Camelbak introduced the hardcore-race oriented

Racebak

to time-trialling road bikers, who loved it. It even showed up on the backs of ProTour riders. But what about us? Mountain bikers like to race, too, and we have different needs than those guys on skinny tires. When we get a flat, we've got to fix it, ourselves. There's no team car to roll up and hand us a new bike. We might need an extra layer if we're racing a 24-hour gig, and we definitely shouldn't take our hands off the bars long enough to reach down and grab a bottle. We don't know if it was part of the plan our Camelbak's engineer's just felt sorry for us, but they've given us the XLP; the Racebak for mountain bikers.

The XLP is an extra light pack (0.64 pounds) that's heavy on race-specific performance. It's simple design keeps everything easily accessible for those anaerobic, thought-deprived moments of panic on the course. Unzip the small main compartment and the first thing you see is a bandolier for holding CO

₂

cartridges and devices. There's also an open mesh organizer pocket for a tool, and room for tubes as well, but that's about it. Hey it's a

race pack

, remember? Right below the zippered pocket is a large, stretchy, open pouch which can hold an extra layer, nutrition, or any other item you might need to grab quickly. 72 ounces of water capacity in an Omega Hydrotanium antibacterial reservoir rounds out the XLP. Get one of these and you'll spend

less

time on the trail, you rocket ship.

Features

• 72 ounce Omega Hydrotanium reservoir
• 100 cubic inches of cargo capacity
• 14.5" x 9" x 5"
• Weighs 0.64 pounds
• Air Channel lightweight back panel
• Ultralight 3D Mesh with Slider SternumStrap harness
• Ultra-light materials
• Short torso sits above jersey pockets
• 4-Way stretch material
• Pocket and holders for CO₂ cartridges and pump plus multi-tool