This piece of kit comes with a lot of award wins:

And an amazing array of useful-sounding features:

• Spray to drink
• Spray to cool
• Spray to clean
• Spray to share
• Cleans in dishwasher
• Inline filter system
• Constant pressure
• Stable load

All this comes in a range of great-looking running rucksacks.

How to use the new hydration system

There’s a video just to show you how to use this award-winning rucksack hydration system. The video is nauseatingly salesy and American but it does get across all the great features.

What’s so great about the Geigerrig hydration system ?

The theory is that it’s a faff to suck water from ordinary hydration systems. You know, like Camelbac etc. Also, if you suck on these water systems you might be less keen to share with friends and team-mates. Added to this, this hydration systems are notoriously difficult to get clean – and who heard of putting one in the dishwasher?

So far, some of this seems to make sense. I haven’t ever really had a problem with a suck-it hydration tube. They have occasionally worn out but most are fine and work well. Sometimes when water is running low it would be good to have a pressurised system. I would also share my hydration system with friends, just as I would with a water bottle, unless they were suffering with a cold. I haven’t ever thought to share my water with someone who I wouldn’t class as a friend but there might come a day…

However, the spray system of the Geigerrig is good. Because the water is kept under pressure (via an ingenious pump system) the water does come out of the tube freely and readily when you push down on the end. There is no need to take the tube in your mouth as you can hold it away and spray the water in.

I like the way that the water bag opens with a big opening for adding water and the sealing system is also very convincing and easy to use. Cleaning the bag is made a great deal easier because of this wide top opening, and it’s possible to turn the bag inside out and pop in the dishwasher. So far the Geigerrig is getting my thumbs up.

I can see the advantage of the in-filter system too. This allows you to fill the bag with river water but still rest assured that the water will be safe to drink. Again, this is a great idea.

But where I start to become a little critical is the suggestion that the Geigerrig is good for spray cleaning. The pressure is quite good and certainly it might give you a spray down if you were feeling hot during a race. But for cleaning other things, such as bikes, I’m pretty doubtful. I don’t know about you but the dirt that collects on my bike needs a good water force to get rid of it and the water spraying out of the Geigerrig just doesn’t seem to be strong enough for bike cleaning. The again, when would you be in need of spray cleaning your bike while out cycling? The Giegerrig is no substitute for a garden hose so this is just a small criticism.

The Geigerrig hydration system itself is very well thought out and has a lot of advantages, not least the ability to put it in the dishwasher.

The Geigerrig pack

I was sent the Geigerrig to test, along with a smart pack. There are a range of packs and mine is the 500.

Here are the details:

Bladder: 70 oz., quick-release valves for drinking tube and pressurization tube for easy refill and bladder removal, slide top for easy refill, cleaning and drying.

Fabric: 100% Ballistic Rip Stop, 500 Cubic In. Dry Capacity

Weight: 1.14 Kg

Zippers: Heavy Duty Size 8 Coil Zippers

I-Pod Ready Compartment w/ Waterproof Zipper Garage

Removable Waist Strap

Shoulder Strap: Ergonomic Fit, Terraced Overlay for Adjustable Tube Configuration and Power Bulb Configuration, Industrial Load Dispersement cut and padding

Chest Strap: Integrated slider chest strap

Additional Features: Plug & Play Reservoir Tube Connector, PVC Reinforced Compression Straps, Reflective Tabs & Zipper Pulls, Internal Storage Compartments and Organizer, Eco Rig Back Pads, Air Drive Ventilation, Heavy Duty Nylon Pack Handle and Vertical attachment hoops.

It is a very nice pack indeed. Comfy to wear, even when filled with the hydration pack. There isn’t much room left for anything else once it’s filled with water so if you want to carry big things but a larger pack. I love the colour, too. Not that it should matter but it’s always good to have a pack that is strikingly different from everyone else’s!

To find out more about the Geigerrig hydration system and packs see Geigerrig.com. Good outdoors stores and on-line shops sell the Geigerigg. prices start from about £35 for the hydration system and about £68 for the pack.