Paper or plastic? “I’m
good. I think I can get it all in my pack,”
I answered at the checkout at the state liquor store in Park City Utah after
our four hour ride. As she swiped my
credit card, I pulled the micro brew bottles out of the six pack holder and
stuffed them into my new Hydrapak Morro.
While the people behind me in line waited patiently for me to bag my “groceries,”
I wrapped one beer in my vest, two in each of my arm warmers, set all six above
the first aid kit, slid my map and the cardboard six-pack holster along side of
the pump, tucked in my full-fingered gloves, zipped and cinched it up and swung
it on my shoulders. They were
astonished. I rode off.
2012 Morro
It was probably a four mile ride back to our condo at the
Canyons Resort. Sure it felt a little
heavy, because now I had a six pack and a good 30ml of water in that thing with
tools and Band-Aids and clothes and a puppy and my wallet and phone and energy
bars and a 29er tube and a bottle of ibuprofen, but everything balanced
out. It wasn’t a chore to ride. Did I say puppy? For the record, I did not stuff a puppy in my
backpack, but if I had to, there was room to lash one to the outside if need be,
probably two.
Mid Mountain Trail Above Park City
I’m the last guy on Planet Mountain Bike to actually like
a big pack. A Hydration backpack to me was
the equivalent of straight jacket made from hot wet monkeys. The crazy thing is I have one of the smallest
possible, an older Camelback Rocket with a 50oz reservoir. I can’t tell you how many times I’d swear, “I’m
never riding with this thing again!” And,
I didn’t. I used to pride myself on
minimalism, even on epic rides in Pisgah and Tsali. I’d take bottles, use a seat pack and my
jersey pockets, tape a 2nd tube to my stem, and tuck food under my
short and sleeve hems. If necessary, I’d
reduce first aid and tools to the most extreme basics: a chain pin, a tri-allen
wrench, a tiny chain tool CO2, 3 big band aids and a 3oz tube of Neosporin…anything
to avoid the hot wet monkey straight jacket.
I used to think Camelback was the only option with their specialized
bite valve and oversized filling hole.
The Hydrapak is just as innovative, albeit different. For one, the Hydrapak reservoir is a zip-lock
bag of sorts. On our Utah trip my wife
used her Camelback. I think my Morro was
easier to fill. She had to sort of let
the camel drink, while I poured 2 32oz Gatorades down the Hydrapak’s neck with
a quick ker-sploosh, added a tray of ice cubes and zipped it closed. With Camelback’s we’ve always had to
awkwardly hang them upside down on a hanger with a paper towel stuffed inside
so air could circulate and dry out the reservoir. To clean and dry, the Hydrapak reservoir
folds inside-out and the plug and play drinking tube simply unclicks from the
bag. On the bike, the neat-o magnet on
the drinking tube allows the tube to magically return itself to its stored
position after you drink. No more
getting slapped in the knee or baffed in the chin with an unwieldy tube.
Hydrapak Avila
If you haven’t had a new pack in a while, The HydrapakMorro is nothing like the bulky pack you had even 5 or 6 years ago. While a larger pack, at a stout 1lb 13oz, the
Morro is extremely versatile. (Wienies may
want to check out the Avila pictured left weighing a scant 7 ounces while still having a
pocket and a 70oz bladder) The man-sized Morro even makes a nice gear bag. Pre or post ride, it’ll easily fit your kit,
shoes, tools, tube and helmet. Whether packed light or full, the Morro feels surprisingly
light thanks to the vented back padding and secure cinching straps. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if there
were a rather unsupported 5+ hour ultra endurance event, I’d be tempted to race
with it. Maybe.
Morro's Magnet in use at Stewart Falls - Sundance, Utah
Packed full, on a 5 ½ hour navigation of Park City’s
famous Mid-Mountain trail I never felt bothered by having a ton of stuff on my
back. I even scored extra hubby points
by carrying my wife’s tools and tube. I still climbed awkward switchbacks and zipped through rock gardens as easily as if I wasn't wearing a pack. Off the bike, I
used it on a quick day hike to Stewart Falls in Sundance with nothing more than
a first aid kit, a long sleeve shirt, an energy bar and 50oz of water inside. With a smaller payload, you simply cinch up the Hydrapak Morro and it feels like a smaller lighter pack.
So, if you come across an orphaned puppy on the trail, no problem, he
can ride shotgun.
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