Details
Brand
HydraPak
Model
Velocity
Use
Hydration
Latest Version
Yes
Key Features
• Stores up to 1 ½ liters of fluid• Compatible with most hydration backpacks• High• pressure bite valve attached to long straw• like tube• Resealable top and reversible design facilitates easy washing and filling• TPU construction is durable and free from harmful additives like PVC and BPA• Bonus clip allows for attaching tube to the shoulder of a backpack
Comfort
In regards to comfort, there isn’t much to say about the Hydrapak Velocity. It feels comfortable to the touch due to the use of soft TPU material for its construction. That said, it isn’t designed to be used on its own, the way in which this reservoir is most comfortably used is when placed inside a compatible hydration backpack. In this environment, this product can be more comfortable to use than a traditional water bottle. Thanks to the Velocity’s high-pressure bite valve, wearers can easily access the water they need during an exercise session without using their hands. On the other hand, adding about 3 ½ pounds to the wearer’s back in water weight can cause them to feel some discomfort. Fortunately, this weight will decrease as the water is consumed, meaning that the wearer’s workout will become easier as they progress.
Size
The Hydrapak Velocity’s size is roughly 12 ½ inches tall and 6 inches wide, which is more or less the standard size for hydration bladders. Thanks to this focus on universal size standards, this reservoir is compatible with hydration pack brands aside from their own. As a result, the Velocity is a convenient replacement or upgrade for individuals who already own hydration backpacks that are looking for a new bladder.;In regards to volume, this water storage product is a bit more impressive. Although it will result in an increase in size that can make storage a bit more difficult, the Velocity can hold up to 1 ½ liters of liquid. This is enough to provide adequate hydration for up to 3 hours of strenuous exercise, according to approximations made by medical professionals based on the human body’s hydration requirements during exercise. This is the secret to this Hydrapak product’s compatibility with trail runners, if they were to hold the same amount of water in a different storage vessel, such as a water bottle or hydration belt, the experience would be much less ergonomic and intuitive in comparison to the Velocity paired with a compatible hydration backpack. That being said, anyone who only needs water for shorter exercise sessions may want to look into a different product that weighs less and takes up less space on their person.
Accessories
Another interesting facet of the Hydrapak Velocity 1.5L is that it both comes with an accessory and functions as an accessory. Regarding the former, this water bladder contains a detachable clip that can be fastened to the tube and bite valve designed for hands-free hydration. The purpose of this clip is to allow the user to attach it to their backpack or an article of clothing, allowing them to easily reach the valve while running or engaging in other physical activities that may require them to use both of their hands.;Regarding the latter, this Hydrapak product was designed to function as an accessory for a typical hydration backpack. Unlike a hydration belt, these products are fairly large and are meant to store large water reservoirs such as the velocity. Some will also allow for the wearer to store accessories and valuables in other pockets, but their primary design purpose is to accommodate the Velocity and similar water bladders. Many of these products will feature a convenient hole that the wearer can use to feed the drinking tube through in order to easily access it while storing the rest of the bladder inside the backpack. However, thanks to the included clip, the Hydrapak Velocity can provide similar functionality without the aid of a specially designed hydration backpack. This small clip can be used to provide the same ergonomic benefit in other products, like a standard backpack or messenger bag.
Use
As previously mentioned, the Hydrapak Velocity 1.5L is a water reservoir, also referred to as a water bladder. This is a sack that can be filled with up to 1 ½ liters of fluid, which can then be accessed through a tube. At the end of this access tube is a high-pressure valve which can be opened by bite, allowing the user to suck water out like they were using a straw. This valve forms a watertight seal when not in use, ensuring that fluids don’t leak out when the user doesn’t want them to.;While the construction of the Hydrapak Velocity is sturdy and fairly resilient to puncture damage, this water reservoir is designed to be used in a hydration backpack. Aside from products made by Hydrapak, this reservoir can be used with products made by other hydration pack manufacturers such as CamelBak. So long as their product documentation states that they can support a bladder with 1.5 liters of storage, the Velocity bladder will work with it. Most of these backpacks will come with some sort of strap near the wearer’s shoulders that can be used to affix the bladder’s tube and valve for easy access, finding one of these backpacks is ideal since the Hydrapak Velocity includes an attachable clip that was designed for this exact purpose.
