Remaining hydrated is fundamental to health and life and is one of the key essentials when you’re off on your wild wonders. For over a hundred years the tin canteen was king but in this day and age it’s worth checking out the bladder packs.
These ‘bags’ of H2O are stashed in a separate compartment of your back pack with a flexible hose running from the bladder bag to your shoulder making rehydration (taking a sip) quick and easy.
No one enjoys having to take off your heavy pack in a slumber to retrieve your bottle for a quick sip and so the bladder popularity is on the rise; I certainly have identified myself with using it on all my adventures of late.
Many modern-day packs you can find are hydration compatible, with a small compartment allocated for the use of a bladder and a hole to thread through the flexible hose. I find using a carabiner and attaching it to the shoulder strap is a great asset to attaching the end of the hose to your pack, enabling easy retrieval whilst on the move.
Photo credit: Cameron Barton
There is still something quite romantic about a trusty water bottle however, it’s extremely versatile and it always has a place on every one of my trips …. but the bladder packs are great too.
What I use
Macpac do a really good hydration bladder system and personally I have opted for the 2litre version. This size fits quite well with my Macpac Cascade 75 litre pack which is hydration compatible. To find out more on Macpac's hydration systems, check out:
