Salomon x HydraPak: How SoftFlask Innovation Changed Trail Running Hydration
For more than 15 years, Salomon and HydraPak have worked together to develop hydration solutions designed specifically for trail running and movement in the mountains. The partnership helped advance the SoftFlask™ from an emerging hydration concept into a core component of modern trail running vests and packs.
When HydraPak began working with Salomon in 2011, integrated trail running hydration looked very different than it does today. Runners often relied on traditional water bottles or hydration systems that weren’t specifically designed around the fit, movement and efficiency required for running in the mountains. Salomon saw an opportunity to change that.
How Salomon and HydraPak Helped Advance Trail Running Hydration
Salomon was already rethinking how runners should carry water by developing front-mounted hydration systems for trail running packs and vests. Instead of treating hydration as something added to a pack after it was designed, Salomon wanted the hydration system to work as part of the pack itself.
That approach aligned naturally with HydraPak’s expertise in flexible hydration. Together, the teams began developing lightweight SoftFlask solutions that could conform to the body, compress as runners drank and integrate directly into Salomon’s trail running equipment. The collaboration reflected Salomon’s broader approach as a mountain brand: understand how athletes move through demanding environments, listen closely to their feedback and design equipment around those specific needs.
From Handheld SoftFlasks to Integrated Running Vest Hydration
One of the earliest Salomon and HydraPak projects was a handheld SoftFlask designed for mountain athletes. The flexible flask fit into the palm and allowed runners to carry nutrition or hydration without having to continuously grip a rigid bottle. The original concept was developed as a way to carry and consume energy gel, an idea that anticipated the growing focus on more efficient fueling and hydration systems for endurance athletes.
As the relationship evolved, so did the products. HydraPak and Salomon explored new SoftFlask sizes, shapes, caps and configurations, with each project centered on solving a specific problem for athletes in the mountains.
Designing SoftFlasks for Cold-Weather Running
Some of the most valuable product development comes from problems without an obvious solution. When Salomon explored a SoftFlask for winter use, freezing temperatures presented a major challenge: traditional bite valves could freeze and prevent athletes from accessing their hydration.
Rather than trying to eliminate freezing altogether, HydraPak approached the problem differently. The product team developed a cap that allowed athletes to remove ice from the bite valve if the valve froze, creating a practical solution for hydration in cold mountain environments. While this product isn’t commercially available, it is representative of the Salomon and HydraPak relationship: start with how athletes actually use the product, identify the problem and engineer around the environment in which they are moving.
Custom SoftFlask Design for Salomon S/LAB Running Vests
Another important development came through Salomon’s S/LAB line of performance running equipment. Salomon wanted the upper flange of the SoftFlask angled away from the runner’s body to improve how the flask interacted with the vest and athlete. HydraPak developed a new flask shape specifically around that request.
It was a relatively small geometric change, but one athletes noticed. It also demonstrated why hydration integration matters in trail running vest design. Details like flask shape, position, accessibility and fit against the body can influence how comfortably and efficiently an athlete moves over long distances. Projects like these have also pushed HydraPak’s own product development forward, creating opportunities to rethink existing designs and explore what flexible hydration can do.
15+ Years of Salomon and HydraPak Hydration Innovation
More than 15 years into the partnership, Salomon and HydraPak continue to look for ways to improve hydration for trail runners and mountain athletes. Salomon brings a deep understanding of athletes, global markets and the changing needs of mountain sports. HydraPak brings expertise in designing and manufacturing flexible hydration systems that can be engineered around those needs.
Whether the solution requires a new SoftFlask size, shape, cap or custom integration into a Salomon running vest, the goal remains the same: make hydration feel like a natural part of the athlete’s equipment rather than something they have to think about while moving. What began as an effort to rethink how runners carry hydration has developed into a long-term product partnership and helped make flexible, front-mounted hydration a core part of trail running today.
