Many many Christmases ago, I made the mistake of gifting my mom a new purse. Given how tattered hers had become, this seemed like it would be my biggest slam dunk since 1986’s macaroni-on-construction-paper family portrait. But even though I was only 9 years old when I picked out that $15 handbag at TJ Maxx, I was keen enough to notice how labored her gratitude was when I presented it. She did give an honest go at making it work, but within a few days, she was back to her old faded blue L.L. Bean. Thankfully, this was also the Christmas I got a Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive to our UK nerds), so I was too busy for it to bother me much.
It wasn’t until decades later in 2018, when Camelbak first redesigned the Skyline LR 10, that I truly understood what I’d put my mother through. The choice of how to carry our stuff is a very personal one, and is especially divisive when put to a group as opinionated as mountain bikers. We all have different priorities, and when I got this Skyline 10 LR in late 2015, it satisfied every one of mine. The gaudy colorway doesn't do a great job of hiding dirt, though, so I should probably wash it more often.
The standout feature is the eponymous Lumbar Reservoir, which relocates and reshapes the bladder to be lower and closer to the hips. And that’s a
three-liter bladder, almost half the bag’s seven-liter gross capacity. Few packs this compact and light can accommodate a full-sized bladder. All of this carried over to the updated 2018 Skyline 10 LR, and then carried over
again to the sleek-looking third iteration that came out in 2020.
The on-bike experience on any of the Skyline 10 LR’s multiple forms is superb. There are few packs out there with such a unique balance of moderate storage capacity and
im-moderate water capacity. If there’s any
actually useful information in a story about a seven-year-old pack that you (technically) can’t buy anymore, it’s that the Skyline 10 LR is still unmatched as a comfortable, lightweight option for days when you need a lot of hydration but only a little storage. I’ve spent time in all three versions of this pack, and I’d recommend any one of them.
But on the other hand, if you’ve ever seen one of your favorite pieces of gear get an update that robbed you of something that you liked about it, then please come join my first-world-problems pity party. There were some subtle but impactful quality-of-life perks on the debut Skyline 10 LR that have since been abandoned. As evidenced by the steady disintegration you can see in this tattered old relic, I’ve never been ready to give it up.
The first-gen Skyline 10 LR had a unique way of accessing its reservoir. Camelbak took the novel step of putting a zippered panel on the back (front?) of the pack instead of simply adding a divider in its largest compartment. Neither approach actually adds any storage, because the bladder still has to occupy space, but this method makes it more convenient to pull the bladder out mid-ride for a refill. It also just feels like a “cleaner” way of doing things.
When I’m organizing the items in the main compartment, I’m not contending with a large, heavy, often moist blob in there as well. On small packs like this, though, I
do see the benefits of how the newer Skylines do things. It's much simpler. After all, the fewer seams, stitches, and moving parts, the better. This version has some extra weight and extra potential failure points that the new ones don’t. But it feels like a luxury, and I miss it whenever I use other lightweight packs.
Another perk that fewer and fewer bike-specific packs have these days are the external gear straps at the bottom of the first- and second-generation Skyline 10 LR, which are missing from the current model. Again, this is a small pack. It’s easy to overload it, which would ruin its low, form-fitting feel. If I need to be ready for rain or otherwise unpredictable weather where a packable windbreaker won’t cut it, I can roll up whatever extra layers I need and strap them down in a spot where they’re barely noticeable. I happen to have an on-bike solution for carrying knee pads, but it’s also an excellent spot for those as well. I’ve even used those straps to hold trailwork tools, battening down the two arms of a set of loppers or even holstering my sawzall when moving between work zones. Both required me to ride a little more carefully, but having the option is better than not.
Of course, it’s not perfect. The hip pockets are a little small, which was addressed in the newest model. And they’re now
both zippered instead of the less-secure elastic closure on my old pack’s right hip pocket. And its helmet clips have never been reliable, so the new version simply puts a couple loops at the shoulders for you to thread your chinstraps through. And there used to be a rather pointless feature that was intended to cinch the bladder down as it emptied, which the new Skyline essentially does automatically thanks to Camelbak’s Dual Wing Belt.
I guess change is just inevitable. Just like me, the people designing our products have their own unique priorities. So, if there’s any
other useful information to be found in reading about discontinued products, it’s this: When your next pack perfectly serves
your unique priorities, maybe buy two of them, just in case.
Haven’t used the bladder since filling it with beer at a festival in 2010 though.
Of course, my all-time fave is my ancient Blackburn Mississippi, which could hold TWO 3L reservoirs, just in case you are into resistance training that you can drink...
Until I decided to go full-face helmet almost all the time... It's way easier to grab the hose from a slim USWE pack than it is to either try to shoot water through the chin bar or to lift the helmet enough to get directly in my mouth. Still have my (cleaner than that example) Skyline 10, but it only comes out for late fall rides where I might need a bunch of layers (off as the ride heats up, on again as the temp plummets with the sun).
Buy the 1st one, realize after a few uses that you need to find a copy so you can always live life with one of these. Pounce on the next sale, feel triumph. You just shot 3 bears in Oregon Trail, and you CAN carry them back to the wagon.
Dealing with Hoka shoe "improvements" rn, the old Clifton 7 was the pinnacle, the 8 is too flimsy. I need to find a pallet of 7's somewhere.
I replaced the Camelbak to get weight off my back and have something more secure so I don't have to take my pack off when I want to session jumps. After a few years I realized I rarely used all 3L of water I would carry with me in the Cambelbak. Plus I'd always end up tightening the Camelbak straps as I emptied the water bladder during rides...otherwise it would loosen up and bounce around. I also carried a small shock pump, multi-tool, CO2 canisters, cell phone, and a few other smaller random tools that I've used in the past.
The 2L of water in the USWE is fine during the hottest months as long as I hydrate well enough on the way to the trail. The elastic in the straps stretch as you put it on and keeps it secure once the bladder empties. Their strap system works as well as they say it does. The external pocket is sized perfectly for my phone and keys. I then got a bottle holder and bottle shaped tool container and carry all of my tools on the bike now. The mouthpiece that you drink from seems like a better design too. I've had three Camelbaks since I started riding and eventually the mouthpieces would loose their seal and start dripping on me while riding.
The other bonus is it feels cooler to ride with as it covers less overall area of my body than the Camelbak did.
I haven't had the experience you describe with Camelbacks with the lumbar reservoir. The only time I really feel it is on jumps. Descending, it stays in place without much problem even over really rough terrain.
What my camelback doesn't do is stay in place if I jog. I get the off rhythm bounce. That's why I was mainly interested in the USWE over the standard backpack, but I'd definitely be up for trying in my bike too.
I don't have any issues with it putting weight on my shoulders. I actually have a persistent issue with my traps and the muscles in my neck getting tight and cramped between sitting at a desk all day typing for work and lifting weights during the week but the USWE doesn't bother that at all. That could just be due to it being a lighter setup overall but it feels like the weight is pretty evenly distributed. I really don't notice any concentrated weight on my shoulders when riding.
www.pinkbike.com/photo/23830802