Hydrapak had quite a few things to show off in their booth this year, including these new insulated water bottles. While an insulated bottle is nothing new, a bottle with actual PrimaLoft insulation is. Utilizing a full double wall construction with the PrimaLoft sandwiched in the middle, the bottle remains very flexible but still with excellent insulative properties.
Check out more on the insulate bottles, new bladders, and a few new bags after the break!
Currently, the insulated bottle is available in a 20 oz bottle with Hydrapak’s high flow valve. While it doesn’t have quite the sophistication of a Camelbak Podium, or Specialized Purist bite valve, the Hydrapak valve is removable for easy cleaning and does push a lot of water.
Maybe the biggest news from Hydrapak, is the introduction of their new Shape Shift baffled bladder. Like other designs, the addition of the baffle keeps the bladder flat, and prevents “suasaging” inside your bag. The downside of baffle though, is that it can make cleaning the bladder more difficult as it prevents turning the bladder inside out. To address this, Hydrapak incorporated basically a giant ZipLok into the design to create the baffle. To clean it you simply turn the bladder inside out and disconnect the lock, allowing you full access to the inside. The mechanism seemed to attach very firmly, so the chance of it coming undone simply due to water pressure seems unlikely. Of course the reservoirs maintain the slide lock closure, and Plug-N-Play quick disconnect hose Hydrapak is known for.
To go along with the updated bladders, Hydrapak has updated two of it’s most popular pack as well, with a new Morro and Jolla. The Morro is their middle weight pack, with 800 cubic inches of storage and the new 100 oz Shape-Shift reservoir. Changes for 2012 include a larger bottom storage pocket, increased reflectivity, a new ventilated harness system, and storage pockets on the removable waist belt.
The Jolla on the other hand is their big pack with 1100 cubic inches of storage, and the 100 oz Shape-Shift reservoir as well. The new Jolla is a top loading design with a narrower profile, so the bag doesn’t seem so big when filled to capacity. Features include the same ventilated harness as the Morro, as well as a removable toolkit bag built into the fleece lined top pocket, two bottle pockets, and side pockets on the removable waist strap.
Other than the relatively low weight of the packs, one of the things that caught my interest was how ventilated the harness seemed to be. With foam inserts in strategic locations, the Morro looked to be extremely comfortable on long rides. We should have one of the new Morros on review shortly, so keep your eyes peeled.
