yourself to be able to tell when to get more water, bring a small bottle of water as a backup. I sometimes use a 20 ounce Gatorade bottle when I'm on a part of the trail with "iffy" water sources.
    It is another option to consider. I tried it for a few years and moved away from it. I don't want to carry an extra bottle as a backup. My problem with the hydration bladder in the pack, was two fold. I could never tell how much I had left and ran out a few times (nothing critical). I found myself "filling up" more than was needed, under the fear of running dry. To do anything with the bladder, meant for me, to remove stuff from the pack, to get the bladder back in. But the quick-coupler for the Sawyer system, is neat and was helpful.
    I was hiking with a friend once and to solve the issues I noted, he pulled the bladder out, hooked up the Sawyer inline, then would just strap the bladder to the top of his pack. Easy to see what was left, no filtering at the site and no quick connect gear needed. But the downside was all that weight up near his shoulders.
    But you bring up another option for everyone to consider.
    For a couple of bucks, get a weird haircut and waste your life away Bryan Adams....
    Hammock hangs are where you go into the woods to meet men you've only known on the internet so you can sit around a campfire to swap sewing tips and recipes. - sargevining on HF

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by rhjanes View Post
    I was hiking with a friend once and to solve the issues I noted, he pulled the bladder out, hooked up the Sawyer inline, then would just strap the bladder to the top of his pack. Easy to see what was left, no filtering at the site and no quick connect gear needed. But the downside was all that weight up near his shoulders.
    Weight up high isn't necessarily a terrible thing, depending on the type of pack one is carrying. With a true pack-frame, weight carried high is also generally much closer to your lateral center of gravity than weight down low.

    As to water bottle access in general: Seek Outside offers a nice UL water-bottle holder accessory that fits on the waistbelt of my pack. It sits all the way back, just in front of the side pocket. It carries the bottle wonderfully. However, there are still two issue with this setup: First, it puts the bottle in a position where it hits my elbow when I walk, which is pretty annoying. Second, when the bottle is full it makes donning and removing the pack awkward, as the heavy bottle causes the belt to hang/swing in strange directions.

    I'm currently looking into how I can use the side pockets on the pack, but with the bottle in a more horizontal arrangement and the cap pointing mostly forward, which I think may allow easier access while the pack is on.

    Ironically, I never cared much about pack-on water bottle access until I had it offered to me. Like others here, I just drop my pack to have some water, because I'm in no hurry. If I were a trail runner, er, I mean thru hiker, I suppose I might want to switch to a bladder, because then I don't even have to slow down to remove the bottle cap!

  5. #25
    Registered User JPritch's Avatar
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    Zimmerbuilt here as well! Though it works best for the 2/3 liter bottles, which is what I prefer to carry up front anyway. Justin's looks to accommodate the 1L bottles better if that's what you want easy access to.
    It is what it is.

  6. #26

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    I own a ULA Circuit and an Aarn Load Limo,both were designed for water bottle carry on the straps.Not sayn' it's a bad idea or a good idea,just sayn' it works for me and my shoulders don't hurt at the end of the day.The Aarn website has quite a bit to say about counter balance with front pack carry to center the load over the hips.

    It works for me because I have had a back issue before and stooping forward does not help it.

  7. #27

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    Similar to what Five Tango said above - I won't get into the good/bad debate about hip vs shoulder loading. For me, however, switching to shoulder strap mounted bottles after twenty years of using the pouches on the side of the pack or hydration systems was a massive improvement. No shoulder complaints either.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deacon View Post
    Thank you for saying this.

    All these systems are nice, but more weight than I want to carry. I use a flat Evernew flexible bottle that slides nicely into the side pocket of my Arcblast.


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    What size fits in that pocket?

  9. #29
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    I saw a pretty neat video of a fellow who puts a one liter smarter bottle in each side pocket of his pack. He then takes the smart water sport cap, the one that you flip open and it’s got a blue drink spout, and he grounds out the hold a bit such that a hydration bladder tube will fit and inserts it from the shoulder strap to the top of the pack then down side (as opposed to inside to the bladder) into the smart water bottle. When’s he’s out on that side, he takes the pack off and swaps bottles.

    Seems like this has all the benefits of the bottle plus the convenience of the tube and quick access to water on the fly. I’m gonna do that this weekend.

  10. #30
    Registered User JPritch's Avatar
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    I'm intrigued, that sounds like a cool idea!
    It is what it is.

