You could carry a water bottle to stay hydrated, or you could wear a backpack with a hydration pack. But now 686 is offering a third option: the first jacket with a built-in hydration pack, allowing you to wear your water supply in your garment.



The 686 Reservoir hydration jacket, which launched this fall, uses what the company calls its Hydrastash technology. The system carries the weight of the water in such a way that the skiiers and snowboarders for whom it was built won’t be thrown off balance, according to 686. Specifically, the jacket distributes up to 25 oz. of water around its internal powder skirt, so the liquid wraps a wearer’s center of gravity.

686 686 GLCR Hydrastash Reservoir Insulated Jacket - Men's 686 backcountry.com $350.00 Buy Now

Wearers can drink the water while riding or sitting on a chair lift, thanks to a high flow-rate tube and valve system that snakes up next to the zipper to the jacket’s collar for access. The self-sealing valve only opens when stressed to prevent leaks.

The anti-microbial water reservoir includes “stretch suspension straps” to secure the reservoir close to the body for balance, and to suspend the reservoir to make the load feel lighter. Using anti-slosh dams inside the reservoir, designers aimed to prevent fluid from moving around when low. And the wearer falls down on the jacket, it won’t hurt like tumbling onto a hard-shell water bottle.

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Users can fill the reservoir without fully removing it from the jacket, and the roll top opening was tested for a year to ensure its strength. Designers from 686 say they ran it over with a car and it didn’t break open. A full removal allows for cleaning.

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Follow Tim Newcomb on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.

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