Are you training for a marathon, a triathlon, or simply enjoy long hikes no matter what the weather? Whatever the reason you end up pushing yourself in all weathers, you will at some point need hydration and the longer you are out the more you will need. If you have ever tried to run a long distance with a bottle in each hand, you will know this simply isn’t a comfortable option. A hydration pack is the most sensible option for day-long training sessions.

The Hauser from Mission Workshop is a hydration park designed for all types of weather conditions, with a three litre capacity that is compatible with most reservoirs including Camelbak, Hydrapak, Platypus, and Osprey/Nalgene. Featuring a perforated back panel and shoulder straps to provide ventilation and a frame sheet for added structure, it has four weatherproof exterior pockets and comes with a fully removable tool-roll and four extra mesh pockets with a zip opening. The Hauser has a roll-top closure to secure the main compartment and can also be closed by laying the flap down for additional coverage of the front zips. The Hauser comes in 10 designs from sensible Black and DigiCam (camouflage) to a bright orange and a rather attractive Navy (which was our sample). One thing I will mention, and I can only hope will pass with time: it smells a little funky - a weird plastic/wax jacket sort of smell. The buckles and adjustment straps are naff (just thin plastic buckles and cheap looking straps), but the rest of the bag is made to a good quality. There is light padding on the shoulder straps, yet they remain comfortable, and the thin waist belt might not look much, but it is there to keep the pack close to your body on a bike rather than take a great deal of weight.

When testing out this pack, we found the waterproofing worked extremely well. The ventilation did not work as well as I would like: the large surface area over your back means on warm days it could get quite warm! I liked that you can access the hydration reservoir without having to remove any of your belongings, and the removeable tool-roll is a neat little bonus: it means I could leave my bike tools in there and remove the entire thing if I take the Hauser out on foot instead.

This is a pretty good Hydration pack overall; providing you have £150 to blow, this could be a good option. If the ventilation was improved then it might be worth that amount, but as it is, it is over-priced. But hey, so are Converse Trainers, and I still find myself buying them whenever they release a new vintage cartoon design! RRP $225.00

4 out of 5

Buy now

Pros

Waterproof

Comfortable

Separate, widely compatible, 3L reservoir

Removeable tool-roll

4 waterproof pockets

10 designs to choose from

Cons

Overpriced

Cheap buckles and adjustment straps

Needs better ventilation