ATV Sport - November 2006
“Getting Off The Bottle… One such company is Hydrapak, a free-thinking company that implores riders to “get off the bottle” with its line of more than 15 packs ranging from 30 to 100 ounces of thirst quenching capacity.
We tested the Borracho, a 100-ounce model that also serves as a full-fledged backpack. It looks stylish I black, accented by a light gray camouflage pattern and doesn’t make you look like you’re carrying a boogie board on your back.
Besides the fluid retention, there are two main storage areas that both lead to more pockets, mesh pockets on both sides and a front bungee carrier that can carry a full-face helmet. And, because if wouldn’t be cool if it didn’t let you flaunt your technology, it has a strap-mounted cell phone pocket and a “Hydratunes” cord port that allows you to carry a music player in the bag and conveniently run headphones over your shoulders and to your ears.If You Don’t Start Drinkin’ I’m Gonna Leave
Preparing yourself with an afternoon’s worth of fluid takes, well, preparation. To fill the pouch, you should disconnect it and rinse it out. Then, reattach the reservoir and fill it up. I chose three full-size bottles of Powerade. With a few folds of a crafty hook-and-loop closure, your pack is sealed and set to go.
The bite-activated hose comes with its own hook-and-loop design to keep it close to your mouth. The whole thing is a logical concept, but a little strange in execution. In fact, while getting “suited up” with the pack,I caught the attention of the small-town gas station attendant who came outside to see what was up. Nobody wants to look like a Nancyboy getting ready for an ATV ride, but the bag certainly has its merits. First of all, the reservoir is insulated. Even after hours of triple-digit temps, my drink was still cool and tasty. There’s a phalanx of straps and clips to keep everything in place and it never felt bulky. The pack’s back is made out of a contoured mesh material that never made my back sweat – well, not more than it would have anyway.
The only negative is that dust found its way inside of the bite valve. After I noticed that, I just drained some liquid to clear it before taking my next drink. Even so, it felt a little grimy. Hydrapak makes a valve cover for this, but I didn’t test it.
After the ride it’s clearly important to promptly and thoroughly clean the reservoir and tube. I can’t imagine what would happen inside of that polyurethane bag if you didn’t. No big deal. At $100, the Borracho is worth it and did its job, allowing me to cross some arid terrain camel-style.”
-Tom Kaiser