Hydration Reservoirs

Recent Hydration Reservoir Reviews

Hydrapak Shape-Shift 3L

No hydration system lasts forever, and after one of our older ones sprung a leak (family hikes = multiple hydration systems), we tried the HydraPak Shape-Shift because we were impressed by its light weight and affordable price. And it offers more—a great bite valve, an interesting and effective top opening, and an internal baffle that opens to make this the easiest-to-clean hydration reservoir I have ever used. Nothing but happy with this one. INTRODUCTION   I have started to realize that I’m… Full review

MSR Dromedary Bags

OK, so I have had two of these bags now for over 20 years with heavy use and long-term storage and they still work!! No leaks just lost tops. Bought two 1-liter bags back in the '90s which saw heavy use during the first couple of years and then many years of storage. Most recently they were used on a month-long bike tour and amazingly still had no leaks even after a couple of crashes. If you want a water container that can do it all and come out the other side this is for you...not the lightest… Full review

MSR Dromedary Bags

Versatile water bladder with a great cap design. I have an older version of their medium (6l) bag. Very tough construction, this bag has seen 30 years of hard use and has not failed. I like the 3-in-1 cap design very much; the larger thread is the same as a Nalgene, with a smaller threaded cap and integrated, flip out pour spout. It fits my filter, allows me to meter pours, and will provide a small stream for rinsing utensils. I hang it from a tree and use this as a versatile way to dispense camp… Full review

Evernew Water Carry

Looking for a quality, ultralight water carrying system that will go the distance? Evernew's 2.0 liter Water Carry hydration pack (EBY208) is made for weight-conscious hikers who desire a soft bottle option for transporting water. Lightweight and compatible with the Sawyer filtration system, it is a great choice for footing it through the backcountry. The Evernew EBY208 (the largest of Evernew’s three soft bottle options) is a lightweight, flexible water storage container. Also known as a soft… Full review

Evernew Water Carry

This is a review of the 2 Liter Evernew Water Carry reservoir (EBY208) but also of my gravity filtering system, incorporating a Sawyer Squeeze filter, a Sawyer Blue Coupling, plastic water bottles, and some lightweight line. A key feature of the Evernew Water Reservoir is that the threads are compatible with Sawyer filters. I have also found it to be far more durable than the stock Sawyer reservoirs. This setup is a simple, effective, reliable, inexpensive, lightweight, and hands-free way of filtering… Full review

Cnoc Outdoors Vecto

Great idea, very poor execution. First, getting the slider off the bag is ridiculously hard. I have to push the slider against a door jamb and try to slip the bag out of the slider. Try that when you're in the back country. Second, screwing the filter onto the bag is, again, ridiculously hard. The threads on the bag are too small and/or soft to make the process easy. If the white gasket on the filter is the least bit off kilter, the connection doesn't work. I had such high hopes and was sorely disappointed. Full review

Cnoc Outdoors Vecto

Solid water storage. The material the Vecto is built with is several notches above any other. It's superior in its ability to take abuse and withstand being full and packed tight in a pack, dropped on the ground, thrown etc. No worries about it leaking or bursting inside your pack. Capacity is 2L+. The wide mouth opening is easy to use when scooping from shallow streams or water sources. The locking strap ensures this thing is not coming open in your pack and can easily hang from any thing without… Full review

MSR Dromedary Bags

I have two of these, the 4 litre and the 2 litre. They are the older Cordura type and I was kind of hesitant to review them at first because of a recall of some of them due to leaching of a chemical used in manufacturing, but after consulting the store where I purchased them (Mountain Equipment Co-op) I was assured they did not carry the version that were recalled in the late '90s.  I have been using these two water bladders for close to 20 years. They were one of my first purchases when I started… Full review

Hydrapak Shape-Shift 3L

My next hydration bladder. After purchasing a Hydrapak Stash 750 ml and being very satisfied with its taste(less)ness? I searched for Hydrapak's hydration bladder options in order to replace my Source Widepak (still performs perfectly btw, just wanted to upgrade).I came to choose the Shape-Shift 3L because of the same materials used in the Stash and its versatility.Take some time to read the instructions. Especially the opening/closing is essential. Beyond lifetime guarrantee. Your grandkids are… Full review