20 Best Hydration Packs For Festivals (2023 Updated)

Just purchased this vest from the Osprey-Amazon store. Took it on an 11km trail hike last weekend and it performed great. Another reviewer said the water sloshes around – sure, if you don’t vent the air of the bladder before you go running.

The 2. 5 litre reservoir is a welcome inclusion and will come in very handy on long hikes with minimal water sources. The bladder is easy to get in and out. The multiple zippered pockets are appreciated.

Snacks on the hip. Garmin mini on the should. Extra things like gloves, gloves, beenie, ext on the lower outside. The open pockets on the shoulder straps will accommodate my Salomo 500ml soft flasks.

While I haven’t had to pack my poles, I’m usually using them on the climbs and steep descents, I can see how they’d be easily mounted. There’s an outer mesh cover that stretches over quite a lot for easy access.

I had my GoreTex jacket, first-aid kit, and gaiters safely secured in there. The main bag is perfect for all that you’d need in a long day hike. and, if you pack right, minimal, and light, you could get away with a 2-day fastpacking trip.

I’m 5′ 11″, athletic build, with a 48″ chest. The M/L fits really well. The vest is easy to put on, the chest straps are adjustable and sinch up quite comfortably, as does the waist belt (a bit narrow but whatever).

After 4 hours of hiking in the backcountry, the part of the vest that touches my back was damp. Expected. Happy to say it fits perfectly in a large laundry bag and washed well. So while I’ve only got 11km into this vest, I’m anticipating many kms of fun.

The construction looks solid and materials are light. This vest compliments my other Salomon 8 & 12 litre vest. I’m super happy with the purchase.

This is my first hydration pack and I love the feature. Not having to take your bag off to access your waterbottle is a gamechanger! It’s extremely comfortable and I packed it full and hiked 15km with no pain.

I have the black one, and the design is much more muted in person, you don’t see all the distinctive patterns as you do in the online image. With that said, once the bladder is filled, you do lose some space on the inside.

I anticipated being able to fit a bit more. Things I wish it had: a larger pocket at the hip that’s big enough to fit my phone for quick access to photos (I have an iphone 12mini and it doesn’t fit well), and a waterbottle pocket on the outside (to use with electrolyte tabs).

I love Osprey products and this one is great quality for the price.

My first impression of this hydration pack is that it’s sleek and function. The quality of the material is great. It’s very lightweight and seems designed primarily to carry some water on the go with a few extra necessary items.

However, if you’re looking for a hydration pack that can hold a lot of weight, I would not necessarily recommend this pack because it’s more fit for dedicated running and exercise activities – not really an everyday carry bag.

I do like the top-loading design that comes with a drawstring and dual snap closures to make sure that your items stay secure. The hydration pack also comes with two, access-from outside, side waterbottle holders.

The two water bottle holders will fit standard 500ml bottles and maybe even a 1liter bottle is it’s shape is skinny. On the top loader flap, there is a small compartment that would fit a phone and wallet, but not much more.

All the snap closures seem quality, but they are small and sometimes I find them a challenge to grab because I have larger hands. Inside the large compartment, the water reservoir holder is appropriately sized and would even fit an extended screen laptop.

However, there is not much padding to the bag so carry your laptop at your own risk and don’t place the bag down to hard. Also, if you are carrying a lot of items inside the bag, it can become uncomfortable on the back because of the minimul padding.

Overall, I do enjoy the bag and am most likely to use it running or doing a day trip where I need to be a minimalist. This bag would also be appropriate for doing a backpacking trip, and then dropping pack to reach a summit as it’s very lightweight with great quality if your goal is to just carry the essentials.

You could also pack this bag in your luggage for a trip, and use it as your tourist bag for day excursions around the city.

This pack is a great size for day hiking when you want to carry enough water for a long day and also have room for a few essentials without a lot of bulk. In my urban use, this pack was the right size for longer bike rides in the summer heat when I needed to carry more water and also have room for sunscreen, a hat, and snacks.

I am able to fit my 13″ laptop in the pack but it’s a tight fit. If your mantra is less is more this pack may be a great fit for you in that regard. When loaded down I found the pack to be comfortable.

The shoulder straps are wide enough to keep from digging in and there’s plenty of adjustability for different torso sizes. There’s no hip belt but I don’t think it’s even worthwhile in a pack like this.

It’s not a pack you’re going to take running in my opinion. The mesh pockets on the outside of the pack easy accommodate my size 11 flip-flops but I could just as easy stuff a windbreaker or light rain jacket in there.

