Camelbak at Interbike 2010

The new Charge 450 pack is a direct cousin of the infamous Mule, but it uses lightweight fabric and materials to keep the weight down to a minimum. Picking the pack up, it is immediate evident how light it really is, and the soft fabric feels nice to the touch, and is comfortable on the back.

The Charge 450 (450 grams) has a 100 oz Antidote reservoir, and uses a light ripstop fabric, and has a load capacity of 854 cu in.

It has all the usual Camelbak plethora of pockets, and it uses an innovative Lightweight Exoskeleton (LE) back panel.

The new Antidote reservoir is pretty amazing, and Camelbak has done a full redesign of the unit, adding many features and functionality.

The screw cap for the fill port takes only a quarter turn to open or close, and it does not get stuck and require brute force to open. The fill port has a wider diameter hole for easier filling and cleaning, along with a shorter stack height and lighter weight. They added an auto shutoff quick disconnect, named the Quick Link, which allow you to disconnect the reservoir from the drink hose, which facilitates cleaning, filling and drying. Hidden on the fill port's sides are two plastic drying arms, which pop out and hold the reservoir open for drying, which is done with it hung upside down.

Another trick pack is the Octane LR, which features a lumbar Antidote reservoir, situated at the bottom of the pack. The design places the water lower on hips and back for stability and comfort. I tired it out, and the pack becomes part of your back, at least figuratively, as it conforms to the shape and oddities of your body, and it doesn't bounce around, even when bending forward. The Octane LR uses lightweight ripstop fabric with reinforcement at key areas, and has 549 cu in (9L) with a 2 L Antidote Reservoir.