Camelbak’s 2020 lineup will have a few new sizes, colors and options for women, plus another option for enduro riders that need spinal protection during competitions (it’s a requirement for many events, especially in Europe). Starting with the new women’s bags, the oversized option on the left is a new L.R. model that we didn’t get the name of, but could be a replacement or complement to the Skyline L.R.
The “L.R.” refers to Lumbar Reservoir and gets their wider, squatter bladder that sits low on the waist. This helps keep all that water weight as low as possible while still allowing up to 3L to come with you. The design borrows from the newest M.U.L.E. packs and wraps the bottom tightly once you secure the waist strap, helping keep the pack secure. We’re a little torn on the ease of accessing the gear inside the pack with this design, but it does look sleek and keep things firmly in place.
The Chase Bike Vest family gets a new Protector option, which also (finally!!!) adds a front pocket large enough to hold the iPhone Max-sized phones. For fans of more minimal carries that still want plenty of water and need protection, look for this to drop late in the year or early 2020.
Other protection packs already for sale are the TORO and their Sternum Protector that builds in a GoPro-style action cam mount. Even if you don’t need the protection, this is one of the most secure, shake-free chest mounts available and worth it just to get better footage. Other larger packs with the Protection pack are available…
…and the multi-layer foam impact protection is removable in most of them, so you don’t have to ride with it all the time.
For those who just want to run bottles and carry a little extra stuff, like your wallet, snacks, and maybe a car key, this waist belt will sit comfortably under your jersey for a stealth look. It’s aimed more at joggers, but whatever.
For team sports, they have a new Reign bottle caddy and insulated cooler bag (not shown) that it drops into. The bottles themselves are neat in that they have a three position spout – open, closed, and spray. The latter uses the smaller holes around the drinking spout to create a shower-like spray for cooling off or rinsing off after your ride.
They’re aimed more at team sports athletes and soccer parents, but should still fit in most water bottle cages…at least for indoor trainer bikes and stationary bikes at gyms. Available now for $15 (standard) and $20 (insulated).
