Hydration. There isn’t anything much more important for outdoor recreation, especially in the warm months. From the ubiquitous Nalgene bottle to Camelbaks and everything in between, we gearheads are always on the search for new and innovative ways to carry our water into the backcountry. Hydrapak has come out with that crazy new thing with their SoftFlask.
The Hydrapak SoftFlask is exactly what it sounds like – a water bottle that is soft rather than hard. When filled with water, they exapand to their full capacity. But when your water is all gone, they collapse down to the size of a crushed beer can. This makes them easy to stow in your pack or pocket instead of taking up a ton of needless room. Here are the fine details:
- Large filling port
- Shut-off valve
- No-drip bite valve
- Dust cover
- Made from collapsible thermoplastic urethane material
- Come in 350 ml, 500 ml, and 750 ml. sizes
I’ve been carrying my water around with the Hydrapak SoftFlask for a while now, from hiking trips in the Utah desert, to mountain biking in Moab, turkey hunting, and even while post-holing hip-deep in mountain snow on the search for a bear den. In every instance, I found these collapsible flasks to be convenient and jealousy-inducing among my friends and co-workers.
The main thing I like and dislike about the SoftFlask is the size. They I like that they are small, which makes them perfect for carrying around in a pocket or in your hand. But I also dislike that they are small, because they don’t carry enough water for me on a typical day-hike/trail run. This supreme mobility, however, makes them so easy to stash into a pack as the soft material conforms around whatever gear you have in there. I’ve been known to keep them in my back pocket, or even in my hand as they are totally unobtrusive. They even have loops so you can hang them from a climbing harness or a pack strap.
Once the water is gone, the flasks collapse on themselves flat as a pancake. They take up zero room, which provides space for more stuff/less weight in your pockets or man satchel.
The water-delivery system is via a bite valve at the top cap. The water flows well with a minimal amount of sucking. The cap screws onto a wide mouth that’s big enough for ice cubes, and makes it simple to fill.
My only real gripe is that when the Hydrapak SoftFlask in new, the water has a plastic taste to it. But after a couple uses/refills, the off-flavor goes away.
The Good: Ultimate water mobility and packability.
The Bad: Too small for longer adventures, water tastes like plastic when new.
Final Word: if you’re a runner, casual hiker, or anyone who prefers to keep a water bottle in a pocket or in hand, then ditch the backpack and grab a HydraPak SoftFlask.
For more, visit them at Hydrapak.com