I just posted a rather long post about my recent experiences with several
hydration packs. At the end I asked what people who had experiences with
either version thought of the '04 vs. '05 Camelbak MULE. I recently bought
the '04 (got a great deal) but am thinking of returning it and getting the
'05 instead, which strikes me as being better in several ways:
-The bladder goes into a compartment in the back that zips up the side and
top, whereas the '04 model goes into a "pouch" that's has a velcro seal at
the top, which strikes me as harder to use
-It's slightly lighter than the '04 model (from the specs, 1 or 2 ounces)
-The sternum strap appears to have a better design than in the '04 model, in
terms of how it attaches to the shoulder straps, and in having a loop in the
elastic section
On the other hand, the '04 model is made of what appears to be a slightly
tougher, or at least thicker and heavier material (which I'm sure accounts
for a big part of the weight difference). Not sure if this translates into
better durability or not.
Any thoughts, comments, observations, etc.? Are the "improvements" worth
bothering to swap the '04 for the '05 and paying a few dollars more?
Kovie
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