REI Co-op  Trailmade Hydration Sling

I received a free sample in exchange for this review. Light and practical, this REI Trailmade sling definitely serves its purpose of being a sling bag for a water bottle or other smaller objects. It is comfortable despite not being that being that much padded. The basic construction is solid and a full water bottle is felt very secure once fastened. Coming from Osprey Aeode sling, the REI Trailmade is less structured, and therefore more prone to deformation when oversized things are stuffed inside , but it is just as comfortable if not more so. I’ve stuffed winter bike gloves and other daily essentials, after the exterior mounted bottles are in , and is still comfortable to carry annd easier to use. It also has an added benefit of being a comfortable waist pack if crossbody carry is not your thing, but just need to get used to the heavier bottle tilting and sagging one way. Tightening can reduce the bounce but will not change the sagging. The same can be said for one sided shoulder carry . Unlike messenger bags, this sling will again tilt and swivel to the heavier side, especially when the water bottle is fitted. See my photo for details. For daily crossbody carry, this is excellent. Definitely recommend!

I really enjoyed this product. It held my binoculars and a camera and an extra lens when I went on a hike. I also had a full water bottle. Anytime I wanted to switch lenses it was easy to rotate the bag to the side and access the zipper to reach my second lens. When rotatoed the bag acted like a small table which was reassuring for me. The bag, however, does not sit over a large chest/breast well. I was constantly readjusting the bag. I wore it tight, I wore it lose. I’ve never had great success with sling bags in general.

The sling is handy and keeps a water bottle and sunglasses very handy on short hikes or days out. Took some fiddling with the straps to find a good way for it to lay across my bad with the pad in the right spot over my shoulder. It has been really handy when I know I'll need to bring a few snacks and couple other small things with my water and want the smallest bag that can comfortably hold all of that.

I needed a sling to carry basic items water on shorter hikes. I had tried on at both REI and different stores maybe 5-6 variations but couldn’t find one that sat right on my shoulder and back. THIS IS ADJUSTABLE ON BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM, aka if you’re short the phone/sunglasses pouch won’t be flapping at your hip but actually supported mid-back and mid-chest for a comfortable fit. Bonus: it came with a water bottle.

I hike with friends all winter and early spring when it is too cold in Minnesota to bike. I recently used the REI Trailmade Hydration Sling after a huge snowstorm. We purposely chose a paved trail that we knew would be plowed rather than try to navigate nearly 20” of snow. Turned out to be a beautiful sunny day, most of snow on trail was melted but it had dropped another couple inches the morning of. I mention all this because I have a medical condition which makes me breathe harder on exertion and hence I get thirsty more and sooner than my companions so I try to always carry water. I had been carrying a water bottle in a drawstring bag on my back but 2 things happened. First the bag ( and knots from the strings) were constantly rubbing on my jacket and created a wear mark across my back and second, because the bag was so big, it would cause my back to sweat on long hikes. This little sling was comfortable, a great size, and held my snacks and my gloves and hat when it got too warm and nothing was going to rub on my back or cause a hot spot. I was able to take a drink without stopping or too much hassle and we did almost 6 miles yesterday. We are in our upper 60’s and 70’s and I was the only one carrying water but happy that I did so as others were envious! I’m not a big fan of plastic bottles because of microplastics and chemical leaching but that allowed it to be lightweight and there was no plasticy taste to the water. There is a secure strap to keep your bottle in place as well as a cinch elastic drawstring. 2 zippers for the pack so you don’t have to unzip the whole pouch to get something out and risk losing the contents. Made from sturdy comfortable material and I noticed the padded strap can be removed or adjusted for the other shoulder and there is a hand carrying loop as well. Inside there is a mesh pocket and the Velcro loop and a hook clip for organization. Very handy sling for shorter day hikes!

I injured my sacrum and needed a pack that did not rest on my hips, and this sling bag that carries a water bottle is perfect.