Camelbak 2010 Fairfax Hydration Pack

Review by Arnie P

The 2010 Fairfax Hydration pack was provided by Camelbak for the purpose of this review.

The Camelbak Fairfax hydration pack is ultra lightweight and mainly designed to be used by cyclists. I will be using it mostly for hikes shorter than 2 hours. The pack comes in a choice of 4 dual colors, and the pack I have is Dark Cheddar/Graphite. The hydration bladder has a capacity of about 1.5 L (50 oz), and has a dual port so the hydration tube can exit either on the right or left side. The shoulder straps have loops to dress the hydration tube, and a breast strap which can be adjusted horizontally as well as vertically. The hydration tube has a shut-off as part of the mouth piece. The pack has 3 compartments consisting of the hydration sleeve, an upper and lower zippered compartments. The hydration sleeve is closed with a hook and latch method. The upper compartment is rectangular shaped with the long side in the vertical position. The zipper is vertical and is closed in the up position. On the inside of this compartment is a hook for keys and 2 smaller mesh pockets. The lower compartment is about the size of a closed fist and the zipper is semi-circular.

Trying it out

My initial feeling was that the pack will fall off, but with the breast strap in place that feeling was gone. My chest measurement is almost 42 in. and the breast strap adjustment was close to capacity. The shoulder adjustments were easy to use and adjust. The ends of these straps have a hook and latch loop so the ends of the strap can be dressed to the shoulder strap.The lower compartment is adequate for a snack, which will probably be my primary use for this compartment. The upper compartment I would use for maps, compass, and cell phone.Check back in about a month when I will have more to say about the Camelbak Fairfax hydration pack.

Camelbak 2010 Fairfax Hydration Pack update

9-10-2010

The Camelbak 2010 Fairfax is a pack that fits special needs. It is small in appearance but has a capacity of about 1.5 L. I have found a lot more use for this pack than I first envisioned. When I use the Fairfax my hands are free to do other things. I used to be carrying a water bottle in my hand. This was not only tiresome but very inconvient. This is especially true when I wanted to have my hands free to take pictures. I would have to find a place to rest my water bottle and hope when I had finished taking pictures I would remember to retrieve my water bottle. This did not always happen. On some of my volunteer functions all I need is water and it is so nice for me to get water on demand and be hands free. When I walk to shopping centers, I find not having to carry water in my hands convient and a time saver.

The water capacirty and the space in the lower pocket I use for snacks on a hike are adequate for me on hikes that are less than 3 hours. The amount of water I need is dependent on several factors so my figures are a very rough estimate. I really like this pack for when I am going to be using my camera a lot. I can hang my camera from my neck or store it in a shirt pocket.

The colder weather will be here soon and since the breast strap is near the end of the range. I will be wearing the pack inside my jacket. This will probably limit the number of jacksets I have that I can wear, but it does mean the water will probably not freeze as it has in the past with bladder type hydration systems that I carried on the outside of my jacket.

Filling the bottle

The bladder has such a wide mouth that I can probably fill it from a sauce pan and not worry about spilling water over me or anything surrounding me. I can fill this bladder in seconds rather than minutes and without spillage, which may require cleanup.

Using the valve shut off

I wish all my hydration packs had this feature. I can operate the valve with one hand and I worry a lot less about leakage if my pack gets accidently squeezed. I don’t like having water dribble out of the mouth piece, especially on a colder day.

During the next period I hope to discover more interesting things to report about on the light pack, please check back then for my last look at the Camelbak 2010 Fairfax hydration pack.

hiking in Harold Parker State Forest

A last look

10-4-2010

A lot of my outdoor activities are spontaineous. It is great to be able to take my Fairfax, quickly fill the reservoir with water, put a snack and a few essentials in the pockets, and be on my way in a few minutes. During the test period I have been out in very hot and humid weather. Temperatures have been the in the range of 82 F to at least 94 F. I was always comfortable and did not develop hot spots or sore places. This speaks well for the ventillation and good design of the Fairfax. The pack has come into contact with trees and large rocks and is still in excellent condition. My equipment protects me and not the other way around.

Horn Pond Reservation

Horn Pond Reservation features a large pond, several smaller bodies of water, a good sized hill, and great views of the surrounding area. On this hike my wife and I wanted to find an “Indian bowl” that was said to be on the hill. I envisioned a natural bowl in rock. On all our hikes there we had not found the natural bowl. This time, with her memory of where people had said it was, the use of a compass watch, and a bit of luck we did find the bowl. I took a picture and verified later on the internet that we indeed had found the natural bowl probably used by natives to the area.

searching for "Indian Bowl"

pausing for hydration

finding the "Indian Bowl"

I find having easily accessible water when I am doing various activities very important. I recently went to a local exposition in the town where various organizations had tables set up in a parking lot. I forgot my Fairfax that day and since I had been used to having it with me on similar occasions, its absence was noticed. I found myself looking for the mouth piece.

In summary, I like the hands free operation, lightness, comfort, durability, ease of filling, and most of all a valve to prevent leakage.

Future plans for the Fairfax

I plan to continue using the Fairfax as the weather gets colder. I will be wearing it under one of my larger jackets. With a good next to skin layer, a light weight second layer, and a jacket over the Fairfax, I will probably be able to extend my season into late fall. I will be looking for a good fanny pack to use with the Fairfax for longer hikes.

I wish to thank Camelbak and 4Alloutdoors for being able to checkout and write about the Fairfax.