Recent Comments

Hydration bladder as daypack

gerber-200x148Q. I need to know what you think about Gerber’s Liquifusion Hydration line, specifically the Military Reserve Hydration Pack. I admire the size of the reservoir and the large Molle grid. I read that it is made here in the U.S. and it seems like the perfect summer camp daypack once I attach some Maxpedition pouches. All I need to know is your opinion on initial quality and your take on its usefulness for my chosen application.
–Thirsty Sims, Lubbock, Tex.

A. Hey there, Thirsty. First things first, I have indeed tried Gerber’s Liquifusion hydration bladders before, and they work fine. I like that they’re made of a semi-rigid plastic, the same sort of stuff used to make gallon milk jugs. The bladder keeps its shape whether it’s empty or full, so it’s easier to refill. And it conforms to the shape of your back so it won’t slosh around in your pack so much. Finally, the whole rig is dishwasher safe so it’s a bit simpler to clean than Camelbak-style bladders.

But as for using that specific Military Reserve Hydration Pack as a daypack, I’d say: nah, you could do better. That pack is small and designed more for cycling or simply to carry your water. You could add Maxpedition pouches but I think your best choice would be to just buy the bladder (I saw it online for about $20) and then slip it inside a larger pack that would be much better suited as a summer camp daypack.

Finally, I’ve been told by a Gerber representative that they’ve discontinued their hydration line. It’s not a big deal but that would explain why you’ve found that pack priced so low (about $45 online). Hope that helps!


Ask the Gear Guy

Not sure which gear to buy? Need tips for maintaining your equipment? Click here to send in your questions for the Gear Guy. Selected questions will be answered here and in the printed magazine.

7 Comments on Hydration bladder as daypack

  1. me from Troop 513 // April 1, 2009 at 4:58 pm // Reply

    just use a large camelbak with pockets

  2. c00les2 1 3v3 // March 30, 2009 at 12:53 pm // Reply

    I have a jansport backpack with a hydration pocket that i put a camelbak in. When i zip up the pocket the hose fits through a hole in the top of the bag

  3. It is great because it is MOLLE (modular lightweight load-carrying equiptment). You can hook up pouches on the outside of it which makes it great. The bad part is the MOLLE pouches are hard to find and are expensive.

  4. my platty started growing mold right at the top where you couldent reach it, i even tryed the camelbak cleaning tabblets but it dident work so i got a MSR hydromlite and its way better (campmor)

  5. its really good

  6. Scouter Stew // January 5, 2009 at 6:37 am // Reply

    I’ve had Platapus and Camelbak and I prefer the latter, mostly because of the big-mouth opening, drink tube mechanism and the good quality of their packs. The plastic of the Platapus also seems to degrade over time so I’ve had leaks. My problem was finding their pack that I liked to match the volume of water I thought I’d carry.

  7. I have a Camelbak or Platapus- I can’t remember, but it’s pretty handy. I want a new kind but, I’m happy with it for now.

Leave a Comment

Please don't use your real name.