My usual hydration setup for racing, which works for touring as well, is a two liter bottle secured behind my seat with the tube running up inside my spray skirt (not between the skirt and the coaming) to a carabiner clipping it to my PFD at the shoulder. The home made connections are press fit and designed to pull apart with any degree of strain. They are secure as long as I am in the boat, but disconnect almost imperceptibly with any kind of pull on them. Because the tube runs next to my body it is out of the way and not a hazard.

The only real drawback, for me, was that the original Camelback bite valves were too small for me to get enough liquid through between breathing gasps. I had to suck it up the tube from the container and then block the tube with my tongue between gulps so that it wouldn't all run back into the bottle. I got pretty good at biting down on the tube to keep it in my mouth, blocking the tube to keep it from draining, and sucking air around that mouthful. The new bigger bite valves should alleviate that, but I haven't tried them yet.

> Instead of wearing your camelbak or having it on the deck. Why not secure
> it behind the sit on floor. I can see a few reasons for stowing it there.
> Your center of gravity is lower. The water will stay cooler - it won't be
> in the sun nor is it touching your body. Some Camelbak's have a long hose,
> if the hose is not long enough replace it. All you have to when you get
> in, is run the hose up between the coming and the spray skirt behind you
> and you're set for a day of relaxation.