It may not be obvious in the photos but there are actually two outside mesh pockets. On the inside there’s a smaller mesh pocket for storing smaller things like a phone, keys, or wallet. This pocket doesn’t have a zipper however which I found disappointing.

In fairness, if something does fall out, it should fall into the main body of the pack assuming it’s closed. I would just appreciate the peace of mind knowing it’s zipped up too. The water reservoir is really easy to use and fill.

The wide opening makes refills trouble free. I didn’t experience any leaking in my use. The bite valve works smoothly and can be set up on either shoulder strap. One thing I wasn’t sure about is the clip that holds the hose to the strap.

It’s attached to the sternum strap on the right side. It would be nice to be able to swap the sternum strap so the hose clip can be on the left side. Maybe this is possible but I was afraid of breaking it so I left it alone.

The Arete 14 is a nice day pack that works well for biking, hiking, and scrambling. With a full water bladder and gear, it fits well to the body and has less movement than other similar packs. The mesh back and shoulder straps are of some benefit when trying to beat the heat.

If you run hot, they won’t help much, but do at least dry quickly when wet. It is clear the design of Arete 14 is to hold water and gear together. If just going with the water bladder and nothing else, the bottom of the empty pack will curl up when the shoulder straps are tightened, so it will not lay fully flat across the back (an annoyance with many packs where the bladder hangs from the top and does not extend down to the bottom of the pack).

The outer mesh pockets are very convenient. Even with a full pack, items can still easily be stuff in those. The inner mesh pocket is a nice idea, but would prefer if it zipped closed and was relocated as it’s a bit difficult to access with other gear in the pack.

The bladder lid and on/off valve are much improved over older Camelbak bladders. The lid is easier to seal, and it’s easier to tell visually if the on/off valve is opened or closed.

You get what you pay for. Great hydration backpack for the value being 3 L is somewhat larger than your typical hydration packs. I use this mainly when I go mountain biking. I did give her four stars however because the cab is hard to tighten at times and you have to fidget with it a little bit to get it to fit.

If it happened once or twice I wouldn’t really make a big fuss but it does happen quite often almost every time you attempt to place the cap back on Use caution if you place your phone in the slot provided as it may get wet if not closed properly has happened to me once.

I still use this but only because my other hydration backpack which I prefer needs the bladder replaced. It is what it is for the price and you get what you pay for.

I am impressed with how compact this hydration pack is! I am an avid hiker and trail walker and this is so convenient. I have a few different sacks I use and this one is just as great as my high-dollar hydration pack for my long hiking hauls.

Although smaller and way more compact. The price is great for the overall quality!I have NO complaints!.

I was sceptical on how much I would like a hip pack over the traditional backpack/hydration bag until I tried one. No more hot and sweaty back is so nice. Keeping the weight on my hips makes such a huge difference, it forget I have it on when I’m riding.

Happy I settled on the Osprey. I like the 7L size, big enough to easily hold all my tools, snacks, phone and a shell jacket with the bladder filled. Plus room for some of my girlfriends stuff too. I’ve had good luck in the past with other Osprey bags, so I jumped on this one when it came on sale.

Also, the Osprey lifetime warranty cannot be beaten. As for the bag, it’s great quality as your expect from Osprey. The magnet that holds the drink tube is well placed and strong. Bladder design is good.

I haven’t had any issues with it falling of while riding. The drink tube doesn’t detach, but you don’t need to the way the bag is designed. I like the ability to cinch down the bag when it’s not full, keeps it feeling very secure no matter how full the bag is.

Only negative thing, I’m a 32″ waist and I have the waist straps done pretty tight, so if you’re a smaller waist you might have issues getting it secure enough. Other than that I have no regrets with the bag, would likely buy again, but know I won’t need to with the Osprey warranty.

Highly recommend.

As far as hip packs go, the Osprey Savu is one of the most versatile and spacious packs that I have seen and used. I purchased it mainly for when heading out on longer rides that may call for an extra water bottle or snack, but doesn’t exactly demand a full size hydration pack.

One of the great things about this pack is that it has the ability to carry 2 full size water bottles where many hip packs can only carry 1, and you can also fold these compartments away and make the pack a little more compact.

2 boothes in the pack + a bottle on the bike makes plenty of hydration without carring a backpack. In addition to the 2 water bottle holders, there is a main storage compartment which is perfect for some essentials, snacks, your phone, tools and other essentials, as well as a smaller compartment next to the main compartment that is handy for a wallet and keys.

