If you’re going out for a 100km ride away from civilization, you’ll need to be self-sufficient. What’s better than old good backpack that will carry your all essential gear ? The answer is functional and comfortable mountain biking backpack. In other words- enduro hydration pack which not only supply you with enough liquid to quench your thirst, but will also have a good design that will give you functionality, comfort, capacity and protection. Let’s take a quick look at a few things you might want to consider before buying one of MTB hydration packs.

CHOOSING MOUNTAIN BIKING BACK PACK – ENDURO HYDRATION PACKS

Reservoirs/Bladder

Photo: Fabian Rapp

Despite the name, some hydration packs don’t come with bladder or reservoir if you prefer. So if you expect to fill it in and go for a ride with water, ask if it’s included. These packs can be expensive too, so make sure what you get for your money.

Hydration System

Some of the enduro hydration packs offer a pressurized hydration system. The idea is that you squirt and don’t suck the water out of the bag. This kind of designs have a second tube which pressurizes a second compartment in the water reservoir. Yes It’s cool, but it will also make your mountain biking pack heavier, more complex, and more expensive. Do you need it ? In our opinion it doesn’t solve a problem that really doesn’t exist.

Access To Water Reservoir

One of the things to consider when looking at the design will be an easy access to the water bladder and ability to see how much water is left in it. Some Hydration systems will require from you to pull the whole reservoir out to see your water level.

Cleaning Reservoirs/Bladder

All hydration packs will eventually need some cleaning. Adding electrolyte powder to water will make cleaning the bladder and hoses even more frequent. So choosing the right bag design might make your life a little bit easier. Bags with the zip on top are usually the handiest. Very easy to get a brush in and clean, and easy to dry. Just flip them inside out and they will dry in no time. Next in ease of cleaning are single compartment bladders with relatively large openings that will easily accommodate a cleaning brush. But they won’t be as easy to dry as zip bags. The toughest bladders to clean are the ones with multiple compartments and small openings which make getting a brush into a little problem. These will require more effort and usually involve a few rounds of warm water flushing.

Protection

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to choose MTB hydration pack that will also give you some spine protection. Many designers offer integrated or an optional little armor. A spine protector can really save you when you fly over your handle bars and land on your back.

Capacity

Photo: Christoph Bayer

Although we all want to carry on our backs as little weight as we can, capacity is one of the most important factors when choosing mountain biking back pack. A good design will be small, compact, and apart from ability to carry the amount of water you will need, it will also have smartly designed compartments and pockets with enough room to accommodate your all mountain biking kit.

Stability / Comfort

You mountain biking back pack will also need to be comfortable while doing a good job of staying put when you will be riding rough trails. Although there’s many great designs out there, we really like Vest Style packs which will add to stability and even distribution of the weight. Look for side compression, waist-belt, shoulder paddings, molded back panel, and make sure it’s not too heavy. It will all make your ride comfortable and keep the backpack stable.

Tube / Hose Portals and Clips

In your mountain biking hydration pack you will find a slit or two slits that will thread the sip hose from the bladder inside the pack to exterior. Two slits will simply allow you to position the tube to hang over either shoulder. If you have a strong preference where your hose hangs, choose an enduro hydration pack with a portal system suited to your preferences. Although you might have to buy it separately, some systems also include special clips, tube directors to keep your tube positioned for easy access?

Durability / Material

Photo: Christoph Bayer

Like with all products we want our enduro hydration system to be build with light but strong enough materials that will survive a couple of falls, and stay free from leakage as long as it can. Some hydration systems can have more leakage issues than the others. Also If you ride in UK, make sure it’s waterproof. Enduro hydration packs are not the cheapest of your mountain biking kit, so before buying it, it would make sense to dig through as many customer reviews as you can.

Weight

Photo: Fabian Rapp

Don’t blindly trust the manufacturer’s weights when choosing a pack. They will often leave out the weight of the bladder and hoses without telling you. If you are counting every gram, also look at the weight of the back protector if included. It will make some difference.

Ventilation

Although it’s impossible to keep your back completely dry while mountain biking, puddle of sweat coming from poorly ventilated mountain bike backpack is not the most pleasant feeling. If you want something with better air flow, look for the additional cutaways on the back panel. It does help by encouraging some airflow.

Helmet Straps

Ergon Enduro Packs

Another feature that is quite handy is a strap for carrying a XC or full face mountain bike helmet. Many times on those steepest uphills you’ll want your full face off your face.