Hydration pack

Last updated
Hydration backpack Hydration pack.jpg
Hydration backpack

A hydration pack or drink bag is a type of hydration system built as a backpack or waistpack containing a reservoir or "bladder" commonly made of rubber or flexible plastic. The reservoir contains a capped mouth for filling with liquid and a hose that allows the wearer to drink hands-free. Most hoses end with a "bite valve" that opens when the user bites down on it; the valve may be protected by a dust cover. Some hydration packs are insulated to keep water from freezing or becoming warm.

Contents

Uses

The volume of the reservoir and the pack carrying it can vary widely depending on the purpose of the hydration pack. Some packs are extremely small and minimalist, designed to add as little weight as possible and remain secure while running or cycling, while others are more suited for backpacking and extended hikes, equipped with much larger bladders. However, as water weighs 1 kilogram per litre (8.3 lb/US gal), it is impractical to carry more than a few liters in most situations; typical reservoirs are between 1–3 L (0.22–0.66 imp gal; 0.26–0.79 US gal), even for very large backpacks. [1]

Besides hydration, water reservoirs may be used for washing dishes or equipment, or for showering. Pressurized hydration bladders are used in some cases to provide a stream powerful enough to effectively wash with, or the bladder may be suspended from a high place such as a tree branch to employ gravity in generating water pressure.

Iraqi soldier with "CamelBak" hydration system Camel back.jpg
Iraqi soldier with "CamelBak" hydration system

Hydration packs are commonly used for outdoor recreational activities, such as hiking, bicycling, and kayaking, as well as for military maneuvers. Most field backpacks designed for backcountry or military use include accommodations for a user-supplied hydration bladder.

Due to hydration packs being airtight, they are widely used in CBRN protective situations with full face respirators allowing full mobility and fluid/nutrients supply—unlike canteens which must be held upside down. Additionally, there are acid- and chemical-resistant versions made for military and police use, such as the ''Camelbak Chem-Bio''.

CBRN Version: Camelbak Chem-Bio Hydration Reservoir System, Standard Bite Valve, Type M (MSA), Type A (Avon), and Type S (Scott) Gas Mask Drinking Tube Adapters. Camelbak Chem-Bio Hydration Reservoir System.jpg
CBRN Version: Camelbak Chem-Bio Hydration Reservoir System, Standard Bite Valve, Type M (MSA), Type A (Avon), and Type S (Scott) Gas Mask Drinking Tube Adapters.
Type A (Avon), Type M (MSA), Tube to QDC, Bite Valve. Avon style CBRN Respirator Hydration Adapters by CamelBak.png
Type A (Avon), Type M (MSA), Tube to QDC, Bite Valve.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scuba set</span> Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus

A scuba set, originally just scuba, is any breathing apparatus that is entirely carried by an underwater diver and provides the diver with breathing gas at the ambient pressure. Scuba is an anacronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. Although strictly speaking the scuba set is only the diving equipment that is required for providing breathing gas to the diver, general usage includes the harness or rigging by which it is carried, and those accessories which are integral parts of the harness and breathing apparatus assembly, such as a jacket or wing style buoyancy compensator and instruments mounted in a combined housing with the pressure gauge, and in the looser sense, it has been used to refer to all the diving equipment used by the scuba diver, though this would more commonly and accurately be termed scuba equipment or scuba gear. Scuba is overwhelmingly the most common underwater breathing system used by recreational divers and is also used in professional diving when it provides advantages, usually of mobility and range, over surface-supplied diving systems, and is allowed by the relevant legislation and code of practice.

Hydration may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backpack</span> Bag carried on ones back

A backpack—also called knapsack, rucksack, pack, booksack, bookbag, or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders, but it can have an external frame, internal frame, and there are bodypacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebreather</span> Portable apparatus to recycle breathing gas

A rebreather is a breathing apparatus that absorbs the carbon dioxide of a user's exhaled breath to permit the rebreathing (recycling) of the substantially unused oxygen content, and unused inert content when present, of each breath. Oxygen is added to replenish the amount metabolised by the user. This differs from open-circuit breathing apparatus, where the exhaled gas is discharged directly into the environment. The purpose is to extend the breathing endurance of a limited gas supply, and, for covert military use by frogmen or observation of underwater life, eliminating the bubbles produced by an open circuit system and in turn not scaring wildlife being filmed. A rebreather is generally understood to be a portable unit carried by the user. The same technology on a vehicle or non-mobile installation is more likely to be referred to as a life-support system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water gun</span> Type of toy gun designed to shoot water

A water gun is a type of toy gun designed to shoot jets of water. Similar to water balloons, the primary purpose of the toy is to soak another person in a recreational game such as water fight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tap (valve)</span> Valve controlling the release of a liquid or gas

A tap is a valve controlling the release of a fluid.

