Camelbak BFM Mil Spec Antidote Hydration Backpack

This low review is for the backpack not the seller. The seller is good, has great customer support and provided quick response when I returned the first pack I got. This is a good backpack but the build quality and materials have gone down and I am not sure it is worth the price any more. My previous Camelbak BFM was built like a rock and lasted 12 years with constant daily use. The only reason I had to replace it is because the zippers finally started to give out and there was no way to replace them. The new backpack is made out of much thinner material and I doubt it will last as long given the load that I carry in it and the amount of travel that I do. I don't know if Camelbak switched factories over the past 12 years but the quality of the sewing has gone down drastically. I had to return the first pack that I got because there were so many loose threads and poorly sewn seams. The second pack was better but still, the quality of the sewing and internal finish is nowhere near the quality of the sewing on my 12 year old pack. The holes for the hydration tube are the worst part. They are heat cut and sealed, not sewn. This means that some of the edges are razor sharp. So be very careful near that area.It will be interesting to see how this pack holds up during the upcoming years and I hope I will be able to come back in a year or two and update my review with a better rating. BTW, I also called up Camelbak customer support to ask them about the build quality of the new backpacks but they were completely useless.

I have the original CamelBak BFM and never had a problem with it even after years of heavy usage. The new BFM I purchased as a Christmas gift and not even 5 months of very light use has resulted in a top outside pocket tare. Not happy. Planning on seeing what the munufacturer has to say.

The quality of Camelbak has declined, unfortunately, though the price has not. I had one of these for 5-7 years, before the front compartment zipper finally gave out. For the one I bought just ten months ago, the front compartment zipper has already given out. There are two zipper pulls, and one of them came off the teeth just a couple of months after I bought it, but it still worked fine with one pull remaining. However, the second one came off at ten months of ownership. Camelbak still has the lifetime warranty, but if they send me a new backpack with the same quality, I'm afraid I'll have to buy a different brand. I use my backpack daily, commuting on my bicycle, so a product of shoddy quality isn't acceptable

This review is for the product, not the seller. I bought what I think to be the second generation BFM about three years ago. I was extremely pleased with the size, material, features and quality put into the product. Unfortunately the U.S. Army is phasing out the UCP pattern and soon I will no longer be able to field the BFM. So, I made the mistake of purchasing the new BFM in the Multicam pattern, what I believe to be the third generation by Camelbak. I say mistake because I take a lot of time researching a backpack and reading product reviews because it is such a necessary object in my daily life especially being in the military. I need a tough pack that has massive amounts of room and and features and can stand the test of time in some rough climates and conditions. When I looked at the BFM I immediately noticed the laser cut molle, I personally think this looks very cheap and I feel like its going to be less durable, although I haven't tested this theory. But I over looked a minor detail as I usually don't attach much to that area for very long anyway. So I went ahead and ordered the pack with basically no research into what turns out to be a very different BFM. Now, what I didn't realize, is that the laser cut molle is a sign of some major changes that Camelbak made to seemingly cut cost. Pay attention to the zippers on the main compartment. You are supposed to be able to access the bag through the top as well as the bottom without having to open the entire bag. The zippers are backwards, only letting me access only one side at a time. Then I noticed that Camelbac has gotten rid of the zipper flap all together. The pack is now significantly less water resistant. Good thing Camelbac incorporates a lot of drain holes right? Wrong. What used to be two drain holes for the main compartment and one for the second largest compartment is now just one drain hole for the main compartment and none for the second largest compartment. So now they added significantly less draining capabilities to a more water prone area. I also noticed the leather patch that was on the older packs in the lower back area was just completely taken out of the new design. This potentially takes away from the packs long term durability. The padding for the back has significantly less channels for airflow making for a very uncomfortable situation in hotter climates. To further take away form the quality are the shoulder straps. Now, on a 72 hour pack there tends to be a lot of weight involved, why would you take away from the padding on the shoulder straps making them less comfortable and less durable? Also, the stitching at a glance seems much nicer as they added a circle x pattern. But on a closer look I realized that the stitching is actually significantly worse. They ran a pass or two with the sewing machine and called it good. My old BFM had a nice durable cross pattern making it better for more weight. Im just baffled at the closed minded thinking of Camelbac's design team. The've turned an exceptional pack into an over priced school bag. I am just completely disappointed in the backward thinking and poor decision making to save a few dollars. I will definitely be looking into returning this bag.

I compared the "new" BFA to the "out of production" BFA (both are sold on Amazon.com and you can tell by the molle pattern). The Camelbak website dimensions have the new BFA as much smaller but that is not the case. I think Camelbak didn't put the correct dimensions as the "new" BFA seems to be the same size as the older version. It is much lighter and solid construction. The color selections are only black and tan according to the Camelbak website. It would have been nice to have a larger selection, especially OD / green. If you have never seen the BFA, be prepared for the size as this is a much larger backpack i.e. 3 day pack and nothing like the standard Camelbak product line.