CamelBak Crux Water Reservoir Review
A bladder is not a everyday bikepacking solution, it is what you add when a specific stretch of route carries more water than your cages can.
The verdictThe right tool for a dry route and the wrong one for everything else. Carrying it on your back is the cost, and on a bike that cost is real.
Two bottles is roughly a litre and a half, which covers most riding and does not cover a genuinely dry stretch. A reservoir adds two or three litres in one piece, and the quick-disconnect hose means it can be filled without unthreading the whole system from a pack.
The wide screw cap is the practical advantage over older designs, because it can be filled from an awkward tap or a shallow stream and it can be turned inside out to dry. A bladder that cannot dry properly is a bladder that grows something, and that is the most common complaint about reservoirs generally.
On a bike the honest drawback is where it sits. Weight on your back rather than on the frame is less comfortable over a long day and puts more pressure on your hands and saddle, which is why most bikepackers treat a reservoir as route-specific kit rather than standard equipment.
Owner reports converge on the bite valve and the hose connection as the parts that eventually leak, and both are replaceable. Drying the reservoir fully between trips is the single habit that separates one that lasts years from one that gets thrown away.
What works
- Adds two to three litres in one piece
- Wide cap fills from awkward taps and dries properly
- Quick-disconnect hose
What doesn't
- Weight sits on your back, not the bike
- Needs thorough drying between trips
- Overkill on routes with regular resupply
Buy it if
Desert routes and long stretches with no resupply
Skip it if
Your route has water every few hours
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