The Camelbak Cortez is a must-have accessory for all but the shortest kayak adventures! Once you try it, you will never leave the dock without it! It holds 3 liters, and when first filled with ice, and then with cold water, it will keep its cool for several hours, even under continuous summer Florida Keys sun! The silver-ish container color seems to do a good job reflecting most of the sunlight, but not so much that there is a glare in the eyes. The orange tube insulation seems more decorative than functional, as any water in the tube will get warm between drinks. I find it best to blow the water in the tube back into the container after drinking.
It has its own little criss-cross bungees to make up for the bungee space it takes up on the forward deck of your kayak. There is even a little zipper at the bottom where you can store lip wax or other small items. It has a non-skid bottom surface to help it stay put on the kayak deck. It even comes with a handy whistle clipped to the drinking tube, and of course has all of the standard hydration pack features one expects from Camelbak, like interior webbed reservoir, large filling opening, quick detach tube, bite valve cover, etc. There are definitely reasons why Camelbak is a leader in the active outdoor activities hydration business.
When I first got this water pack, It seemed to me that the hooks for attaching it to the kayak bungees might be a bit small, and the gates on them might possibly be susceptible to damage with repeated use. However, after over a year of use, they all still work just fine. Not counting required gear like a paddle and PFD, this is definitely the best, and most used, kayak accessory that I have, and I highly recommend it!
