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Hydration Review

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September 10, 2017 Comments (0) Uncategorized

Cotopaxi Veloz Three

Appearance

Like most Cotopaxi products, the Veloz Three looks good. The color scheme is good. It has a simple, sleek, low profile. When I asked my wife her first impression, she said I looked terrible, but she liked the overall appearance of the pack. Personally, I’m not a fan of the appearance of the Hook closure in front.

 

 


Fit

The pack fit OK. Maybe I had the sizing wrong, but no matter how much I adjusted it, I could never get it to feel 100% comfortable. One thing I look for when reviewing a pack is if I forget that I’m wearing it. With the Veloz, I was always aware it was there. On a 15 mile run in the Uintas, by the time I finished, I couldn’t wait to take it off due to the harness rubbing uncomfortably on my left shoulder/clavicle. I spent the whole run trying to adjust the pack to eliminate the irritation, which seemed to stem from where the hydration hose retainer was attached to the Cruz harness, creating a stiff area on the harness.

 

 


Function

The Bandolier style harness straps seem to be a good idea. The Zippered pockets are fairly easy to access and create plenty of storage area for a phone, nutrition or other small accessories. The pockets are big enough that you could even throw in a lightweight shell. The disadvantage to the pockets is that they are so big, the zipper so long, and I felt that if I was trying to dig something out of the bottom part of the pocket, it would be easy to dislodge other small items.

The aluminum hook closure gets a thumbs up for its simplicity and how it keeps the straps secure. But, the loop the hook attaches to is a bit tight, making it hard to thread the hook. It typically took 3-4 tries to finally get it secured correctly.

The Hydrapak reservoir is always a good addition to a hydration pack, and it was very easy to access and secure in the Hydration sleeve. The large pocket on the back provides plenty of room for a light jacket and other related items. I easily fit a fly reel, small box of flies, long sleeve shirt, light gloves and beanie, and a headlamp.


Overall

A decent pack. Overall fit and function were good. Appearance is excellent. The drawbacks were the difficulty in securing the hook and loop closure (maybe user error?) and the pack never really “disappearing” during use.

 

 


Specs:

70D Robic nylon shell
Low-profile, laminated Cruz harness
Simple aluminum hook connection point
Airmesh back panel
Vertical zippered main compartment
Built-in hydration sleeve
Hydration reservoir included (2L)
2 zippered pockets on harness
Stretchy hydration hose retainer
Internal mesh pocket
Separate internal light sleeve
Unisex


 

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