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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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* There's a small black whistle, which I wish it was a brighter color, but is a great touch.
* There are no side straps to pull the pack in closer to the shoulder straps, but the ends of the shoulder straps have a length adjustment at the bottom of the pack. This is the first time I've seen this approach, but in practice it seemed to help with the fit.
** Update: the plastic on the adjustment can rub against your back, and I had to install a square of closed cell foam (from a cheap sleep mat) to prevent skin abrasion.
* The thermal top, rain coat, light, hat, gloves, and bladder went in the main compartment with ample room to spare. I put the Ensure in the front pockets and the GUs in the smaller front pockets. I still had plenty of pockets empty, which is really nice.
* I got the medium, which should be 30-39 inches, but I was close to the limit on how tight it would go with my 36 -inch chest.
File:Packs20.jpg
File:Packs19.jpg
File:Hardrocker Foam.jpg| Additional closed-cell foam padding I added
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==Ultimate Direction PB Adventure Vest (Highly Recommended)==
File:Packs31.jpg
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=Hydration Bladders=
I've tried a variety of hydration bladders over the years, and I've recently discovered the Geigerrig pressurized hydration bladder, which is rapidly become my favorite. I've been greatly surprised by how much better I hydrate with a pressurized bladder. While it doesn't seem like that much effort to suck the fluid from an unpressurized system, the additional effort results in less fluid delivery in a given time (you drink more slowly.) Because you can't breathe and drink at the same time, this slow delivery while running makes hydration quite a lot harder. The other advantage of a pressurized system is that the bladder stays a fairly constant size, something I prefer as it keeps the hydration pack a little more stable.
==Geigerrig Pressurized Hydration Engine==
The Geigerrig system appears to be patented, and includes 2 separate chambers, one for your drink, and the other for the pressurized air. This means that assuming you squeeze all the air out of the fluid chamber, you never get a frothy mixture. This system also completely separates the drink and air tubes, so there's no problem with stocking up on a carbohydrate rich drink, as it won't clog up the pressurization components. This approach is not without its caveats, and in fact, there's actually quite a long list of minor problems…
* The most obvious issue is the price, as the Geigerrig retails for around $50 in the US. <jfs id=" B005FVMUHU" noreferb="true" nonl="true" n="Geigerrig Pressurized Hydration Engine"/>
* Strangely, the capacity is a little smaller than advertised. I found that the 2-liter held about 1.8 liters and the 3-liter held about 2.8 liters.
* Because the Geigerrig doesn't have any interior baffles, the drink sloshes around quite a bit. You effectively have two bladders placed back to back, so the fluid sloshes against the pressurized air. This never caused me a problem, but it was a little noisy. It's actually a little bit more slosh than you would get from an unpressurized and unbaffled bladder.
* This is a pressurized system that relies on manual inflation, so you need to have the inflation bulb accessible to add more air during the run. This can be an issue depending how fully loaded your pack is and how it's designed. With the Hardrocker, I could easily and conveniently locate it in one of the shoulder pockets, but that takes up valuable real estate. When I'm carrying more gear, I tend to place it in the outer mesh pockets at the very back, and I can just about reach over my shoulder to add more air on the run.
* Some runners have found the on/off valve for the drinking tube to be a little awkward, but I haven't had any issue. Just grab the end and do a "lefty-loosey righty-tighty" twist.
* My first Geigerrig bladder started leaking badly on my second run with it. Luckily, the leak was in the pressurization system, so I could still use it as a normal, unpressurized bladder. I've not heard any reports of this being a widespread problem, and they offer a lifetime warranty, so I'm working on the basis that I was just extremely unlucky.
* The final problem is that you have a hose connection point on the front and the back of the bladder. Many hydration packs placed the bladder close to your back, so these hose connection points can easily rub. I found I needed to arrange the bladder with the pressurization connector facing away from my back, and the drinking connector facing towards the small of my back. I'd already put a small piece of closed cell foam over my Hardrocker pack (see above), so this lower connector didn't rub.
The key takeaway from this long list of minor problems is that they are all fairly minor. Having used a pressurized hydration bladder, it would be really hard to go back to an unpressurized system. The reduction in drinking effort makes it far more likely that I will stay appropriately hydrated, and I wish I'd had access to this system long ago.
[[File:Geigerrig Pressurized Hydration Engine.jpg|center|thumb|300px|]]
==Watertite Pressurized Hydration Bladder ==
Having fallen in love with the Geigerrig system above, I was curious if I could get all the advantages for half the price. (<jfs id="B01DT03JEG" noreferb="true" nl="false" nonl="true" n="Watertite at Amazon"/>.) Since the good news is that this system is indeed a pressurized hydration bladder, and it is well under half the price of the Geigerrig system. Unfortunately, this bladder should only be used with water, not sports drink. For me this was a deal-breaker, as I rarely if ever carry just plain water. The reason for the "water only" mandate is that the pressurization bulb is on the same hose that you drink from, so any fluid is going to get into the pressurization system and clog it up. A second reason for "water only" is that the Watertite bladder doesn't have a separate department for the pressurized air, and a sloshing effect will cause the drink and air to mix up and make a froth. This isn't too much of a problem with plain water, but a sports drink will result in quite a bit of frothiness, and the drinking that frothy mixture can cause digestive discomfort. I'm also a little concerned that the pressurization might cause a leak, and with a single compartment system you to lose all of your drink, whereas this a reasonable chance that a similar leak in the Geigerrig system would leave you with a viable if unpressurized bladder.
==Non-pressurized bladders==
I've not found one non-pressurized bladder significantly better than another. I've got on well with most of the name brands, including Camelbak, Platypus, Nathan, and Ultimate Direction. Before the Geirerrig, I'd settled on using the <jfs n="3L Camelbak Crux" id="B01LA5FCJ2" nonl=true noreferb="true"/>) as I like it being slightly wider at the top than the bottom to move the fully loaded weight slightly higher up, and I find the plastic handle around the opening makes it easier to fill up. The bite valve works okay and the on-off switch is pretty good. However, it's all slight advantages over similar bladders, and using the bladder that comes with your pack helps ensure you have a good fit.
=Storing Bladders=
It's easy to get mold in a hydration bladder, and once that happens the best option is often to replace it. Rinsing with dilute bleach works for some people, but it often leaves an aftertaste. Rinsing and drying the bladder, then putting it in the freezer will prevent mold growing. If you rinse with rubbing alcohol, the bladder should dry more quickly. Use Ethyl Alcohol, not the toxic Isopropyl and remember the fumes are flammable.
[[File:StoringBlad.JPG|none|thumb|500px|To prevent mold, it's best to store hydration bladders and hoses in the freezer.]]
