Hydration Backpacks! Which Hydration Pack Is The Right Water
System For You?
Before the inception of hydration backpacks and the development
of portable hydrating systems, many athletes and adventure
junkies relied on the old methods of hydrating their bodies with
standard water bottles and canteens.
This way of getting hydrated was sufficient at the time, but it
limited their complete concentration and performance, especially
during high endurance extreme sports such as mountain biking and
motocross racing!
When your complete mental focus on your activity is mandatory,
having to reach for a water bottle could easily take your
attention away from spotting that deep unexpected hole on your
mountain trail, and involving yourself in a serious fall or
crash! However, having a portable hands-free hydration backpack
could be considered a necessity for your safety.
These packs are not limited only to athletes taking part in
extreme sports, but also for many individuals that enjoy leisure
trail running, snowboarding, skiing, hunting, and also hiking.
Safety of course will always be on the forefront, but having the
flexibility to maintain their level of activity, without having
to stop to find a necessary water source, is also an important
benefit for many leisure athletes as well.
Nothing is worse than getting into your groove, your adrenaline
is at its optimum level, the powdered snow is calling for you,
the running trails are cooperating in your favour, or you
finally tracked that animal that took you all day to find, later
realizing that you have run out of fluids, and now have to find
a water source to do a refill. What a bummer that would be!
Now That You Need A Personal Hydration System, Where Do You
Begin?
If you have never purchased backpacks with the hydration systems
before or you just don't know where to begin when you start your
researching online, don't worry! Many of the online outdoor
outfitters and bag suppliers that offer these systems have made
it very easy for you to distinguish the difference between each
pack, their function, and unique features that are tailored to
your individual requirements!
They even go as far as labelling them as outdoor hydration
systems, running hydration systems, snowboard backpacks, hunting
packs, and the distinguished list goes on. All you need to do is
answer a few questions that apply to your daily activity, and
that's all it takes to determine which one is right for you.
When you're about to purchase a hydration backpack, don't base
your entire decision on price alone, because even though the
more expensive bags may have additional features, you may not
require all those extra bells and whistles. On the other hand,
you may purchase a cheaper system, later realizing that you got
one that did not have all the required features that would
benefit you during your desired activity.
You want to base your decision on your specific needs. Be sure
that whatever hydration system you select, that you're getting
one that will sufficiently hydrate your body without the pack
becoming a deficit to your overall performance. The last thing
you want is your pack to be too heavy, bulky, or too small,
where you have to either stop for many rests, or repeatedly
source out many water refill stations.
Now That I Know How Important The Right Hydration System Is
To My Activity, What's Next?
Now if you're not sure what questions you need to ask, below we
have come up with a small list to start you off on the right
track, or in your case, the right trail!
1. Some questions you should easily answer, is how long
do you plan on being out for the day, and how far away will you
be from a necessary water source? This will help you determine
the size of the water reservoir you need, and if you also
require a backpack large enough to carry spare reservoirs for
your full day of activities.
2. Another question could be for women, and the question
would be: does size matter, or is comfort your #1 concern? This
may sound like a silly question at first, but when you start
searching for a hydration backpack, you will quickly notice they
have models with special features that are specifically designed
for women to accommodate the unique shape of their bodies.
3. How often do you plan on using your hydration system
pack? This particular question may be very important for the
individuals that are basing their decision on price. No sense
spending tons of money on a sophisticated backpack system if
you're only planning on using it once every six months or year.
These questions will get you started, and as you search online
for your desired hydration system, the variety of styles won't
be so overwhelming as more answers come to you. Now the next big
question is, there are so many models out there to choose from,
which one do you think is best for you?