There are also 2 smaller storage compartments on both sides of your hips that are also great things that you might want to be easier to access. Bottomline, this is a great quality pack that is extremely versatile and doesn’t break the bank.

I have a backpack hydration pack that I used for mountain biking, but sometimes I feel it hurts my shoulders. So about a month ago I bought the Osprey Seral 7 pack, and so far I like it. I have wide hips, so this pack sits perfectly in place.

I didn’t feel it during my rides. I do think the bladder is a bit hard to fill up by myself, but I like the way it closes. I also think the bladder is a bit hard to dry out. You really have to prop it open with something.

The pack has enough room for some tools, a snack and some other stuff you want to take to the trails. Whatever pack you have, the side pockets never seem to be big enough for your cellphone. I know it’s better protected in the pack, but still.

Most Hydration packs end up hurting your shoulders after a couple hours but I wore this one to a music festival for 8 hours and my shoulders never got sore once and it was basically full the entire night.

(Its a relatively big water pack) When I first tried filling it though it leaked so you just have to make sure that the cap is on it tight and on all the way (as well as the nozzle you suck on!!!!) and it should be fine a little drips here and there out of the nozzle but nothing big.

It does not have the strap that goes around you ribs but you can tie a belt to it if you really want to like I said it never made my shoulders sore but it wasn’t secured in one place if I was jumping.

10/10 recommend especially for the price. (Only gave it four though because of the second strap).

Everything but the bite valve worked. We purchased 5, tested 4 so far and 2 of those had defective bite valves. You have to pull the assembly off the hose to drink. I will acquire replacement bite valves, but to spend a couple more dollars each with a better bite valve would have been preferable.

Great product. Works perfectly. Looks great too

This backpack is the perfect size for when you go on a short hike but still need the necessities like your water and snacks! It also fits your jacket and sunscreen! It’s great and I love mine!

I order 2 of these as gifts for family members. They are very versatile. The packs are extremely lightweight, but seem very well made. The only slight negative is no waist/hip buckle(but one could probably be added) These are the perfect size for a day pack!.

I recently purchased from a camping store the Vargo Titanium Stakes. I did not look at them too much prior but needed something that could easily get through the rocks in my region. I use hammocks with tarps and a Seekoutside teepee.

One thing I instantly noticed was no rope catch for tension to hold a tent loop or tie down line in place. I will have to grind them in myself or continue to other stretch lines and steak them at far angles to make sure the wind does not send my lines flying off as the tent deformed.

Otherwise a solid product.

Looks like a good product haven’t got to use it yet

Truly the best hydration pack I’ve ever used for cycling. The 4 point harness made the 1. 5L of water almost disappear on my back. The only time it would move (once I got it adjusted correctly) was if I did a bunny hop, and that is totally understandable.

I did 88 miles of gravel for my 1st ride and it performed even better than expected. I also love the way the bladder opens so that it can be reversed and truly dried out after using it. Something that was always an issue with previous hydration bladders.

I find the 1. 5L to be a sweet spot for me. Big enough but not too big that it’s cumbersome. The product is very well-made and has everything it needs without adding useless stuff. I consider this more of a pack for racing than the other ones in the line.

Very little storage other than the waterproof zippered inside pocket for like a phone of other small stuff. It’s stripped down for racing, in my opinion which is what I was looking for. If you want more storage for bike packing etc, they offer bigger packs.

Okay, so to start out this worked as intended for the first 2 times I used it and I noticed that there was VERY LITTLE bouncing while I was mountain biking so It worked great for that duration. After that though, when I went to put the pack on, the strap that holds the buckle in place ripped out.

If I were able to post a picture of it I would, but it looks as though either the glue they used to hold the strap in place failed, or the stitching never even touched the strap. I do have some other problems with it as well that are more along the lines of just personal preference.

In my opinion the bite valve that comes installed on the bladder was kind of hard to use without 2 hands to open the valve. And the amount of water that comes out of the tube when biting on the valve seems quite limited as well.

Also I know I was only able to use the product twice, but when using it the buckles on the removable pouch seemed to come undone fairly easily when I would store it in my travel bag with my other gear.

Lastly I would have preferred that the position it sat on my back to be a little higher up has where it sat felt like it was restricting my breathing.

Get the 12L! The harness is great and very comfortable. The pictures on the website are misleading. you can fit all that stuff in the pack but only without the bladder! A full bladder and very little else fits in this pack.

