Product Review: CamelBak Consigliere Hydration Pack

The CamelBak Consigliere is the perfect hydration pack and day pack for a quick trip or long trek on foot, on bike or how ever you get your fun and workout done.

Ease of Use, Performance: 24/25
Look & Feel: 24/25
Features 25/25
How much I enjoy 25/25

Total: 98/100

I cannot think of anything on the CamelBak Consigliere that could be improved or made even slightly better without adding too much to the cost of this great hydration pack. The Consigliere is designed as a hydration pack that can also carry a full faced helmet, body armor and much more in its numerous pockets.

The Consigliere has a large main pocket that has a smaller inner Velcro closure pocket made of soft fabric for goggles and a slip in pocket on the back side of this large pocket. This main area closes using zippers to keep larger objects secure or has four adjustable straps to use as a carry area for a helmet and some body armor.

The bottom of the pack also has two adjustable straps to help carry the rest of the armor or other objects and the pack has a half sized zippered pocket on the outside. This smaller pocket has two mesh pockets inside and a hook on a strap for keys as well as a small loop directly under the pocket oh the outside of the pack to attach anything you may want.

The top of the Consigliere also has a weatherproof pocket perfect for a camera or camcorder but is not big enough to put much more than a compact camcorder. A full sized DSLR Camera with a lens would not fit but my Rebel XSi camera body just barely fits inside.

The Consigliere has two nicely padded shoulder straps with a one inch removable waist strap and a chest strap for perfect fit and function of the harness system. The straps and the back of the pack has a well padded mesh design that is very comfortable for day long wear with a heavy load like being filled with books.

I tried the pack out not only wearing while biking with the included water reservoir filled but I also filled the pack with books to add some weight and bulk. The pack is very comfortable with its half inch thick pads on the back and the slightly thinner strap padding as well as the chest and waist straps.

I removed the waist strap and regularly use just the shoulder straps and the chest strap when using the pack for trips out on my bike as well as some half day garage sale trips with my wife. Several times over the past two months we have gone out biking to garage sales and this pack makes the perfect pack for this with its numerous sized pockets.

You can have your water for keeping hydrated and carry your wallet and loose change, cell phone and those smaller purchases while out biking. The pack is not a full sized back pack which makes it much more comfortable than a full backpack but can still carry a lunch, water and other stuff for day trips.

The final pocket of the CamelBak is the reservoir pocket that holds the 70 ounce or 2 liter reservoir and has a two sided zippered opening. The water reservoir has the CamelBak Big Bite valve that works well and also has an on/off valve to make dripping a non issue.

The Big Bite valve is an oval shaped end with a slit in the middle for an opening that closes well when you don't bite or misshape the end. To drink from the CamelBak you only have to bite down on the half inch tall end to open the slit and start water flowing.

The valve allows you to close the water reservoir like when you load up your vehicle to head for your favorite exercise area and not have problems with leakage. The long tube passes through the openings above either strap then through a loop and or ring that keeps the tube tight to the straps.

You can use the shoulder straps vertical loops to keep the end of the tube out of the way when not using it and the reservoir can be totally removed if you want. The reservoir has a large opening for filling that is part of a large piece of plastic connected to the polyurethane reservoir.

There is a tab for holding while using the opening as well as a hook on the plastic opening piece for hanging the reservoir inside the CamelBak or out of it. The cap secures nicely in the opening and has a large O ring for sealing closed and is shaped for easy tightening.

The reservoir fits nicely inside the CamelBak against the padded area of the back and adds a layer of padding when being worn and partially or totally full. The CamelBak Consigliere has several layers of material for durability and added protection for items inside and uses heavy duty materials and good stitching.

The CamelBak is a great quality product and one I can easily recommend as a fantastic hydration pack for day long exercising or just a quick hour jaunt. The pack also makes an excellent medium sized back pack that adds the convenience of a smaller pack with the secure harness system.

The CamelBak Consigliere is an excellent hydration pack and deserves my Blue Ribbon for Excellence due to its great quality that easily stands up to the CamelBak reputation.