Flexibility. That's what you are getting with the CamelBak Blowfish. Keep it zipped and you have a relatively low profile 100oz (3 L) hydration pack with plenty of pockets for a multi-tool, spare tube, Gu, wallet, cell phone, tire levers, extra socks, gloves, car keys, sun glasses, you get the picture...its got plenty of storage. Unzip the Blowfish, and all of the sudden you've got a a cavernous 482 cubic inches of space that can easily accommodate something as large as a windbreaker and long sleeve shirt. Granted this is much more than most of us would like to carry on a run of the mill ride, personally I can't stand lugging around all that crap, but here are a few good reasons why this CamelBak is a good buy.
1. If you are hydrating properly, you'll need this much liquid for any ride over 2 hours. I also have a CamelBak Lobo, and at 70oz, I've run dry on a number of occasions. Since G-man has kids, and Vicious is single, cooties are rampant in our GC cycling crew - so I'd prefer not to share with these guys. No offense!
2. On winter rides, when the weather is really cold at the start of the ride, its nice to layer up. On a recent ride is was 26 degrees and windy when we started and i was bundled up like Ralph's little brother in "A Christmas Story". About 1/2 way through the ride, it warmed up to the high 40s. It saddens me to report that my blubber was doing a very effective job keeping me warm, and was able to shed 2 layers. My jacket and shirt easily fit into the expandable pocket of the Blowfish.
3. Durability. Have I mentioned how often I crash? Well, its a lot. I also have a tendency to brush up against trees, shrubs, or any of a number of relatively stationary objects on the trail. The Blowfish has done a great job holding up to the abuse that I give it.
When we are going for a long ride, I like the comfort of knowing I won't run out of water with the Blowfish. In the winter, its nice to know I can stow some extra clothes in the expandable pocket. However, when we go on our short (sub-2 hour) rides, I'll probably switch back to the Lobo.
