The Evoc CC is another solid pack from Evoc that does not incorporate the companies back protection technologies. While a few other options might edge it out for our top picks, the Evoc CC 10l is still a great hydration pack for mountain bikers who love the Evoc style but don’t want an armored pack, and for whom the Evoc Stage is overkill.

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See Our Best Hydration Pack for Mountain Biking: MTB Hydration Pack Review!

Storage

At just 10l, the Evoc CC 10l sits toward the smaller end of the hydration packs that we reviewed. However, rather than opting for a three-liter water reservoir, like the CamelBak Lobo, the Evoc CC 10 opts for a two-liter water reservoir, leaving eight liters of gear storage. While we would prefer a larger reservoir, this setup will be ideal for riders who might still carry a bottle or two on their bike and need more room for gear in their pack.

From an organization standpoint, the Evoc CC 10 is top notch, just like the larger Evoc Stage 18. There is a fairly spacious and well divided quick access compartment on the front of the pack, with plenty of room for Co2, a spare tube, multitool, and a few Cliff bars. 

Above this, a U shaped zipper unzips about a third of the way down the pack to access the main compartment. Inside, there is plenty of room for a Tupperware container of lunch, and a few more odds and ends. You are really free to take advantage of this space because the smaller external pouch is large enough to hold some of the gear that will be relegated to the main compartment in most hydration packs. While the Evoc CC 10l does have a dedicated media compartment on the top of the pack, a mesh pocket at the top of the main compartment can fulfill this role as well, giving you more options for how to organize your gear.

Externally, the Evoc CC 10l takes a page out of the CamelBak Mule LR’s playbook and uses a rollout helmet flap, which tucks neatly out of the way when not in use. This goes with the slick aesthetic of the pack, and makes for one less thing to snag and tear.

All in all, the Evoc CC 10l feels like a larger pack than you might expect a 10l hydration pack to be. We think it seems more like the CamelBack MULE than the Lobo.

Comfort

Evoc has a reputation for making comfortable packs and the CC 10 is no exception. The shoulder straps are minimal, well ventilated, and padded enough for a pack of its size. It also features a wide, ultra-breathable mesh hip strap, which is a nice addition over the standard webbing hip strap that most packs this small come with. This all keeps the pack comfortable and stable over the roughest terrain that you can find.

If there is a shortcoming in the Evoc CC 10’s comfort, it is that it uses raised foam areas for ventilation. These are placed along the sides, and a full water reservoir causes the middle of the pack to bulge, resulting in a pack that does not ventilate as well as some.

Water Reservoir and Ease of Drinking

Unlike the Evoc Stage, the Evoc CC 10l does come with a 2l water reservoir. Unfortunately, it is not a great reservoir. It does utilize a zip opening, which makes it easier to fill than the CamelBak Crux reservoir. That is really its only advantage over either the CamelBak Crux or the Osprey Hydraulics reservoir. 

There is nothing terribly wrong with the Evoc CC 10l’s reservoir, there is just nothing special about it either. At the end of the day, it is easy enough to fill and you can drink out of it. This is a monumental step up from the Evoc Stage 18, which does not ship with a water reservoir at all.

The reservoir compartment itself is just a stretch panel in the main compartment. This makes it fairly easy to access, and it also means that if you choose to use a 3l water reservoir, you can easily do so, at the expense of a bit of space in the main compartment, which we think is a good trade, since the Evoc CC10l has such ample storage outside of the main compartment. 

Reservoirs don’t tend to have the same lifespan as a hydration pack, and when it is time for a new one, we would recommend running this pack with a CamelBak or Osprey 3l water reservoir.

Weight

Weighing in just shy of 700g, the Evoc CC10 is not a particularly light hydration pack, but it is not necessarily a heavy one either. It is fairly middle of the road in terms of weight, particularly when you consider that it feels like a significantly larger pack than its volume designation would lead you to believe.

What Did We Really Think?

Overall, the Evoc CC 10l is a solid hydration pack for mountain biking. While we are happy to see it ship with a water reservoir, which killed the otherwise perfect Evoc Stage 18’s rating, we wish the reservoir was a bit more on par with offerings from CamelBak and Osprey. Still, this is a great hydration pack for mountain bikers who want a bit more storage than the Osprey Lobo offers, but who want a bit more in the way of comfort and quality of life features than can be found on the CamelBak MULE.

Finally, its $130 price point is like most other aspects of this pack: good, but not great.

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