Anyone know where to find Camelbak products in Pattaya? Need something like that for day long hikes, without taking bottles. Anywhere in Pattaya is not too far.

The big sports shop in central has them, at the back somewhere, loads of them - not cheap though!

http://www.camelbakthailand.com/

Thanks for the replies, no, they are not cheap!

Years ago (actually decades) when bottled water wasn't as ubiquitous as it is today, I tried all kinds of expensive water containers.

Today, I carry bottled water in the plastic bags they give me when I buy them.

The plastic bottles cost nothing, weigh less than any expensive contraption I've tried and crush down to fit in the same plastic bag I used to carry them up the hill. Best of all, I don't have to clean, disinfect, store or later find them again.

If I want to get real fancy, I buy one of those nylon cloth bags with a drawstring to tie on my belt loop or backpack, but even those seem like a waste of money when they always put my water into a perfectly good plastic bag with loops that serve the same purpose.

Of course, if you're hauling whiskey instead of water, all bets are off.

Yes, your right, bottles are the cheapest and maybe even the best, but I spend a lot of time IN the water, and need to carry drinking water, but I dont want the flotation, when the bottle is empty, or have to stop and open up a back pack, to drink, so that is why I was thinking about the Camelbak. Probably if I use my head, I could come up with something a lot cheaper, but it has to work properly. I have been making do, with small bottles, but then they start floating away!

I bought mine about 7 years ago from an American military base in Bahrain costing me approx 1,000 baht. The prices on the Thai website seem to have gone higher.

Look around before going direct. See if you can find a bargain on the internet.

Im not talking 2nd hand but the one i bought is double the price it was 7 years ago.

Or find a friend in the military who will source you 1 at a cheaper price (if you have a friend in the military that is)

Numchai Bicycle shop in Naklua used to have them, and cheaper copies - no idea if they still do, though.

Thanks, and maybe other bike shops have them as well.

You might give ebay a shot as there are numerous new Camelbaks that end up selling for about a third of the retail price or less. The military issue ones go often for around ten dollars US. Another option is the discount cycling sites that sell discontinued lines. I was going to replace my nine year old Camelbak last week but the 5000 baht retail price in Chiang Mai for the same unit was a bit shocking.

Yes, your right, bottles are the cheapest and maybe even the best, but I spend a lot of time IN the water, and need to carry drinking water, but I dont want the flotation, when the bottle is empty, or have to stop and open up a back pack, to drink, so that is why I was thinking about the Camelbak. Probably if I use my head, I could come up with something a lot cheaper, but it has to work properly. I have been making do, with small bottles, but then they start floating away!

Many plastic bottles today are so thin that they can be crushed down to the volume of the water inside so they don't have air. I'm thinking about the lime green colored water bottles in Thailand, though I don't recall the brand.

Add one of those pull up lids like you find on ketchup or chocolate syrup bottles and I never have to remove the lid to drink. A lot of "sports water" brands come with that type of top in the USA, but I haven't paid attention in Thailand.

I'm not saying there aren't great applications for higher tech, higher $$$ gear. But I have found that the "concept" of a lot of that gear far exceeds their actual practicality. For example, I'd worry about leaving my $50 water carrying device on the beach for a swim, but wouldn't think twice about leaving a cheapo bottle of water, doubting anyone would steal that.

Anyway, thanks for the back and forth. It's nice to have civil discussions.

Lots of camelbak's on e-bay, but not cheap, and most e-bay adds say, "cannot ship to Thailand". I guess if you live in the land of scams, then there is a price to pay!

Smart Alec post removed