This Camel Can Go Anywhere in Any Weather Even if He Can't Speak Zoid
Written: Feb 28 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice large compartment; holds enough water for a couple of hours; comfortable; freeze proof.
Cons: The water cover is hard to open; no sternum strap.
The Bottom Line: This is a great pack for all seasons. The insulated tube is a plus. If you winter hike/camp it is a must.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Camelbak Zoid 2.1 L Winter Hydration Pack |
We went to Florida on vacation and a cruise. Before we left my soon to be son-in-law gave me the Zoid by CamelBak. He had gotten it as a gift and never used it. The tags were still on it. As it turned out I made good use of it during those three weeks. I have a Camelbak Siren but knew that the Zoid was bigger and nicer in several ways.
Its features:
I initially liked the small size of the Siren. I still like it. I barely know it is there and I highly recommend it. However if you would like more room and a few extras the Zoid is a great choice at about $50.
It comes in black or grey with an orange back and orange on the back of the straps. Mine is black. I like the way it looks. If you went yuck when you read orange, don’t worry. You can’t see it since it is on the parts that hug your body. The front has white trim with the CamelBak logo on it. The white is a reflective piece and can be seen in the dark. The design of it is narrow in depth. Although I have never worn a hydration pack under a coat the company says that because of the low profile it can be worn over or under a jacket.
The Zoid measure 15 inches long by 11 inches wide by 2 inches deep. The water capacity is 72 ounces which is 22 ounces more than my Siren. I like having the extra water and not having to depend on my husband’s bladders when mine is empty. When filled it weights 5.65 pounds. There is a loop at the top so I can carry it there or hang it if I want.
It does not have a sternum strap like the Siren has. I like this strap because it adds to the comfort of the pack and takes weight off my back. It also keeps the straps from falling off my shoulders. This strap is the one you will see that connects in the front high on people’s chests. The positive aspect however is that the sternum strap tends to look funny (on me anyway). It hits me in an awkward place so not having it has its pros. This strap can be bought separately which I may end up doing as the summer approaches.
It moves 3 inches up or down so I can move it depending on how many clothes I have on or how much water I’m carrying. It also is adjustable in length to make the pack essentially larger or smaller.
There are three zippers on the Zoid. Although they are used as zipper pulls I hooked my lanyard with my room key onto one of the loops while on the cruise. I will also now be able to have my own place to put a clip so I can carry items such as a whistle. There is an angled zipper on the front that measures 6 inches across. It runs the entire length of the pack so I can carry a lot more than just my license and lip balm. There is another zipper on the side in which I can stash the mouth piece of the bladder.
The shoulder straps are made of a tight weave mesh as is most of the Zoid. The front is nylon. The straps are padded and comfortable.
If you are not sharing a pack with someone else and you are hiking long distances although this pack is larger than my Siren it won't hold the safety items you need. You’ll also want a pack like my husband’s EMS Aqua Day that has a bungee cord. This is a great feature for our hiking books, coats or sweatshirts. However since my husband has one I don’t need one but it would be nice so I could put a layer I’m not wearing on my pack rather than weighing him down.
I like the CamelBak’s durability. Although I haven’t had the horrible experience of getting lost for 7 hours in the mountains in Grand Teton National Park I did drag it around most days for three weeks and have used it a couple of times since when we've gone hiking with friends in the Berkshires.
The Omega Reservoir:
I reviewed the CamelBak Omega Reservoir with a 50 ounce capacity. The Omega Reservoir in my Zoid is identical- just bigger. The reservoir on the Zoid is accessed in two ways. I can take it out by opening a compartment which is closed by Velcro. I take it out this way. I don’t have to take the bladder out to fill it which is great. There is a zipper in the front that exposes the mouth which is where water goes in.
The cover to the opening is the same on the Zoid as the Siren. I have gotten used to it but it harder to unscrew than it should be in my opinion.
There were concerns back when I bought the Siren that the taste of the water from the tube would be bad. Perhaps CambelBak has been working on the taste of the water. Since the reservoir is made of Polyurethane this could give off a taste of rubber. The Polyurethane feels like rubber while the Platypus is plastic. I don’t find the water tastes anything but like my water should. That was an extremely important factor to me when I bought the Siren. I would have returned it had I found that I tasted the reservoir. The water tastes fine to me. For those wondering about this I’m on my second Omega in a CamelBak and feel the same way.
Why it's called a winter pack:
The mouthpiece is called a CamelBak Big Bite Valve
which is made of “medical grade silicon.” What the Zoid has that the Siren doesn’t is an insulated tube and cover for the mouth piece. The tube is covered with black insulation and the mouthpiece is covered with a piece of heavy rubber that will prevent your water from freezing if you are using this in the winter. We don't normally go hiking when it is freezing out but we were in Otis, MA and it was a sunny weekend. I really didn't give the fact that my tube is freeze proof any thought. I do know now that my water didn't freeze in the tube. I was the only one with a hydration pack so I can't speak to whether the water in other tubes would have frozen when mine didn't.
Jo’s final thoughts:
My Zoid did not come with an Ergo HydroLock but for less than $10 I will be buying one for the summer. You might be wondering if the insulation kept my water warm. It didn't. It was room temperature I would say. We usually freeze our bladders during the summer anyway.
I like the Zoid by CamelBak. It fits my needs. It is small enough so it doesn’t get in my way; it is small enough to be very comfortable and the water tastes fine. In addition I like the big compartment. This is a great pack and I won’t hesitate to recommend it. I rated the Siren 5 stars and I have no reason to rate the Zoid lower. Although the cover to the bladder could be easier to open it works for me. If you are on your own this pack is not big enough so please be aware of that. You should be drinking about one litre per hour if you are doing a serious bike ride or hike. The Zoid would only last you for about two hours. My husband carries 180 ounces. Along with several bottles of water we throw in his pack we are all set for the day.
Please feel free to leave me a question or comment.
Related reviews:
Platypus Hoser 100-ounce bladder ~ Platypus 80 ounce bladder ~ Leki Wanderfreund Hiking Pole ~ Leki Canyon Trekking Poles ~ Jandd rear bike pack ~
Coleman tent ~
Cascade Designs Platypus Tasteless Drinking Tube ~
Garmont Hiking Boots
Thanks for reading. jo
Recommended:
Yes
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