Tokul 5.0

This backpack is incredible I love it! I was shocked how light it was when it arrived. I love that it has a 3L water pouch. I'm thirsty, plus things can go wrong and you always want more water than less. You don't want to have to be in conservation mode here in Socal. The Platypus pouch is super good quality it feels nice and thick. It's easy to fill and I love the slider bar system to zip and unzip it up. I always upside-down and push test it but never ever leaked once. I love the small bottom wait strap too, this is my go-to hiking and trail running water solution. My back does still sweat like crazy with this, but I'm sure a lot less than without the aeration fins. Cargo is small but perfect size. Highly recommend you pair this with a running belt as well it makes the relatively small cargo section perfect and keeps your phone/keys/small sharp objects that could scratch your phone separate.

I really like this. As an avid mountain biker, this fits the bill for a lightweight 3L bladder pack. I really like the foam back board which has large ridges and sits off my back better than any other pack I've had - no sweat between me and the pack which is wonderful! The pack has a waist strap but the way it sits on my back, I am thinking about just cutting the waist straps off as I will never need them.I don't care for is the bite valve, which doesn't put out as much water as I like. Thats a simple upgrade to fix. The other issue is the magnet location is fixed on the right side of the chest strap. I am used to it being on the left side, and moving it is not quite so simple, if its even possible, since the buckle that has the metal is affixed to a rolled edge and cannot come off easily, if at all without breaking.Inserting the bladder is a little difficult because its a tight fit. I really like the bladder hooks and they seem like they will last a long time.Plenty of space for my phone, keys and some snacks and small tools, hand pump included. Not sure about getting a tube in there though. I'll likely put that in a saddle bag from now on.Overall, I am very happy with this and glad I bought it. I wanted to reduce the weight of my pack for marathon mountain bike races and this definitely accomplished that!

I have the Tokul X.C. 8.0 and love it but I wanted something a little more streamlined for racing. This is the exact same pack without the external pocket (which is great for stuffing a jacket into for training rides) . Same internal pockets, same bladder. It was exactly what I was looking for. Some of the features I really like are the magnet that holds the hose when not in use, so it is not flapping around and the back ventilation system is incredible.One thing I don't like is the Platypus bite valves, they are way to hard to bite and get fluid out of. I replaced both of mine with Camelbak valves.

When my son's high school band director said it was okay for students to wear a portable hydration pack during band camp, he asked me if I could look into something for him (I don't blame him with band camp being the first week of August). So, knowing nothing about these things (other than knowing "CamelBak" was a popular brand name), I set out to research.I also reached out to a popular Internet forum asking more seasoned campers who might know more about these things for their recommendations. Several people pointed me toward the Platypus line, which I had failed to find in my own Amazon research. After reading the reviews, looking at their lineup of various models, and weighing my son's needs, I decided on the Platypus Tokul XC 5. The price was great, too, especially compared to a lot of other brands' offerings.This turned out to be one of my best purchases on Amazon. My son, who plays trombone, absolutely loves this. He said it's comfortable, easy to use, light to wear even with the reservoir filled to capacity, and doesn't restrict his movement when playing his instrument and marching. With post-band camp practices twice a week throughout the rest of August through October, he's getting a ton of usage out of this and has become the envy of several of his classmates. He also said that, as many have said, there's no unpleasant aftertaste whatsoever. Before first use, he washed it out with warm soap and water, and that was it. He fills it up with water and ice cubes, and he's good to go.I also purchased a neoprene bladder for this separately on Amazon to help insulate the bladder and keep it cold for as long as possible. I don't know just how much it helps, but I figured it couldn't hurt and it wasn't a whole lot more.High-quality product that does the job at the right price. I couldn't ask for anything beyond that.

The best hydration pack for cycling. The air ridge system allows superior ventilation between the pack and your back. This pack is lightweight and super low profile 3L water capacity due to the low profile hydration bag, with optimum storage capacity for bike pump tools for the trail and emergency tube for tire repair and plenty of room for extras. Magnetic hydration hose retention is amazing and doesn’t come loose on rough terrain and hard descents. Best hydration pack I’ve owned for cycling.

Bite valve seems to leak air. I like the zipper closure setup on platypus bags.

Great pack, but you have to pack it carefully if you want to put any amount of stuff in the other pocket. Would be nice to have a helmet holder or jacket holder on the back. The mouthpiece is kind of big and chunky and you have to bit down kind of hard on it. It works fine though. The hose will freeze up below 20 degrees I found out, but didn't expect it to work that cold as its not insulated at all...super small, it disappears on your back and has great ventilation...you'll still sweat like as with any of these though.

I like this thing a lot. It holds as much or as little water as you want. Easy to fill and empty. I prop the opening open using the "zip" piece and the bladder air dries no problem. Good pockets for stuff. The magnet on the hose works really well, just drop the hose and it swings around for a second until it clicks in place.