REVIEW – Although I grew up as a Scout (and made Eagle) I’ve never used a hydration bladder. For me, it was always canteens. My son is training for a 50 mile hike this summer, so he’s got many training hikes planned. I thought I’d have him try it out! But first, a look at the bladder itself.
What is it?
The LA Police Gear Hydration Bladder is a 3L capacity (1 and 2L available) water carrying system, double-sealed with an insulating hose.
Hardware specs
- Capacity: 3 Liter
- Dimensions: 8″ x 18″
- Anti-Microbial
- Double Sealed
- Insulated Tube
- Wide Opening
Design and features
The bladder comes in a simple box. The only logo is on the bladder and nowhere else.
There’s a wide-mouthed cap for filling, emptying, and drying out your bladder.
On the end opposite the cap is the port you connect the hose to. Note that the hose itself is insulated with what appears to be neoprene. There’s also a graduated scale printed on the side of the bladder in 1/2L increments.
The hose itself measures just over 40 inches end to end.
Setup
Other than filling the bladder, the only thing that needs figuring out is the mouthpiece. There’s a black plastic dust cover that goes over the clear, soft tip.
The clear tip itself pulls out to open. Biting down on this tip will start the flow of water.
Performance
I passed this along to my son (age 15 at time of review, Life Scout) on the most recent Troop hike. Here he is, enthusiastically modeling the hydration bladder.
This is what my son said:
“The hydration pack, unlike other packs similar to its design, was easy to open and refill, along with its convenient design with the detachable drinking hose. During a test session on a hike in a backpack, the hydration pack did not leak or get damaged at all. The hose was very flexible and easy to drink from too. Overall, this hydration pack is extremely well designed and convenient for transporting water.”
What I like
- Easy to refill
- Inexpensive
What I’d change
- None
Final thoughts
Unless you are an old-school dad (canteens!) you can’t go wrong with a LA Police Gear 3 Liter Hydration Bladder at this price.
Price: $9.99
Where to buy: LA Police Gear
Source: The sample of this product was provided by LA Police Gear
