You don’t need water to enjoy mountain biking, but there is a 100% chance of staying on the trails longer when you have it. The best hydration pack for mountain biking allow you to ride farther and longer by keeping you freshly hydrated.
Hydration packs are used for different outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and skiing. They are great to take with you on family trips to amusement parks. This is why hydration packs are customized specifically for it’s intended use.
The best mountain biking hydration packs will be cool on your back, and have plenty of dry storage for flat kits. They also have larger reservoirs/bladders capable of holding a minimum of two liters of water. Here is the list of the three best hydration packs for mountain biking.
Top Three MTB Hydration Packs
- Osprey Synchro 20 – This pack has plenty of dry storage. It also has Lid Lock, a feature allowing you to fasten your helmet to your hydration pack for easy storage when off the bike. The best feature on this pack, however, is the Airspeed Ventilation. Osprey hydration pack with Airspeed have a lightweight frame that suspends your hydration pack in the air and off your back. This allows air to flow through ensuring you never have a sweaty back. The price isn’t cheap at $150, but this is the only hydration pack I use on long trail rides. (Check Current Price on Amazon Here).
- Osprey Raptor 10 – This is Osprey’s mountain bike specific pack. The bottom unzips to release a built in flat kit. The Raptor doesn’t have Airspeed, but it does have Airscape technology. It’s compact profile allows you to stay cool while having plenty of room for water and dry storage. (Check Current Price on Amazon Here).
- CamelBak H.A.W.G. Pro 20 – You can’t have a list of the best mountain biking hydration packs without mentioning CamelBak. Their hydration packs are made with comfort and convenience as top priorities. CamelBak set the standard in hydration packs for years, and it shows with the best cycling pack the HAWG Pro 20. Admittedly, the CamelBak packs don’t allow as much air through to cool your back, but for early spring and late fall riding this pack is perfect. It includes an integrated tool roll for your flat kits with CO2, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. (Check Current Price on Amazon Here).
Best Women’s Mountain Biking Hydration Pack
Not all body types are the same, which is why companies have a women’s line of hydration packs. Women’s hydration packs are made to be more comfortable on a women’s body. After speaking with many female friends on mountain bike rides it was clear there is a frontrunner for best women’s mountain biking hydration pack. I also spoke to my wife, an avid Osprey and CamelBak user. After borrowing a pack from a friend she agreed with their conclusion.
- Dakine Shuttle Women’s 6L – Above all, the Dakine Shuttle provided the most comfortable fit according to the women helping out with this project. Several comments came through, all of them regarding the same three features. First, the flow of water through the bite valve allows for large drinks with minimal effort. Second, the air mesh shoulder straps felt like they weren’t even there. Finally, the HydraPak 2L reservoir is easy to clean and get in and out of the backpack. (Check Current Price on Amazon).
If you enjoyed this list of the best hydration packs for mountain biking you may also like:
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