The Camelback Rogue

Defensive Concepts

    Aaah yes, training at HK, a week of fun and frolic with my teammates in

Virginia......in the middle of July. Whoa, full stop, time to think about hydration. Days in

the 90's with matching humidity. Scratch that make it looong days in the 90's with

matching humidity. Off I go to the local sporting goods store. They have a Camelback

Rogue in stock, the yellow highlights and reflective strips aren't exactly tactical but what

the heck. I can always use it during my cycling training for the next triathlon.

    The unit comes with a 70 ounce Omega reservoir. The Omega is an improvement on

the older models since the fill mouth is big enough to stick your forearm in. Makes filling

and, more importantly, cleaning a whole lot easier. The mouthpiece is the standard bite

and suck arrangement. The carrier is basic black with the afore mentioned yellow and

reflective highlights. The bulk of it is rip stop nylon. There are two small pockets that you

could stow a power bar or two, some water purification tabs if needed or other small

items. The pockets have some fast draining mesh. The shoulder harness is easily adjusted

and has a chest strap to make the piece more secure during heavy activity.

    This equipment works. No leaks and water on demand. One thing for tactical

operators. I didn't do any shooting with the Rogue on before going to school. The first

day on the range all my shots are going left, way left. At first I thought it was operator

error, and in a way I was right. I was experimenting with HK's shooting stance and

thought that was it. Went back to my old stance and found the rounds were still going far

left. Thinking it through I realized the only difference was the Rogue on my back. The left

shoulder strap was cinched tighter than the right and pulled my upper torso left and....you

get the idea. Just a little reminder to test every piece of equipment before you use it.

    One final thing, to test the insulation I left the Rogue on a loading table in the Virginia

sun all day. There isn't much worse than sucking down hot water when you're thirsty.

Except having no water when you're thirsty. The water in the drinking tube would heat

up. When I got to the what was in the reservoir it was as cold as when I filled it that

morning. If you're going to be out in the sun with this or any other Camelback, it's worth

it to pick up the insulating sleeve for the drinking tube.

    The only thing I would change on the Rogue is how the reservoir is secured in the

carrier. The mouth of the reservoir is jammed through a hole in the carrier locking it in.

It's secure but a pain in the neck to take out when cleaning it.

    I would recommend the Camelback Rogue. The non-tactical carrier isn't that big a

deal to me. Wear it under your vest or BDU top and don't worry about it. Mine does

double duty, as triathlon gear. When I'm on a bicycle the color and reflective strips are

probably a good idea. If you're using yours strictly as operational equipment Cameleback

has the same model in more discreet colors.