Wish I had purchased the larger version but I trusted the pictures and figured that was about what I carried. But once the bladder is even half full of water, the pack loses tons of storage. *Doesn’t have the refinement of Camelbak packs either.

Little things. designated spot for keys, extra zippers inside, soft cellphone storage. The concept is great. Just size up unless you want a small race bag or short ride bag.

I bought this backpack a week ago for my trip to the Canyons. On day 2, the stitching on the chest strap popped. I use that strap because of a bad shoulder so my chest carries a good chunk of the weight.

I wasn’t carrying a lot of weight or hiking any strenuous trails. Now I have to finish my trip without a strap that may seem unimportant but really is. I would suggest they start double or triple stitching it in place.

Very disappointed. Otherwise, it has decent pocket space which saves the review a bit.

This hydration pack has come in handy a few times now during our family trips to the mountains and the beach. With a busy 3 year old and 1 year old, keeping my family hydrated during summer activities is usually a challenge.

This makes it so much easier and even fun for the kids to use. It has 2 large pockets, a smaller front pocket, and 2 side beverage pockets, so you can carry all your gear with you, hands free. The water bladder is easy to fill and clean.

It’s comfortable to wear for long durations and has an upper and lower strap for added support. Seems to be made very well, as I have not experienced any leaks or tears in the last couple months of using it.

Overall extremely satisfied with this purchase!.

This pack has a great design with many pockets which is great for carrying snacks & other supplies you may need. Pack has a very durable construction. Water bladder was easy to fill & so far no problems with leaking.

The drinking nozzle works fine & it has a cover to keep the mouthpiece clean. Even with the water bladder full the pack doesn’t feel too heavy & is comfortable to wear. Also, there are bottle pockets on both sides so you could easily carry regular bottles for kids or a dog who can’t drink out of the mouthpiece and still just as easy to access.

I would definitely buy this pack again & will recommend to friends.

I like to ride fast and I always wear a pack, on short rides and long, and this one replaces a previous pack that was 20 years old. The main reason I bought it was the super secure fit and built-in spine protector.

I wear it empty when I’m lapping on the local jump lines, but it’s also roomy and pockety enough to load up with gear to ride 20 miles from the truck with confidence. Really it’s the perfect size, and the shoulder strap system is the best on the market.

It wears as comfortably as a shirt and also gives me a little more confidence that my next wreck won’t be my last. Pretty sure I’ll have this pack for the next 20 years.

I have the Airborne 3 and love it, but it doesn’t quite hold enough liquids(2L) for longer efforts in hot weather, so I ordered the 9 (3L) during Thanksgiving sales. Overall, it is just a bit longer than the 3, but has several zippered pouches to hold stuff in addition to hold liquid.

I wish the back Pouch didn’t hang off the back of the bag, or that it could be removed like the small Pouch on the back of the 3 can be removed. Otherwise, no complaints, still the great fit system that USWE is known for.

Looking forward to Long rides with this pack next year!.

Strap uncomfortable / hurts on the ribs if tight. Needed to loosen the strap but then the pack bounced around almost as my Osprey, maybe a bit less. Also, ventilation is non existent so even in the mild weather my back and front (where the straps are) were soaked in sweat.

Maybe all the advertising had me expecting much more and it was nothing special. Also, 30 day return policy is kind of misleading as you can return only unused product. How would you know if the product is good unless you take it on a trail is beyond me.

It’s an ok backpack but I have a feeling I’ll grab my old Osprey on warm days as it has supreme ventilation and try USWE agin during colder days.

I really like this bag, but the bladder is trash, why isn’t it quick connect? I was really excited about this bag until I got it in the mail. You should rename the bladder if it’s not the same or has different features, or just stop cheating out.

This things cost an arm and a leg because they last forever. But if it doesn’t have quick connect you should only be giving those out for free.

This is a very good pack. I crashed at 25mph and landed on the pack and not a scratch on it. However its has 2 major design flaws. The chest strap is Velcro and under weight the velcro fails to stay in place.

this item needs the buckle style strap. The 2nd flaw is the rubber that holds the lid to the reservoir. There is no mechanics to hold the lid in place tightly so it is very easy for the lid to come off the rubber.

I got it for extra water capacity while riding my bike. For the length of my rides, the 2 litres I carry on board is simply not enough in the Texas summer heat. Having another 2. 5 liters onboard gives me the warm and fuzzy.

I also want to be as visible as possible and this thing is definitely hi-vis!.