REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids'

Comments about REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids':

I wanted to get a daypack for my son who is 4 years old, and just over 3 ft tall and under 30 lbs. Checking out the kids section at REI it was between this and the Starfish. He liked this one better so I went with it. While I though the Starfish was maybe better this one did have some advantages for its intended use (day pack to carry his food, water and spare clothes).

Overview-
The overall construction is nylon, some of the pannels are lightweight ripstop. The bottom is heavier weight than the rest (good). The extenal features seem well designed. The "frame" or back support consists of two strips of 3 inch wide high density egg crate foam for support and a bit of air circulation. The "frame" seemed a bit stiffer than the Starfish. The straps also seemed a bit more substiantial. Probably overkill for this class of pack.

At the top of each strap is a sleeve to guide the drinking tube. In the sternum strap has an extra bracket on it to hold the tube in place. A very good setup, wish my cambelback did that!. The Sternum strap has a built in whistle, very clever! The top handle is well inegrated.

There is a somewhat tight mesh pocket on either side but they stretch enough to hold a 12 oz drink so no complaints there. There are a couple of reflective stripes on the back that you don't notice until they are hit by light. The clips on teh zippers are good quality.

There is one external pocket on the front, doesn't hold a whole lot. Has some internal mesh and a key ring.

There are two problems with the exterior however. Adjustable part of the shoulder strap is WAY too long for kids. You end up having to cut it or tie it up or they'll step on it. No biggie.

The other issue is a bit more vexing. They used standard clips for the waits and sternum straps. Problem is there clips are too hard for smaller kids to undo them! So once their in their in and someone else has to take the backpack off if the kid wants access to it (and what little boy doesn't pull everything out of his backpack at least twice on a hike). That was kind of a bummer. I'm not sure any other pack in this class doesn't have this flaw however.

Moving into the interior we have two sections. The section that holds the water bladder and the main section. The bladder (Nalgene manufacture) is actually fasted to the back of the interior via two tabs. This holds it upright which is nice. The bladder itself has an oversized opening (which is a little annoying on a 1L or less bladder). But on the plus size the hose is just the right size (The Starfish hose was long enough to tie the kid up with). The cap is captive to the bladder, big plus when Jr's doing the refils.

The main compartment really isn't that big. But its big enough to do the job. I fit in some snack bars, a pair of crocks, a change of clothes (his) and a 12 oz gatoraide with no problem. One design issue here is that there is a constriction point at the area of maximum extension on the zippers (if both are unzipped). You've got more space beneath but you have to shove around this to use it. Not a big deal unless you want to get at stuff near the bottom quickly and easily. Chances are your going to have to pull some things out first.

PROs
Adequate build for this class of pack
PERFECT drinking tube setup, best of ever seen on any pack.
Good well balanced fit
Will actually fit smaller kids

Cons
May be too small for some applicatons/kids
Clips to strong for little hands
Some straps have too much exta
Constricted Opening

Conclusion
If you want a pack that lets Jr bring everything he wants and get at anything quickly then this probably isn't the pack for you. But if you want something where he can carry what he needs securley. For me this was perfect. I wanted something that fit him very tight and secure so that it wouldn't affect his balance and the Squirt was better than the Starfish by far (he kinda wallowed in the starfish).

If you've got a small kid or you want to keep the load to a minmum the Squirt is your best choice.

Comments about REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids':

We got this for my 4 year old daughter. The backpack itself is great, but the Nalgene hydration pack is useless, the tube was so short and flimsy that every time my daughter tried to take a drink, the tube bent and stopped any possible water flow. She chewed through the bite valve trying to get water out of it. I took it back to REI and they replaced it with a camelback system.

Comments about REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids':

We are on our second one of these packs. The bite valve was severed on first bite, so we returned it. The second has proved consistently leaky no matter how well we screw the cap on. Frustrating.

Comments about REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids':

I am very disappointed with this product, and I'm returning it today. My daughter, 8, used this all of two times on day hikes. The buckles are hard for her to disconnect (and she's no weakling), the bite valve is ripped and water comes flying out of it randomly, the tubing is extremely difficult to get in and out of the shoulder straps, and the zipper for the main compartment is very "sticky".
The hydration bag seems very cheaply made. There's no cap for the bite valve, the mouthpiece being constantly exposed to whatever your child encounters (dogs, germs at picnic tables, dirt, etc)which seems gross to me.
Overall, I have an adult size hydration pack that was half the cost of this kids' bag, and my daughter and I have shared it for 2 years with no problems at all. I plan on getting a completely different brand of bag as this one was such a let-down for her.

Comments about REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids':

This pack is comfortable and light. I had a leaky mouth valve but was easily fixed. Very versatile.

Comments about REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids':

I bought two of these backpacks for my kids for day hikes, (under 5 miles). The first pack had a slow leak at the bottom valve. I eventually replaced it with a better quality camelback. The second pack works fine. For the price,these packs are great for young children starting out in hiking. There is some room for an extra jacket and a few small things. Only complaint is the leaky valve on the one pack.

Comments about REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids':

Wish I would have listened to the comments posted for this item. It is a great backpack. However, we just purchased it today, and after cleaning and filling the reservoir, we noticed a kink in the hose - and it is set. If I pull it apart, then water will flow through, but once in the backpack, my son can't get any water out of it. I ended up replacing the hose with an old Nalgene reservoir of mine. Works fine now, but now I can't find any replacement parts for my Nalgene.

Still, the backpack is nice and fits my son quite well.

Comments about REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids':

My 4 and 6 year old daughters used these for a day of alpine skiing. Good size for little people...just remember to wash them out beforehand or you get a bad taste untill cleaned

Comments about REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids':

Bought this pack for my 3 y/o. (he's 97th percentile for height so he's wearing 5T clothes)He loves carrying his own pack on our hikes. There's room enough for a change of clothes, fleece and shell, and the bladder. The lift loop is very strong and I have been able to save him from two water landings while crossing streams from rock to rock. I could hold him in the air when he slipped and was headed for the drink.

PRO: Strong, lift loop, and fabric. has slid down slopes on pack w/ no discernable wear.
large enough to carry childs own gear without being able to really overload child.
CON: no rain flaps over zippers
(we solve this dilemma by putting raingear over pack. Able to still use hydration system and pack and contents stay dry.

OTHER: people have written here about issues w/ tubing on hydration system kinking, and bite piece getting chewed up. If you DON'T use the retention loop on he shoulder strap at the sternum strap level the hose won't kink, and w/ a little instruction your child won't gnaw on the bite valve. Also the childs inability to remove the pack IE undo clips, means they can't walk away from it somewhere that you then have to go find it. I don't consider it a negative. Now if I can just get him to understand that blowing the whistle if ur lost or can't see Mommy or Daddy doesn't mean hide behind a tree so you can blow it...

Comments about REI Squirt Hydration Pack - Kids':

Great pack for the lil' ones. My 3 y/o son loves his pack. He can carry a change of clothes, a few small toys, puppy (of course), and his own water.
never had a leakage problem w/ the bladder. After researching here, I was sure to teach him not to gnaw on the bite valve. The loops on the shoulder straps that hold the hose are OK, but don't use the one near the sternum strap. If you do the hose kinks and no flow. The lift strap at the top is very strong. Has saved the boy from at least 2 river drops while rock hopping. He's 40 lbs and I was able to hold him by the strap and lift him to "safety" The only negative I've seen is the lack of flaps over the zippers. We usually solve this by putting raingear over the pack, keeps him dry as well as the pack.