CamelBakOctane Multisport Hydration Pack

For clarity, i’ve only tried this on, and really tried to make it work, but I’m sending it back, without using it further, so I have no comment about the bladder etcWe’ll start with the goodThe pack is mostly boxy, and thus I can fit the belowOvertrousersRain jacketCameraLensAnd room for a little more. Wearing the pack carrying this, it felt comfortable. It’s a great pack so far. It’s just big enough to carry what you need. It doesn’t have a lot of depth, so nothing falls away from you like in bags that need compression straps. Perfect for a summer bagUsing the single mesh pocket on the side, it’ll fit a 380ml bottle.The mesh pocket on the pack will easily hold gloves, a hat, and whatever else you need that is relatively smallAnd now, the terrible.The front straps. I’ve had a few of these packs with vest style running straps with front pockets, and these are by far the worst I’ve ever encounteredWhen empty, they’re fine. They fit comfortable, they don’t look ridiculous. Then you try and use them….. It’s so sad they’re this bad, when compared to the rest of the pack.Because the pockets are not mesh, and the openings are not expandable, when using anything other than something very flat and the size of the pocket, they’re useless.I put a 380ml bottle in one, and a camera lens in the other, and the pockets just become round. The chest straps lift a couple of inches off the chest, and the pockets look like they’re peeling away from the body. Trying to get them to fit and sit properly using the chest straps or the straps under arm, doesn’t work. It just looks cheap, and often feels uncomfortable as the bottle and lens push into the body whilst at the same time trying to peel away from the bodyAll the other packs that had vest style running straps from other brands I’ve had, had mesh pockets, and it was the mesh that expanded whilst the strap still sat against the body, rather than the pocket expanded. If Camelbak had used mesh pockets here on the front straps, i’d be out hiking with this pack right now. Using mesh gives the use the option how to use them, rather than being limited by the designerSuch a shame! Camelbak have gotten closer than any other brand to getting these packs with vest style running straps right.