A plumbing fixture is an exchangeable device which can be connected to a plumbing system to deliver and drain water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nalgene</span> Brand of plastic products

Nalgene is a brand of plastic products developed originally for laboratory use, including items such as jars, bottles, test tubes, and Petri dishes, that were shatterproof and lighter than glass. The properties of plastic products make them suitable for work with many substances in various temperature ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trail running</span> Mountain sport

Trail running is a type of running that takes place on outdoor trails, often in mountainous terrain, and often includes significant ascents and descents. Trail running is overseen by the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) and includes longer races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydration system</span> Device to provide oral liquids

A hydration system is an apparatus used in recreation and other sustained outdoor activities. It is intended to help its user carry liquid, to support the physical effort involved in the activity, without the need to use one's hands or take off the pack. Such systems for consumers were first sold to cyclists, and by the 1990s had also found a substantial market among hikers. Familiar commercial models can also be recognized occasionally worn by western military personnel in southwest Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MOLLE</span> Load-bearing equipment and backpacks used by a number of NATO armed forces

MOLLE is an acronym for Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and backpacks used by a number of NATO armed forces, especially the British Army and the United States Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backpacking (hiking)</span> Outdoor recreation of carrying gear on ones back, while hiking for more than a day

Backpacking is the outdoor recreation of carrying gear on one's back while hiking for more than a day. It is often an extended journey and may involve camping outdoors. In North America, tenting is common, where simple shelters and mountain huts, widely found in Europe, are rare. In New Zealand, hiking is called tramping, and tents are used alongside a nationwide network of huts. Hill walking is equivalent in Britain, though backpackers make use of a variety of accommodation, in addition to camping. Backpackers use simple huts in South Africa. Trekking and bushwalking are other words used to describe such multi-day trips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Survival skills</span> Techniques for sustaining life, typically in adverse conditions

Survival skills are techniques used to sustain life in any type of natural environment or built environment. These techniques are meant to provide basic necessities for human life, including water, food, and shelter. Survival skills also support proper knowledge and interactions with animals and plants to promote the sustaining of life over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydraulic machinery</span> Type of machine that uses liquid fluid power to perform work

Hydraulic machines use liquid fluid power to perform work. Heavy construction vehicles are a common example. In this type of machine, hydraulic fluid is pumped to various hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders throughout the machine and becomes pressurized according to the resistance present. The fluid is controlled directly or automatically by control valves and distributed through hoses, tubes, or pipes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water bottle</span> Container for liquids

A water bottle is a container that is used to hold liquids, mainly water, for the purpose of transporting a drink while travelling or while otherwise away from a supply of potable water.

CamelBak Products, LLC is an American outdoor equipment company based in Petaluma, California, best known for its hydration products, such as hydration packs and water bottles. CamelBak is also a supplier of protective gear and other products to the U.S. military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultralight backpacking</span> Style of hiking

Ultralight backpacking is a style of lightweight backpacking that emphasizes carrying the lightest and least amount of gear. While no technical standards exist, some hikers consider "ultralight" to mean an initial base weight of less than 4.5 kg (9.9 lb). Base weight is the weight of a fully loaded backpack at the start of a trip, excluding worn weight and consumables such as food, water, and fuel. Base weight can be lowered by reducing the weight of individual items of gear, or by choosing not to carry that gear. Ultralight backpacking is most popular among thru-hikers.

Artificial lift refers to the use of artificial means to increase the flow of liquids, such as crude oil or water, from a production well. Generally this is achieved by the use of a mechanical device inside the well or by decreasing the weight of the hydrostatic column by injecting gas into the liquid some distance down the well. A newer method called Continuous Belt Transportation (CBT) uses an oil absorbing belt to extract from marginal and idle wells. Artificial lift is needed in wells when there is insufficient pressure in the reservoir to lift the produced fluids to the surface, but often used in naturally flowing wells to increase the flow rate above what would flow naturally. The produced fluid can be oil, water or a mix of oil and water, typically mixed with some amount of gas.

Hiking equipment is the equipment taken on outdoor walking trips. Hiking is usually divided into day-hikes and multiple-day hikes, called backpacking, trekking, and walking tours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Source Vagabond Systems</span>

Source Vagabond Systems Ltd. is known in the outdoor, trekking and sports market for sandals, hydration systems, packs and accessories and in the tactical market for hydration systems, packs, and its SOURCE Virtus Soldier System.

References

  1. King, Amber (August 13, 2016). "How to Buy a Hydration Bladder". outdoorgearlab.com. OutdoorGearLab LLC. Retrieved April 5, 2017.