FOG HORN November 2019

Twobirds Flying Publications

CAMELBAK’s BFM™ 100OZ MIL SPEC CRUX

Copyright 2019, Towbirds Flying Publications. All Rights Reserved.

 CAMELBAK’s BFM™ 100OZ MIL SPEC CRUX
CAMELBAK’s BFM™ 100OZ MIL SPEC CRUX
By: Sal Palma
One more backpack is never too many,
especially when you’re talking about
CAMELBAK’s BFM™ 100OZ MIL SPEC CRUX.
This pack is so well conceived that it made it
into my upcoming Holiday Shopping
recommendations. I can’t say enough good
things about it. Where do I start?
I’ll start at the back from the hydration
pocket. The CAMELBAK folks have extensive
experience in load bearing applications and
one of the things they’ve done in the CRUX
is allowing the hydration bladder to sit
lower in the pack, this is in addition to their
usual reservoir stabilization techniques.
That decision allows the weight of the three
liter bladder to be evenly distributed at the
hips. Does it make a difference? Gazillions!
2019
Dealing with reservoir tubes can be a pain
with less than professionally designed
packs. CAMELBAK includes two drink tube
exit ports located directly underneath the
shoulder straps. That implementation
allows a painless routing of the drink tube
over the shoulder straps or under the arm.
At the very top of the pack, CRUX includes
dual antenna ports to complement an ASIPS
Radio. I don’t pack a software definable
radio but the antenna ports are a great
convenience in routing cables for other
devices or even smart devices headphones.
Copyright 2019, Towbirds Flying Publications. All Rights Reserved.
 CAMELBAK’s BFM™ 100OZ MIL SPEC CRUX 2019

Moving forward to the main compartment;

I can only describe it as first class all the
way around. It offers a whopping 50 L / CAMELBAK uses the Mystery Ranch Futura
3053 cu in. of gear capacity. I really love the harness, which I’ll unwaveringly call the
high quality of its main compartment, best harness I’ve come across. The Futura
especially the tailored lining. harness and back panel adjusts to fit long
and short torsos. It’s comfortable,
You have a large
distributes the load across the back nicely
amount of storage
and is very stable, in conjunction with the
and CAMELBAK
sternum and waist straps, this pack feels
includes a four
like an extension of your back rather than
zipper scheme that
an object being humped around.
creates multiple
access points to
the compartment
regardless of
orientation.

Continuing forward there is a full-zip

clamshell opening pocket housing an
“admin pouch” like pocket. There is plenty
of room for pens, markers, small note pads
or dope book. It’s a great compartment for
things like a GPS receiver, lensatic compass
and topographic map - easily accessible as
well as secure. There are several other noteworthy
features like the low-profile Mountain™
MOLLE panel on the front side, and the

Copyright 2019, Twobirds Flying Publications, All Rights Reserved

 CAMELBAK’s BFM™ 100OZ MIL SPEC CRUX 2019
upper and lower compression straps to Manufacturer Specifications:
keep things tight. CAMELBAK also includes a
 COLLECTION: Hydration Plus Cargo
strap management system to keep things
tidy and in an orderly military manner.  USER: Unisex

 HYDRATION CAPACITY: 3L/100 oz.

 HYDRATION TYPE: Mil Spec CRUX™

Reservoir with Quicklink™ System

 BPA/BPS/BPF FREE: Yes

 QUICK LINK DISCONNECT: Yes

 GEAR CAPACITY: 50 L / 3053 cu in

CAMELBAK’s BFM™ 100OZ MIL SPEC CRUX  PACK WEIGHT: 2.6 kg / 5.6 lb.
is one of the best packs I’ve had the
 DIMENSIONS: 58 x 48 x 38 cm / 22.8
opportunity to review in quite some time.
x 18.9 x 15 in
It’s a military grade load bearing system
that is innovative, flexible and durable. At
an M.S.R.P. of $300, plus $40 to $50 for the
reservoir, it’s not inexpensive, but you’ll be
getting something that will serve your
needs for years to come. Everything on this
pack is top of the line, period end of
sentence.

-SP

Copyright 2019, Twobirds Flying Publications, All Rights Reserved