This pack is perfect for running in the very-cold winters we experience in the Great Lakes region. Many other solutions I tried froze solid within half an hour. The neoprene tube and insulated pocket for the drinking tube are effective; have worn them at near-zero temperatures for long runs and the pack made water available the whole time.

With fewer straps than the hydration packs I have worn running, I was concerned it wouldn't be stable; in fact, it stays in place perfectly, (As a relatively petite female, I find it more comfortable than many packs marketed to runners.)

I needed a new Camelbak after the last one I took out had gotten all wet, and the water tube had frozen when I had went snowboarding (my fault though since I brought my regular hiking bag). The SnoBlast 22 Hydration Pack remedied all that though! I am able to keep my extra layers in the backpack, along with my spare gloves, snacks, and other odds and ends when out snowboarding. Plus, I can keep hydrated all day long, whether it's on the ski lift, or taking a rest on the slopes, with no freezing water in the tube thanks to the insulated sleeve. Really happy with this purchase, and it doesn't interfere or feel heavy when I am riding; barely notice it's there, but I am thankful it is!

Quality is great. The design, however, is awful compared to old version:
1. Snowboard/ski straps hinder main compartment. If you want full access to main compartment, you have to unbuckle the ski straps
2. Outside quick access pocket is gone. Everything is now only accessible from main compartment. Oh wait, there are ski straps there, so need to take those off first.
3. Awful water pouch holder: no more built in holder to insert the pouch handle into; now it's a tiny piece of string tucked in an inconvenient spot that hooks onto the top of the water pouch, very inconvenient.

If you don't care about color, just go with old ones. The designers of the new version should be fired.

I usually ski with a larger hip pack when solo or with the guys, but bought the Snoblast 22 pack for skiing with the family to carry snacks, fluids, and extra layers for the group. The functionality is well thought out and the pockets, zippers, and bladder are all very functional. The ski carry functionality was very good as well. I was able to carry two sets of kids skis (a pair on each side plus poles) on the pack with no problem. A pair of Voile straps definitely made the process easier.

I do have three functionality issues related to my preference for carrying the pack on a single shoulder when getting on a chair lift. First, the quick release shoulder straps worked very well, but it typically lets out all of the slack in the webbing which made it difficult (had to take gloves off) to tighten the strap back up when ready to go as there was just a 1.5 cm sewn loop of webbing that prevents the strap from going through the buckle that was hard to grab with gloves. This was resolved by putting a carabiner through the small loop. This allowed a gloved hand pull on the biner to tighten the strap back up. Having a larger loop on the end of the webbing would solve this issue. Second, for taller people (I am 6'4") the chest strap buckle is not always completely visible with goggles on as it rides very high on the chest even when on the lowest setting. Those over 40 y/o may have additional visibility issues with the buckle that is so close to your chin. This is not necessarily an issue by its self, but the smaller chest buckle was difficult to buckle by touch with gloved hands. This resulted in having to stop at the top of every run to buckle something. It would be nicer to have a chest buckle that is easier to buckle by touch alone (larger buckle or alternative closure mechanism) so that it can be buckled quickly. The goal would be able to connect the buckle while on the move and not have to look down at the buckle to do so. Last, the left shoulder strap (the one with the orange quick release loop but without the hydration hose) is flat fabric and the strap would twist when putting the bag pack on >80% of the time. This resulted in the the chest strap buckle being on the outside of the strap. This was another pack issue that had to be sorted out at the top of each run. In writing this review I noticed that the weight of the biner (on the left strap) looks to be contributing to the inversion of the strap as they are not very rigid. Some additional torsionally rigid material added to the shoulder strap attachment to the pack that would prevent them from twisting would be nice. Hopefully they will address these issues in the next version of this pack. If you are mostly touring and not taking the pack on or off frequently then this pack has very few downsides.

Perfect for a day on the mountain!

I was looking for a small ski pack that worked well on a ski lift. I'm almost 6'2" tall and the pack rides high enough on my back that it does NOT hit the back of the ski lift chair. There is enough room for a small lunch, but not much else. I put a couple of bungee cords in the pack to use the helment straps to strap any extra stuff to the outside of the pack (e.g., inner layer of clothing).

I don't notice the weight of the pack while skiing and the quick access to water is great. I have not experienced any freezing up of the water tube while skiing.

I was gifted this bag a couple of weeks ago, and although very thankful for it, didn't think I would be using it all that much. With all the early season powder in my area, I decided to start taking it out with my pow-surfer and my Drift Boards on some low angle powdersurfing fun. I love this thing! The large water container is perfect for a whole day for me (4-6 hours). Also, enough room inside to take some snacks, goggles, gloves and even an extra layer if needed. Easy board straps, that accommodated a very wide powsurfer or snowboard and I can hook other things on the outside if I need to... like a helmet or powder surfer leash, or collapsable poles. The straps are perfect to hook my Drift Boards or snowshoes and keep them centered for the descents. Love this bag! Thanks Camelbak!

We skied in Zermatt this New Year, and my wife insisted we purchase Camelbaks. I did not think we would need them. We've skied many places like Park City, Deer Valley, Vail, Aspen, Banff etc. and did not need Camelbaks. In Switzerland the ski runs were a lot longer distances AND water was har to come by. There were no water fountains, in the bathroom you had a mister to wash your hands. You could pay 8-9 Francs a bottle at the restaurants otherwise you were stuck. My kids skied the first day without the Camelbaks and had a rough time. When they came back in they said they needed the Camelbaks. I skied with them one day and often found myself sipping water 2-3 times one run because they were so long. I think the Camelbaks were a lifesaver!

I resisted getting a hydration pack for decades. I didn't want to carry a backpack out skiing. This year, however, my wife and I spent Saturdays skiing together, and we really needed water, snacks, and other knick-knacks. This product is unobtrusive, is not a full-blown backpack, and solves the need for hydration at the same time. The insulated water channel is really a game changer. This product solved my hesitancy to carry a backpack by providing a multi-point solution to my needs.

Good product can use for snowboarding and biking without a hitch. Perfect amount of storage space and I love the color of the pack.