Barney's Pack and a hydration bag

[Professor]

Anyone sporting a Barney's frame and bag. I picked one up used recently and it is a beast. I have been out with it twice now training and it is by far the most comfortable pack I have ever had on my back. My one issue is that there is no accommodation for a hydration bladder. My MR Selway has the sleeve and cut out to hand the bag and run the tube. Anyone made any modifications to their bag to hang a hydration bladder?

 

[Yellowknife]

I used to stick one in the lid. That worked.

That pack bag is mounted oddly low. They usually ride in the top pin, although I’ve seen one mounted in custom drilled holes at kinda a mid point. You do that purpose?


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[Professor]

Yes. It was mounted at the top. It is the Moose bag and is not nearly as deep as the Hunter, Pinnacle, or Yukon. No matter how I packed, it was always top-heavy, so I slid it down to the bottom. It did not require drilling any new holes. Now it rides like a dream.

There is no lid on the pack.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

I run a barneys, but never needed a hydration bladder. I think their intention was that if you're man enough to carry the pack you don't need a hydration bladder.

 

[Professor]

hmmm?
Do not have to have one, but 10 mile hikes in 90 degrees and 90+ humidity demands a lot of fluids. Stopping every half hour to pull a water bottle out of the pack is not the most efficient way to re-hydrate.

 

[Yellowknife]

Yeah, those things were designed decades before the invention of bladders, and I rarely used one with mine. (given, I live in a much cooler climate) I'm sure you could modify it with minimal cutting and sewing. On other packs I've had luck with a bit of paracord and a small "key-ring" type carabiner to hang it and just ran the hose out under the lid.

However, you may want to look at another older school option. Given the limited capacity of the bag you have, it makes sense to mount a canteen pouch on the waist belt instead of tying up volume. Might take some rigging, but I like one tucked right back at the frame out of the way. As a bonus, I feel less like a gerbil when I can drink that way.

And for an even simpler option, I have used Vapur bottles quite a bit the last few years. They have a built in clip, and I just attach them to the bottom of the shoulder strap, and they hang flat and relatively out of the way.