So you like walking day trips? How about hiking trips? Hiking trips at high altitudes anyone?

If you said yes to any of those questions, you should know that a water reservoir (i.e. “Camelbak”, or – I hate this term – water bladder) is as essential as a pair of sturdy shoes.

When preparing for the trip, I looked far and wide for a reservoir that would be as impervious to punctures, clumsiness, and compression as I could find. My searching pointed me to MSR’s Dromlite water reservoir.

The bright red reservoir is coated with Cordura, a fabric similar to that used in bullet-proof vests, and boasted the ability to hold hot or cold liquids.

While I haven’t investigated its ability to hold hot water, I have been quite impressed by its ability to keep cold water fairly cool (when coupled with my Mountain Hardwear daypack).

The tough outer coating of this reservoir does make me feel a bit more secure if I need to quickly pack and happen to leave a pen, or other pointy object within puncture distance. The main bite valve features an off position and is removable. The hose that connects to the reservoir is also removable, giving it the ability to pack up quite nicely when not in use. For our long day trips away from home base, this has been a great tool to keep us trekking. I would definitely bring it again.

Bring or don’t bring?: BRING

Note: If you are looking for an even tougher water reservoir, one that can prevent your water from freezing, check out MSR’s Dromedary line. Know, however, that this is strictly a reservoir, and requires extra pieces to be a full water hydration system.

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