CamelBak Alterra Lumbar Pack - .8L

I've only had mine for a short time but I did not notice a plastic taste at all. Maybe they've fixed that since March of 2007. So far I LOVE it. And the weird buckle placement is so that it doesn't dig into your stomach. The front strap is nice and padded and with tiny little compartments for storage.

Great concept but not perfect. First of all, how do you get the awful flavor of the plastic out? I used it on a ski trip and the line froze, but keeping it inside my clothes took care of that. It doesn't hold that much volume. The storage pockets are very handy. Overall, it served its purpose of not puncturing my spleen during falls like a water bottle would and not raising my center of gravity.

I dig this. It's soft, comfy and was easy to size. The placement of the main buckle strikes me as strange (it's way over on the side), but there's probably some reason for it. If I were going to do this again, I think I'd get a larger reservoir. That said, this is a perfect size for a quick run, and I can wear it with my weightvest.

I purchased this lumbar hydration pack for active pursuits on the trail and have not been disappointed. I've used it on both trail hikes and during trail runs and have found it to be very stable and even during fast-paced runs it only moves a little bit. The clip on the belt holds the tube and valve nicely and the small pockets hold small extras well. Nicely done, Camelbak.

This is definitely my favorite camelback and I've used most of them. There is no buckle rubbing against you stomach. The bladder does not need to be removed at all to fill, making it great for races with aid stations. You can tuck away the bite valve if it's dusty or muddy. I definitely recommend this pack.