It may be more about transporting water than carrying lots of stuff, but CamelBak’s XLP is nearly perfect for transporting the bare essentials for riders and racers.
It’ll carry 2.1 litres of water and, although the reservoir is more awkward to open and clean than most, CamelBak’s lockable bite valve still delivers drip-free drinking faster than anything else out there.
A zipped, mesh-divided top pocket in the top flap securely carries tools, keys, energy bars and so on, while the stretchy neoprene UltraSpan pouch on the back can swallow a surprising amount of stuff.
Pumps, inner tubes, dog leads and shell jackets have all been crammed in there in the past few months without anything spilling out or splitting.
The bag sits high on your back, which won’t be to everybody’s taste, but it stays stable enough not to get on your nerves on fast and loose sections. It also means you can get to your jersey pockets for energy gels and bars, which is really useful on longer, harder rides.
