Review: Camelbak Crux 2L Reservoir

Product: Camelbak Crux 2L Reservoir

Price: $69.99

Store: Breathe Outdoors

Hiking and backpacking with this Camelbak Crux 2L Reservoir is awesome! The Camelbak is easy to fill up from a tap or via a water filter. It’s easy for a hiker to drink on demand and stay hydrated with the hose reaching the front of the backpack. It holds two litres of water which is good for a day of hiking. The leakproof cap shouldn’t be tightened too much otherwise it’s hard to reopen and will potentially cause water to escape with a hard pull. It features a durable plastic making it hard to puncture through it.

How It Was Tested

Our tester used it while backpacking Poboktan Trail successfully. It fits nicely into a backpack compartment for a day of hiking or a multi-day trip backpacking. When walking, the valve can turn on and off to prevent it from leaking. Ensure the hose is clipped into the bottom part of the reservoir to connect to the rest of the bladder to avoid leaking into a backpack.

A handle is provided which helps when refilling it with water. The handle isn’t padded and can be uncomfortable after holding it for a while. Your partner’s help can come in handy while filtering to hold the water compartment up to prevent water from spilling out compared to it lying on its side if filling it alone. It can be hard to close the lid if the compartment is full of water; it will try to escape. Don’t fill up past the handle. A water filter can easily target the filtered water directly into the big opening in the water bladder to refill it.

While experiencing easy hiking near me, our testers found it easy to take a few sips without having to take their packs off to have a drink of water like one would have to do with a water bottle. It also fits nicely in a separate daypack compartment.

We tested it while cross-country skiing and found that the water freezes in the tube and it isn’t possible to drink the water. Unfortunately, it’s not a good fit for winter activities.

Overview of Camelbak Crux 2L Reservoir

Pros

• Fits nicely into a backpack compartment for a day of hiking or a multi-day trip backpacking.
• Has a valve to turn the water on and off.
• It has a handle to hold the bladder while refilling it.
• It holds 2L of water to last a hiker the entire day.

Cons

• There might be leaks if the hose doesn’t fully clip into the bottom part to connect to the water bladder.
• It can be hard to close the lid if it’s filled with water past the handle.
• It’s difficult to use in the winter as the drinking tube tends to freeze up.

Camelbak Crux 2L Reservoir is Best for:

• Staying hydrated while hiking and backpacking.
• Hikers who like to take a few sips without having to take their packs off for a drink of water.
• Using in combination with a water filter that requires a big opening to refill it.