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Thursday, October 10, 2002

Hydration backpacks offer hands-free drinking!

Do you want to be out and about, maybe hiking or biking, and drinking water from a tube sticking out of your backpack? Well, it seems to be a growing trend according to this Wall Street Journal story (subscription required):

the concept for "hydration backpacks" has been around since at least 1989, when a paramedic competing in a bike race put an IV bag into a sock sewn on his shirt. His idea gave rise in the early '90s to the CamelBak company and its patented "Big Bite" valve, which the company says is still the industry leader. The packs still make up less than 1% of the $4.92 billion-a-year outdoor-retailing industry, but more than 20 players have entered the field lately, all with variations on the theme. With a bigger selection to push, outdoor stores are giving them more attention, and that's spurring sales, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. First-half sales of hydration backpacks rose 80% to $13.7 million from a year earlier.

We took the plunge into hands-free hydration, searching for a lightweight pack suitable for a day of casual play, with room for a sandwich, sweater, keys and maybe a paperback. (All of our finds passed this test.) Looks mattered to a point, but comfort, durability and function mattered more. After all, if you're going to replace your $1 water bottle with a backpack ranging, as ours did, from $34.95 to $69.97, you don't want chafing, leaks or split seams.

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