Review: Camelbak Skyline 10LR

Time tested: 2 months
Cost: RRP £99.99
Available: Velotive

I recently picked up the new Camelbak Skyline 10r to semi-replace my Osprey pack that I’ve had for 3 years or so. The Osprey is a nice pack, but felt a bit on the large size for enduro racing, plus as the waist straps never cinched up tight enough around my waist, it had a tendancy to jump up and bash the back of my helmet on jumps and steep trails, which is pretty damn annoying.

After briefly entertaining the idea of the Camelback Palos (the bum bag one – I just couldn’t do it!), the Skyline, with it’s ‘low-rider’ postioning and smaller capacity seemed ideal for most 2-3 hour rides as well as racing.

The big feature of the pack is it’s positioning on your back, sitting on the lower half and therefore keeping weight low down. The two well padded waist straps keep the weight loaded on your hips, just like correctly worn hiking packs should, and the shoulder straps simpy help keep it secure from moving around. It works really well and I’ve not felt the pack moving about through twisty trails or moving about on jumps…in fact it’s almost unnoticeable on the trail which is great.

Enough room for tools, tubes & other junk

In terms of pockets – I like lots of pockets in packs to keep things organised – it’s fairly minimal. The main compartment has one central stretch mesh pocket which is sort of intended for the included tool roll (more on that in a sec) and a elasticated loop for a pump. There’s also a zipped mesh pocket at the top with a key holder ideal for erm…keys, as well as a bit of change for the pub or small tools you might want quick access to. The tool roll has three zipped mesh pockets for multitools, puncture repair stuff, zip ties etc and is a nice way to keep those things together. It also means you can take it out and sling it in another pack quickly if need, knowing you’ve got everything together. On the outside of the pack, there’s a soft fleece lined pocket at the top, ideal for phones or sunglasses and the padded waist straps have a pocket each, one zipped and one with and elasticated fold-over closure, both ideal for energy bars, keys or a small phone. I love these! The Osprey pack has waist pockets but these are bigger and more usable! Finally, there’s also a large stretchy expandable pocket on the front of the outside which is good for stuffing a lightweight jacket or base layer in, or to use as a banana skin bin if you’re someone who thinks you shouldn’t drop them out in the countryside (I’m still not sure what the truth is about banana skins rotting in the countryside!)

Also on the outside, there’s a couple of simple but effective clips to attach a trail lid to, and a couple of straps to attach knee/arm pads to on the underneath.

Everyone loves a trapdoor

The Camelback reservoir is accessed via a zipped compartment on the rear of the pack and is the 3 litre lumber version. There’s a really handy lock valve where the feed tube attaches to the bladder. You simply push the button to unclip the hose and it shuts off so no water escapes from the tube or the bladder, meaning you can easily refill the bladder without faffing with removing the tube from the pack as well. Genius! One thing I missed with my Osprey pack was having a bite valve cover to stop it from getting covered in mud and shite. There isn’t one included but the good thing with Camelbak is there’s plenty of accessories available so I picked one up at the same time for this. It’s nice not worrying about whether I’m downing cow/horse turd everytime I take a sip on a muddy ride! The tube has a magnetic clip which attaches to the shoulder strap keeping it from dangling everywhere and is something I liked on the Osprey pack so glad to see Camelbak now use them too.

In use, the pack is very lightweight and due to the low positioning, even with a couple of litres of water in, it stays put and doesn’t move about. There are just enough pockets for everything, though another internal pocket might have been useful and overall I like the bladder, although there’s still a bit of that new rubbery taste!

Hose/bladder connection = minimal faff refilling

Any negatives? The only annoyance is the zips for the main compartment. They don’t move that easily, certainly not as well as the Osprey, and I kind of worry the amount of force you sometimes need might lead to them pulling apart from the zip track – that very thing happened to my old Camelbak Mule previously. It’s fine if you slide a finger in underneath to pull it along but is a bit irritating. Oh, and there’s no waterproof cover included and Camelback don’t really seem to have one designed for it available so you might have to get a bit creative with one if you want to attach one.

Overall though, really pleased with it – small enough not to overpack, big enough to fit essentials plus a small jacket in and practically invisible in use. AND…it doesn’t smack by helmet down over my eyes when the trail get gnarly, so I can now see where I’m going. Bonus!