At some point on a ride, after a ride, or at a camp site, you’re going to want more than the trickle from your bite valve. Sure, you can have a friend stand on your hydration pack as you squeeze the valve (or just place the bag higher than the valve), but if you really want pressurized water on demand Hydrapak has a solution. Their new Hydrant gives you plenty of water on demand, but you’ll need a military spec bladder to get it…
Attached at the end of a fairly standard hydration tube, the Hydrant consists of a one way valve and a squeeze chamber. At the show Hydrapak had a cooler that they were blasting water into ever few minutes to demonstrate – it really pushes a lot of water. You can drink from the vavle as well, but having the Hydrant attached to your hydration pack may be a bit much.
To get it, you’ll need to purchase either the Trek Kit or Full-Force bladder, both of which uses a stronger military spec film. The Trek Kit uses a QR Cap that can either use a bite valve or a more flexible silicone hose with the Hydrant attached. The Full-Force bladder is a standard Hydrapak design, but includes an insulated hose and the Hydrant. Both will sell for $40 each.
If you’re looking for insulated hoses for your current bladder, Hydrapak has a new Articfusion hose with thicker insulation. Special attention was paid to the knuckle at the bite valve since this is the first place that water will freeze, so there is more insulation and a better cap. The hose will fit Hydrapak bladders and Camelbak bladders as long as they are 2009-2016 model year and it sells for $20.
Hydrapak’s conveinient stash bottles offer 750ml or 1 liter of water capacity in a package that packs down to the size of a hockey puck. Now they include a tether for the cap as an accessory if you’re prone to losing yours. Hydrapak also updated their Speed Cups to work better for ultra light camping with a mil-spec film that is stronger and more supportive. The 5 oz. cups are sold in a set of 4 for $20.
