They are very tempting. But I can figure if the elite serie is bladder compatible.
Anyone uses one? Are they bike friendly (aka can I fit my camelback bladder in and bungee the knee pads easily?)
i don't think the elite range has a seperate hydration pack sleeve.
The race-pro series are actually explicitly described as hydration packs on the inov-8 website. I've got a race-pro 18... this range uses the horizontal inov8 bladders which are very very good (basically the bladder sits horizontally around your lower back/towards hips, which I MUCH prefer).
inov8 stuff also tends to be made from very lightweight material. Something to think about if you're strapping pads on (both from a weight of pads point of view and if you're prone to falling off!).
I have an elite 20 and it does have a sleeve for a hydration pack aswell as hose exit.
Not sure about putting knee pads on it, I can have a look at it later and let you know
I was expecting a thread on wig storage 🙁
matt jng thanks.
The ratio price/weight seems bargainous :d
It is stupidly light. I got mine for the OMM this year and it worked perfectly all weekend and was actually comfortable, which is good, considering it has no back padding. The straps on the outside are surprisingly good too, managed to carry quite a few things in them.
As mentioned above though, it is very thin, so I am not sure how much abuse it will take which may be worth bearing in mind
The elite range of inov8 rucksacks don't have any hydration sleeves or holes for the bladder pipe to come through.
It is just a very lighweight bag, no extras at all. I use a 20l for most multi-day events and tend to put a bottle carrier on the straps and carry a 500ml bottle.
If you are looking for bike friendly 20l then look at the other inov8 range (i think pro) as they are bladder compatible or go for an OMM sack as they are heavier but have more bells and whistles.
Got the OMM sack as well as tjhe inov8 elite and the OMM is my favorite all round bag.
I second OMM, i have the 25, its an awesome bit of kit.
Is it possible to put a 3 L Camelbak bladder in the Pro 12 or 18 or in the Elite 15? Difficult to tell from the Inov-8 website. I know that the Pro series are compatible with their own horizontal system but I already have a load of bladders which I want to continue using. Is there space in the Elite 15 for one? I reckon you'd be able to run the hose out of the top of the zip on the bag and the straps apparently have guides for a bladder but have no idea whether it is tall enough for a bladder.
http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detail.asp?PG=PG2&P=5050973014&L=26
Great pice of kit and you'll get your knee pads in that mesh thing at the back no problem.
I've found it very light and fairly robust. The bladder is clever but a faff to access ( particularly if you want to top up from Burns en route) Having said all that I wouldnt go back to a vertical bladder system so the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
I don't know about the Elite 15, but the Elite25 has a pocket in the back for a hydration bladder, and a tube exit on the top right of the bag.
I guess that I may have a newer version than ajf above, because mine definitely has a hose exit. I use it with a hydration bladder quite often, and have had no problems.