Note: This “Out Of The Box” post is authored by Grannygear

I seem to be on a search for the perfect hydration pack and I figured something out: One is not enough. The Deuter pack has been a success, but when I got it home and began using it, it occurred to me that the Deuter and the other packs I had been using were larger than I really wanted to carry for after work rides and supported races. I wanted to slim down without going Spartan as I am still a packrat by nature.

Laying out the Octane XC, it was obvious that I could not carry my existing tool kit in the pack. The kit was too big, so I needed to rethink that part.

One thing I did was to put together two under-seat tool packs for the SS Monkey and the Lev. Really, they are just a tube, patch kit, tire levers, and anything that is unique to the bike, for instance a spare der hanger for the Lev. That left the allen wrenches and chain tool, etc, for the hydration pack, but it slimmed down the kit quite a bit. My pump fit the Octane just fine, sliding alongside the bladder.

The Octane XC is a very nicely thought out design. At 70 oz water capacity, the external fill Omega HydroTanium bladder sits in an insulated pocket and uses the excellent Camelback bite valve. There is a zip pocket built into the cover flap with a key clip and net, good for cell phones, extra tools, whatever. Something that takes the Octane above the minimalist level is the bungee cord built onto the back of the pack. Great for a windbreaker, etc and will come in handy for shedding extra clothes. The little wings that wrap around at the waist are very handy stash pockets. Great for race day food or Ipods, etc, the pockets are reasonably accessible when wearing the pack.

The Air Director panel is designed to keep things cool where the pack sits against your back and overall the pack is very light. I will be using this for anything that is unsupported and under 3 hours or so and for supported races, so that means training time for the upcoming endurance race season.

Stay tuned.