  11. #31

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    I do something similar (platypus 1L bladder in side pocket of Circuit, with hydration tube attached). I also carry a Powerade bottle or two attached to the front straps. That way I have the best of both worlds: I can drink while hiking and use the bottles for in-camp water.

  12. #32
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    I have simple sacks that attache to the hip belt of my packs. They hold a 1 liter Nalgene or similar bottle and are easy to use. Cost about $5. Naturally, they don't seem to be sold anymore. I expect any decent sewer could make one in a few minutes.
    "It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss

  13. #33
    Registered User methodman's Avatar
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    Default Water Bottle Holder Convenience

    Can you put a picture up showing the bags and their positioning? I can't figure out how they don't get in the way of your legs at least when you're going up and down hills.

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Wt ends up on shoulders
    Not necessarily, if all your pack weight is on your hips and your shoulder straps are attached slightly above your shoulder level, so that they're only serving to keep the pack from falling backwards.

  15. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by TexasBob View Post
    They are great. Here is a link to their site.

    https://www.aquaclip.com/
    I'll second ... er, third, the recommendation to try aquaclips. They're not expensive, and at worst, you can give them away, such as at a "dirty Santa" party.

    They helped me make good use of an alpine pack that otherwise had no water bottle pockets or even water bladder. I lucked out in a way, because the clips don't easily fit on any buckles or shoulder straps of any other pack - but they did this one, and that's good, because it's now the only pack I have that is >39L. But you can also use them on your hipbelt, pant pocket, etc.

    Other comment: I'm not a fan of hydration bladders and would recommend against them on 3 grounds (recognizing that YMMV, however):

    1) they steal capacity from inside the pack
    2) they're a PITA to clean
    3) I usually can't walk and drink at the same time anyway, so it's just not necessary to have a water tube at the ready right near me.
    bonus: 4) too often, they leak
    OP, you mentioned that you have trouble reaching your water bottle. I do too - it takes some contortion, so even if I can get it, it's often hard or impossible to put back without help or taking off the pack. But why not just loosen one shoulder strap and swing your pack around on the other shoulder, then grab the bottle out, drink, put back, and put the pack back on the rest of the way?

  16. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Time Zone View Post
    They helped me make good use of an alpine pack that otherwise had no water bottle pockets or even water bladder. I lucked out in a way, because the clips don't easily fit on any buckles or shoulder straps of any other pack - but they did this one, and that's good, because it's now the only pack I have that is >39L. But you can also use them on your hipbelt, pant pocket, etc. ..............
    I got a new pack that didn't have a conveniently placed spot to hook the clip on the shoulder strap like my old pack but I was able to weave a zip tie through the outer fabric to make one, works great. I find I drink more often when the water is so easy to get to. I carry a 20oz coke bottle on one shoulder strap so the weight really isn't an issue. I use a loop of shock cord around the bottom of the bottle to keep it from bouncing around and the coke bottle shape keeps the cord from slipping off the bottom of the bottle.
    If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

  17. #37
    Registered User methodman's Avatar
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    I appreciate all the interest, but for the time being, I think I will stick with the Justin Andersons.

  18. #38
    Registered User GaryM's Avatar
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    My water bottle hangs from the right shoulder strap via a carabiner. There are so good points about putting weight on the shoulders so I think I will relocate mine to a convenient spot on the pack itself and see how much difference that makes.

  19. #39

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    I use Aquaclips for dog walking, gardening, and other yard work. Never tried them for backpacking, though. One caveat: if you sit down, the bottle tends to pop out of your back pocket.

  20. #40

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    The system I have come to really like is a pair of 1L bladders mounted on my front straps. However, the simple silny pouch I sewed to hold them isn't attached at a fixed point along the strap. The strap runs through a sleeve on the pouch. In use, the small bladder slides all the way down to where the strap attaches to the pack, just above the hipbelt. I don't think it gives quite the same counterbalance benefits as a bottle mounted near your sternum straps, but it does give some. You may find it hits your elbow sometimes, but I haven't found it to be an issue as the pouch rides very close to and slightly behind the torso. I can easily access the bladders, and yet they're out of the way.

    The bladder I use is the Source 1l. I like that it has a leak-proof quick-disconnect for the drinking tube. I carry only one tube and easily switch bladders. The mouthpiece is also QD, and connects right to my Sawyer water filter for quick easy refills.

    Since I like to hydrate on the move, and prefer bladders over bottles, this setup works for me. However, it took time for me to settle on it. I suggest you try a few different things and see what works best for you....
    Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the wildlife you hunt, and the forest and field in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul.--Fred Bear

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