FIND OUT all about Snowboarding Hydration Packs Right.. Here... Right...Now !!!

UPDATED FOR THE 2009/2010 SEASON !

Got questions about snowboarding hydration packs???
Everything and Anything you want to know
You can find out about them RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!

WHY use a hydration pack???
WHAT are the best features and designs???
WHO makes the best of the bunch???
WHERE can you buy them online???

Ok lets start with the first question...Hydration units have become very popular in the last five years on the slopes with snowboarders and skiers...The designs have evolved so they are more comfortable to wear and easy to use. They can hold lots of liquids which is very important while snowboarding especially if you are doing any hiking or climbing as you lose fluids faster at high altitudes in dry air...

GOOD REASONS TO WEAR A HYDRATION PACK

THE BEST REASON to wear one is they allow you to carry a fairly large amount of liquids more comfortably and easily than using just a daypack or backpack...

ANOTHER GOOD REASON
A snowboarding hydration backpack allows you to drink anytime you want quickly and easily without having to remove your day pack or backpack to get at the bottles or cans you got stashed.
In other words they are very convenient...

ONE MORE REASON
You eliminate most of the wasted space, weight and bulk of plastic bottles or cans...

Reducing wasted space is the most important...
Reducing wasted space also lowers your center of gravity allowing you to either carry more liquids if you are on a long day trip or weekender or ride more comfortably during a morning or afternoon session...

But it also means, you have less plastic or aluminum trash to haul out with you at the end of your day or trip... enough good reasons I think...

SOME GOOD REASONS NOT TO WEAR A HYDRATION PACK

There are a few reasons to consider before you buy one, whether you need a hydration pack or not...
First and foremost is they can be uncomfortable to wear especially the larger capacity ones...You need to consider the type of riding you do and then weigh that against the reduced comfort level...

Secondly they add extra weight to your load and you need to adjust your riding and balance...

Third reason is they can prevent moisture from escaping from your snowboarding outerwear ie. (jacket) and leave you feeling wetter and colder when you stop to rest and cool down...
Most of the positive aspects outweigh the negative aspects...The design of snowboarding hydration backpacks has evolved quickly to eliminate to a greater degree most of the negatives.You can also do some things to minimize the negatives...

I highly advise you get a smaller hydration pack than you think you need or to only fill the pack with a measured amount of liquid to get you thru the day or your trip...

FEATURES YOU NEED IN A QUALITY SNOWBOARDING HYDRATION BACKPACK

WHAT are some of the features to look for in a snowboarding hydration pack?
Buying a combination daypack/hydration pack is one of the smartest ways to combine usage.There are alot of good solid combination packs on the market now...

There are lots of snowboarding day packs and backpacks that are hydration unit compatible, which means you can add a reservoir to your daypack or backpack and use it as needed or leave the hydration part at home or in the car if not needed...

THE primary feature for winter use is a insulated tube and sleeve to prevent freeze up...
The valves should be easy to open and close and be drip free...See CAMELBAKS BIGBITE valve...Its also important to be sure the valve cannot get jarred open or opened accidentally...See CAMELBAKS HYDROLOCK valve ! You can check out SnowShacks visual diagrams page CAMELBAK DIAGRAMS with descriptions about Camelback features for a quick schooling on this subject...

The reservoir should be easy to clean and re-assemble...
IT should be made of NALGENE or equivalent, NALGENE leaves no plastic taste to water...
Accessing the reservoir space or compartment should be with a full length zipper or some way to allow the loading or removing the reservoir easily...

The best snowboarding hydration backpacks will have a wide mouth filler that is easy to fill without spilling...
In the larger snowboarding hydration backpacks it is important to have padded straps and a chest and waist strap also with padding...Waist strap should be wide and easily adjusted...
As with a daypack or backpack the back should have a breathable or mesh liner to allow moisture to escape between your back and the hydration pack...The best snowboarding hydration backpacks are designed with a low profile and low center of gravity...

You can check out the SNOWBOARDING DAYPACKS AND BACKPACKS PAGE for more info related to the best features in daypacks and backpacks...

WHO makes the best snowboarding hydration backpacks???
HANDS DOWN CAMELBAK DOES !!! They are the clear leaders in snowboarding hydration packs and for all sports hydration packs in general... Check out CAMELBAK.com for some real solid info about cleaning hydration packs and how to pick a hydration pack for your type of activity...Then jump back here to see who else makes snowboarding hydration packs...But keep in mind all the others are following CAMELBAKS LEAD...

Some other companies that make snowboarding hydration backpacks are Dakine, Osprey and NorthFace...

WHERE TO BUY SNOWBOARDING HYDRATION BACKPACKS ONLINE

OK Lets look at Altrec first...ALTREC.com Altrec.com carries Camelbak and Northface hydration backpacks... You can check out all their hydration packs in their hydration backpack dept, but... be aware many of them are for other sports or kids use...

Lets move on and check out Backcountry.com They have a pretty good selection of hydration backpacks for both men and women...Most are for hiking and cycling...The Camelbak SnoBowl is a low profile hydration pack made for winter use and they also have the Camelbak ZOID...Backcountry.com also carries alot of large hydration packs, but way too many for me to show you and most are made for other sports, check out their website to see their whole selection for yourself...

Next place to look is Paragonsports.com The ONLY hydration unit worth seeing there is the Camelbak Sto Away which can be used in Camelbak compatible hydration packs, daypacks or backpacks or other compatible packs...

Next place to hit it to is REI.com You can find snowboarding hydration packs in the snowsports/ski accessories/packs section and the 2 top picks here are the Camelbak SnoBlast and SnoBound combination hydration/ daypacks.Both are pretty good...

Now to check out Snowshack.com They have... SURPRIZE !!! CAMELBAK !!! But Snowshack has something cool...They got the killer visual diagram so you can learn all about the features that makes Camelbak's the best... CAMELBAK DIAGRAMS Check it out,you will be glad you did! Snowshack carries a focused selection of Camelbaks for winter use and cleaning brushes and a clip for fastening the mouthpiece close to yours...Plus the winterize kit if you already have a Camelbak for hiking or cycling and YOU do not want to buy another one...
Good Product...Good Idea...

OK next place to check out is Summit Online SummitOnline.com has the Camelbak Mule which is a small hydration pack and a few High Sierra hydration packs one of which is a combo daypack hydration pack...

Time to head on home to The-House.com Snowboard shop. The ONLY item of interest is the Dakine Hydrator which is a winter use drop in reservoir that can be used in Dakine daypacks or other hydration compatible daypacks or backpacks...They really need to get a better selection in order to compete...

So lets move on to USOUTDOOR.com Snowboard Shop and lets see what these guys got in the their stash...You have to look under the camping/packs section , but once you are there they have small and large hydration packs by size and a very good selection too...You just need to pick through them and see the winter use ones...They have the Gregory hydration units too. so check it out now...

Here's a QUICK LIST of other online stores and resources to score hydration packs...

Moosejaw.com Moosejaw.com is a new store I have used recently...Check em out ...

Amazon.com where you can find a hydration packs offered by Amazon.com thru their affiliated retail stores...

Try Bizrate to Compare prices for hydration packs and Snowboarding Gear. Its a fast way to find the best price if you already know exactly what you want...

HYDRATION BACKPACKS FOR UK SNOWBOARDERS

There is only one shop in the UK I know of that has hydration packs...It is OutdoorGear UK This shop has a various selection of 8 different hydration daypacks by Grizzly,Tornado,Hydro and Sierra for you to browse through...Not much selection...But they have very reasonable prices...So check em out right now...

LATERS FROM THE SNOWBOARDING MASTER...