Gear Review and Giveaway: Does Your Hydration System Suck? Geigerrig Has You Covered

Taking my Rig 500 for a long bike ride.
(D. Herscovitch)

When I first heard about the concept of a pressurized hydration system, I was skeptical. Did I really need to be able to spray water out of my hydration bladder? Wasn't biting the valve and sucking the water out good enough? It might be good enough, but when it comes to hydration on the trail, the more convenient it is, the better. And what if you need to spray sunscreen out of your eyes? Give your furry hiking companion a drink without pulling out a water bowl? Irrigate an open wound without a syringe? Drink without stopping your activity? As it turns out, traditional hydration systems might not be as convenient as you think.

Prior to hearing about Geigerrig I’d never thought about the benefits of having pressurized hydration system. As part of my participation in the Hydration Summit, Geigerrig sent me a Rig 500 to test out along with both a 2-liter and 3-liter hydration bladder. I haven't used any of my other hydration bladders since. From bike trails around Philadelphia to camping and hiking in Acadia National Park, the Geigerrig reservoirs go with me everywhere.

When it comes to carrying water around, using a pack that fits well is paramount; water is heavy, and if you're uncomfortable, you're not going to carry as much as you need. If I'm out on a hike in Southeastern Pennsylvania's characteristically brutal summer days, I'll carry three liters just for me. That's almost seven pounds of water. Add in the weight of my snacks, extra clothes, first aid supplies...you get the picture. The Rig 500 pack is constructed with ballistic nylon, has seriously thick zippers and is obviously meant to take a beating. It's ideal for day-long adventures, like the bike ride I took it on in June. I got my wallet, phone, camera, snacks and an extra shirt in it, but that’s about it. The pack itself weighs two and a half pounds, making it heavier than other day packs I've used. But if you know you're out for a hardcore adventure, the Rig 500 pack can keep up. The pack comes with a removable plastic panel to give it shape, but I found pulling it out made the pack significantly more comfortable, and saved weight.  

The real hero, of course, is the Geigerrig hydration engine itself. The engine is what sets the Rig 500 apart. All Geigerrig reservoirs have a compartment for water and a separate chamber for air. Using a detachable second hose and bulb, pumping the air chamber up means you'll have a steady stream of water at your disposal. It took me a few tries to actually spray the water in my mouth instead of all over my face and shirt, but once you figure it out, it's an amazing feature to have. The pressure did seem to decrease slightly as the volume of water in the reservoir decreased, but not to the point where it was an issue. The bulb is always handy, though, and an adjustment valve helps you let air out of the chamber if it’s too full, or as you gain elevation. But really, the best part is the fact that you don't have to suck on the valve to get water out!

Easy-to follow directions on reconnecting the tubes.

And for those of us who've had issues in the past cleaning out our hydration bladders, Geigerrig makes it easy. Both the air and drink tubes come off with a snap. Geigerrig designers anticipated that folks might have trouble remembering which tube to connect to each opening and labeled both. You can turn the entire hydration engine inside out, which means you can fill the reservoir with something other than water without fear of it never being clean again. (Bonus: the reservoir is dishwasher safe.) The reservoir's wide opening makes refilling a piece of cake, and the slide top closure is one of my favorite features.

Strategically placed openings are exactly where they need to be for both hydration bladder hoses, and the Rig 500 comes with a removable velcro strip around one of the shoulder straps to hold the bulb in place. Between the removable back panel, velcro strap and variety of compression straps on the outside of the pack, it's obvious the designers know we're all going to want to wear the pack a little differently. As if all of that wasn't enough, the Rig 500 comes with Geigerrig’s Adventure Passport, a small novel-sized booklet full of free ski lift passes and other awesome discounts.

Win a Geigerrig Rig 500 Ballistic Pack, Complete With a 2L Hydration Engine and In-Line Filter!

To enter, leave a comment on this post related to hydration. It can be a story about a time you didn't carry enough, about how your dog slobbered all over the valve of your bladder, anything you'd like. Be creative! Submit all entries by 5pm EST on Friday, August 24th. United States residents only, please! When you comment, be sure to leave a method of contact. I'll pick a winner using a random number generator and notify the winner on or before August 26th. To receive an extra entry, give the Adventure-Inspired facebook page a "like" and leave a separate comment letting me know you have. (If you already have, that still counts! Leave that extra comment!) Good luck!