Drankful are crowdfunding a new Hydration Hip Pack for mountain bikers, describing it as the ultimate lumbar adventure pack. A 1.5L hydration bladder with dedicated internal compartment and magnetic hose clip, an offset magnetic buckle, deployable hidden water bottle pockets and a weatherproof exterior… this MTB Hip Pack seems to have it all. There’s also the Drankful Stealth Hydration Pack designed primarily for runners, but could also serve as the ultimate pack for enduro racing, too.
Drankful Hydration MTB Hip Pack
The new Drankful Hydration Hip Pack for mountain bikers looks killer. While it may not have the most radical aesthetic, it does cram a number of clever and useful design features into a relatively small package with a weatherproof exterior.
It’s primary function is hydration of course. The Drankful 1.5 Litre hydration bladder sits inside its own dedicated compartment, with a hose extending out either side of the rider’s waist to marry with a magnetic clip on the opposite side. The clip holds it in place securely so the hose doesn’t wildly flail about as you ride over rough terrain.
The compartment holding the hydration bladder is said to be ultra snug, leaving no room for the bladder and the water inside it to slosh about too much. That’s not the only water storage location, however. On each side of the pack are hidden elasticated pockets that can hold two full size water bottles. You might make use of these when headed out on a long adventure or gravel ride; they don’t look secure enough to hold onto the water bottles on anything too bumpy, though there is an elasticated cord you can deploy to wrap around the top of the bottle for a bit of additional security.
On each hip there is also a small zippered pocket, useful for storing items you’ll want quick, easy access to, like cash, keys or snacks. There’s also a larger pocket on the front of the main compartment where you could store a multi-tool and a phone.
One for the Runners and Enduro Racers
Though primarily aimed at runners, it’s easy to see that the Drankful Stealth Hydration Pack could serve enduro racers very well. While we may regularly go out on a trail ride around the local woods with the absolute bare minimum, enduro racers need to be self sufficient over the course of a race. Many of the Pros put a lot of thought into optimizing their setup to carry the food, spares and tools they might need over the course of a day’s racing.
To me, the Drankful Stealth Hydration Pack looks to be a good solution. It holds the 1.5 Litre bladder in a dedicated pocket which sits against the small of the rider’s back, said to act like a pillow. Above that is a separate storage compartment secured by a magnetic closure, where there looks to be plenty of room for a waterproof jacket, tools and spares.
The pack is constructed a bit like a jacket, with two buckles that wrap around the wearer’s chest and waist to secure the pack close against the body to prevent unnecessary movement. On the front are two zippered pockets for those easy access items such as snacks, cash or a whistle (to call for help if you find yourself in a ditch).
Pricing & Availability
The Drankful Hydration MTB Waist Pack, Stealth Hydration Pack and Runners Waist Pack (the smallest in the image above) are available for pre-order now through Drankful’s Kick Starter campaign. Pledging $69 USD gets you the Mountain Bike Waist Pack with reservoir and drinking tube included. A pledge of $99 USD gets you the Drankful Stealth Hydration Pack. Those deals are only available on Day 1 (today, at time of writing) of the Kick Starter campaign. Shipping is expected in December of 2021.
