![]() |
On the left, an unused HydroPack. On the right, a HydroPack soaked over night. |
There's some good and bad to the design.
The Good:
- Lightweight - These weigh next to nothing.
- Compact - flat and easily packable.
- Easy to use - Plop 'em in water and wait. Not much energy expended.
- Flavored and added nutrients - The HyrdoPack is fill with a sort of sports drink mix - some sugar, vitamin C and other stuff.
- They work! After an overnight wait, you've got something like a big Capri sun full of sports drink - 12 to 15 ounces.
- The F/O membrane will filter out nasty stuff that even a good filter will miss. No need for extra chemical treatment, no clogged filters.
- The HydroPack needs to be left to sit for 6 to 8 hours--basically overnight. Not really a product that's useful for those on the move or when you need a drink right away.
- They're only 12 to 15 ounces - you will need 5 or 6 of these, at least, to stay hydrated throughout a busy day.
- Once removed from the water, the full HydroPacks leak/sweat a small amount of the sports drink through the membrane. Enough to make a bit of a mess in a pack, on a counter, etc.
- It produces a sports drink, not water.
- The sports drink is not very good tasting. Not horrible and almost certainly better than alternatives, but not very good.
- The price. While the manufacturer supplies these for disaster relief, the commercial product is $20 for six HydroPacks - $3.33 per pack.
Buy HydroPack Water Filters on Amazon >