What hydration pack should I buy as a Christmas gift?

You Are Here:

Home >> Gear >> What hydration pack should I buy as a Christmas gift?

View the entire 300-plus collection of must-have gear items tailor-made for your adventurous lifestyle. PLUS: A special section on womens gear.

Today's Question
How long should I hang on to my sleeping bag? answer

Which light-weight gear will work best on the Appalachian Trail? answer

Today's Question
What is the best pair of yoga pants? answer

Is a women's bike frame always the best fit? answer

Skin Care

Gear Upgrade

Make a Ski Sling

Online Favorites

Special Issues

Photo Galleries

October 07, 2002

What hydration pack should I buy as a Christmas gift?

I'm looking for a recommendation for hydration packs as Christmas gifts for my brother and his girlfriend. They live in the Bay Area and do a lot of outdoor activities such as trail biking, hiking, and climbing. Would you recommend the same model for each of them, or different ones?

— Verna
Washington, DC

Got your own gear question?

How's this? Buy the CHEAPEST ones you can find! Honestly, hydration packs are a mystery to me. I mean, what was the problem they solved? In all the years I hiked, climbed, biked, or skied before the advent of hydration packs, I never once suffered from extreme dehydration, nor can I recall coming across anyone who did. We used water bottles, which cost on average $2, and everything was just ducky. Now it seems you can't break a sweat without a $90 pack strapped to your back that's too small to carry anything besides the hard-to-manage water bladder and maybe a few candy bars. I don't understand it.

But, enough of my ranting. I do at times carry a hydration pack, mainly on long, hot bike rides where the big bladder in the pack cuts out the need to find water. So I do see, to an extent, their utility. But they're basically just water bottles with straps attached, so there's no reason in my mind for the current ultra high-tech trend in this market. The Camelback Classic ($40) is a perfectly good, basic hydration pack. So too is the Cascade Designs Breakaway Plus (also $40). The Ultimate Direction Shadow (also $40—I sense a trend here) is a good fanny-pack design. And, if you really feel obligated to splurge, the Gregory Intertia ($110) provides decent pack space in addition to the bladder-and-tube assembly.

RECENT QUESTIONS

How long should I hang on to my sleeping bag?

Which light-weight gear will work best on the Appalachian Trail?

Is there a shoe that acts like a light-hiker shoe but looks at home in the office?

Can you help me lighten my backpacking load?

Which shell will keep me dry and warm, without overheating, for winter running?

GEAR GUY FEATURES

Check out the bio of Douglas Gantenbein, aka the Gear Guy.

Readers' Mailbag: The Gear Guy digs into some of your more bizarre, obscure (and let�s face it, downright weird) posts from years gone by to see if he can make sense of it all, or if it�s just time to run up the white flag. Previous column: Beat the Cost of Gear.

The Gear Guy reports from the 2005 Outdoor Retailer summer trade fair, with his rundown of ten products to watch in 2006, plus the inside scoop on what shook down at the bi-annual gearapalooza.

MORE GEAR

The Outside Gear Blog

2005 Buyer's Guide

State of the Art: 2005 Bikes

Many of the items reviewed by the Gear Guy can be found at REI.com. Click here to find the internet's biggest selection of outdoor gear and apparel.

TODAY'S NEWS UPDATE!
America's Best Races: Vote Now!
Outside is looking for America's Best Races, and we want your input. This survey has only two ...