Style
The visual appearance of the Hydrapak Velocity 1.5L isn’t very interesting or noteworthy and it more or less resembles every other water bladder on the market. This is intentional since the vast majority of this product is meant to be stored inside a backpack and obscured from view, with the exception of its bite valve and water delivery tube. Because of this, whatever style is derived from this product must be done through the choice of an accompanying backpack.;The jury is still out on the stylistic qualities of a hydration backpack. There are many people who see the concept of a backpack with a large straw coming out of it as tacky and somewhat childish. These individuals will likely see a person using something like the Hydrapak velocity as superfluous or “extra,” especially if they are wearing one on the street or in any other environment where hands-free water access isn’t entirely necessary. Still, this product isn’t nearly as awkward looking as a hydration belt, which bears a striking resemblance to a “fanny pack” that stores bottles of baby formula.;In the proper environment, such as a long hike or camping trip, the use of a product such as the Hydrapak Velocity with a companion backpack is much more acceptable. In these situations, style takes much lower priority over functionality, and people are more likely to wear slightly tacky objects such as these. That being said, it is possible to derive some fashion appeal when picking hydration backpacks to accompany this water reservoir, especially if you can find one with a color scheme that matches your footwear or other parts of your wardrobe.
Durability
It may come as a surprise to hear that the Hydrapak Velocity 1.5L is a durable water receptacle, considering the fact that it closely resembles a water balloon. However, this product is actually closer in construction to a hot water bottle, with its highly resilient TPU construction. This makes the Velocity able to resist a decent amount of damage without adding excess weight to its construction or containing any chemicals that could be harmful to ingest such as BPA or PVC. It’s even easy to clean since the entire bag is reversible and machine-washable.;While it’s true that this product is reasonably durable in the face of minor abrasions, it’s still not a good idea to use it outside of a compatible storage product. After all, trail running is the sport that this water reservoir was primarily designed around, and this form of physical activity is far from low-intensity. Because of this, it is still highly recommended that users contain the Hydrapak Velocity in a hydration backpack of some kind, whether it’s made by Hydrapak or another manufacturer such as Camelbak. In addition to ensuring more protection for the bladder from bursting or leaking, this will make it much more comfortable and intuitive to actually use it for staying hydrated during a typical exercise session.
Breathability
This water bladder was not designed to provide any semblance of breathability. In fact, the opposite is true, any water reservoir designed with the intention of allowing air to freely flow throughout its interior will fail to properly hold water as a consequence. The unfortunate downside to this design style is the fact that any water contained in the Hydrapak velocity will inevitably generate heat over time. Additionally, 1 ½ liters of water weighs around 1.5 kilograms, or 3.3 pounds, which will likely lead to increased heat generation due to increased strain on the wearer’s back. It may be possible to mitigate temperature increases to a degree by adding an ice pack to the backpack containing this reservoir, but that would only increase the weight burden on the wearer’s back. For this reason, it is a good idea to look for a compatible hydration backpack that also guarantees a high amount of breathability as a selling point.
Price
The Hydrapak Velocity comes at a deceptively reasonable price tag of just over $30 as of the time this article was written. The reason why this is deceptive is because it appears reasonable at first glance but leads to increased costs as a direct result of its purchase. As has been mentioned frequently in this article, this water bladder was not designed to be used on its own, instead, it is intended for use with a separate product such as a hydration backpack. This will add an additional $40 to $80 to the cost of this product on average in order to use it to its fullest potential.;Alternatively, someone may seek out the Hydrapak Velocity because they already own a hydration backpack and need to replace the water bladder that they were previously using. Maybe they obtained one with their initial purchase and it no longer retains water, or they want to upgrade the storage capacity for their backpack. In these cases, the cost of this product is a bit more reasonable. However, some low-end hydration backpacks cost roughly the same amount as this water reservoir, which can make it tougher to justify paying a nearly full price for a simple replacement part. Still, this product provides excellent functionality at a relatively reasonable price.
Bottom Line
The Hydrapak Velocity 1.5L is a fairly simple product. Its primary purpose is to provide hands-free storage for individuals who want to access water through their backpack. For this reason, it is common to see trail runners, hikers, and mountain bikers use this reservoir and others like it while engaging in their activities. If you are interested in any of these activities, plan on engaging in them for up to 3 hours at a time, and would like to find a reasonably priced ergonomic tool for maintaining proper hydration levels, then the Hydrapak Velocity is a terrific choice.
