REI Co-op  Trailmade 10 Hydration Pack

I received the REI Co-op Trailmade 10 Hydration Pack for free in exchange for an honest review. Overall it’s a comfortable and lightweight hydration pack that works well for short hikes, quick trail runs, or walks when you don’t want to carry a full daypack. The hydration bladder works well and the pack stays fairly stable while moving. That said, storage is pretty basic and I did find myself wishing for a couple more small pockets for better organization. It’s not something I’d rely on for longer hikes where I need more gear, but for a few hours on the trail it’s simple, comfortable, and reasonably priced.

This is a cute, utilitarian little pack. It's perfect for a short summer day hike or more in cooler weather (I wouldn't take it out in 100F with only 1.5L of water). I'm a big proponent of the ten essentials, even on short hikes, because you never know who you will run across and what you'll need, and this pack is perfect for me. I have a small stuff sack with most everything that I can just drop in here along with the water and head out. It's incredible how much it will fit, considering how small it feels in your hands. I can fit my essentials pack, a light jacket, the water bladder, my phone/keys/ID, and some snacks and it doesn't feel like it's bursting at the seams. Plus, if you're used to a more substantial daypack in the 20-30L range this will feel like literally nothing on your back despite being half full of water. One of the standout things to me includes the adjustable chest strap; a lot of lightweight little bags don't offer this much range, but both myself and my husband were able to get comfortable with it. It's not as simple as a plastic slider, but I like it more. I also appreciate the lashing points on the outside of the pack in case you do decide you want to strap anything extra to it like hiking poles or a heavier jacket for rain. I also like the zipper-type hydration reservoir, although it does feel very bare-bones if you're used to more features. It doesn't seem to have a plastic taste straight out of the package, which I appreciate. There's no simple way to prop it open to dry, but wedging the zipper handle inside seemed to do the trick, and the hanger on the bladder was helpful. It's nice that every piece comes apart without too much work so you can wash all of the plastic connectors effectively. I think its simplicity is a good compliment to the simplicity of the pack itself, even if it might feel lacking to more experienced hikers. All in all it works well for my use case and I'm excited to take it out even more.

Great little hydration and pack for hiking and my surf trips! The backpack sat well on the shoulder for both me and my husband who have very different body types. I was able to pack a Turkish towel, 3oz of sunscreen, sunglasses, granola bars, extra water bottle for hydration tablets, liquid IV, kleenex pocket pack, hand sanitizer, keys, phone and wallet into it. I love the new open and close function for the bladder, it was super easy to open/close and fill. Only thing that would have made the bag perfect was a place to store the mouthpiece. We used it at the beach and when the wind kick up the sand it would stick on the mouth piece so we had to squeeze some water out each time to clean it off.

I've been using hydration packs since getting into mountain biking in 1998. Right now I've got three or four bags I've accumulated over the years; they've gone with me up and down Mount Washington, on six-hour epic rides, tromping around local trails in the snow, and everything in between. The Trailmade 10 suits very nicely for shorter hikes (or if you can refill along the way). There's a surprising amount of room -- I stashed a light hoodie, first aid kit, vest, gloves, hat, and a full hydration bladder on yesterday's hike and still had space for incidentals. It looks and feels durable and well-constructed. I've got a similar 18L-capacity pack made of recycled ripstop nylon with some kind of coating that flakes right off, but that absolutely will not happen here. The back is breathable enough and does a great job for the weight and size of the pack. And a waist belt would be useless on a bag this small, I appreciate just a sternum strap! The only downside is the bladder. It is a very lightweight offering from HydraPak that specifically mentions their Plug-N-Play Quick Disconnect but in reality the hose is not easily detached. I fully expect mold to unavoidably grow in there regardless of how well I try to clean and dry it. There's neither a manual cutoff nor a cover for the bite valve, so leakage is possible and I've already noticed it pick up dirt from whatever it happens to touch. The bladder itself functions just fine and seems durable and very light... but the details are missing, especially compared to competitors' options or more upscale offerings from HydraPak itself. I would've also liked a simple way to stash collapsed trekking poles to the outside, but I understand that's a bit above its fast-and-light paygrade. That said, it's a fantastic bag. I'll just plan to replace the bladder a little earlier than would be ideal. If you can look past that, you'll find a solid little option that seems to disappear while out for a hike!