—Stephanie Pearson writes the Gear Girl column for 国产吃瓜黑料online.com
There鈥檚 no better place to hike, mountain bike, and dehydrate than in Arizona鈥檚 Coconino National Forest, which also makes these red-canyon trails in the hot sun and high, dry air an ideal testing lab for hydration systems. While it鈥檚 tough to calibrate exactly how much water you鈥檒l need while exercising鈥攊t depends on your body weight, how much you sweat, the temperature, and other intangibles, like how many espressos you drank for breakfast鈥攐ne thing is certain: There is a bottle, bladder, or receptacle out there that's the perfect fit for you. A few recent innovations:
鈥 Designed by a former Marine officer who spent hours in the field sucking from substandard bladder systems, Geigerrig鈥檚 Rig 500 ($125; ) is the smallest in a series of packs with three game-changing features: First, the rig comes with a pressurized two-liter hydration system: Pump it up and the water sprays right into your mouth. Second, the bladder is compatible with an inline filter system, meaning that any trickling stream is fair game; and three, the ballistic nylon exterior, which holds 500 cubic inches of dry gear, is literally bombproof鈥攜es, Geigerrig has a YouTube to prove it.
鈥 KOR鈥檚 Vida 鈥淗ydration Vessel鈥 ($25; ) is one smooth way to re-juice. The stainless steel bottle with an easy-to-grab handle, which holds 750 ml of liquid, is nearly indestructible. But KOR鈥檚 design genius is in its 鈥減erfect spout,鈥 a mouth-sized opening that allows you to actually sip water instead of gulp or suck鈥攁 comforting luxury on a hot, sweaty hike.
鈥 If you like to amp up your H2O with electrolyte fizz or have trouble remembering to clean your bottle after a ride (which has resulted in an interesting mold experiment at the bottom of it), Clean Bottle ($10; ) is your solution. With a leak-proof, screw-off bottom, the Clean Bottle is a breeze to wash. Since it鈥檚 BPA free, there鈥檚 no fear of the plastic breaking down in the dishwasher.
鈥 The Hydrapak Reyes ($75; ) made from durable yet ultralightweight 鈥淏aby Rip鈥 nylon is the perfect fit for minimalist hikers. The easy-to-clean, three-liter reversible reservoir, fits snugly into its own zipper pocket and the 325 cubic-inch main pocket offers just enough space for an extra layer, a cell phone, an energy bar, and a small First-Aid kit. With small, yet secure straps at both the sternum and waist, you can cinch this pack up so snugly you鈥檒l forget it鈥檚 on your back.