Water Backpacks: Hydration Packs For The Military

A water backpack, or hydration pack, is basically a backpack that houses a bladder full of liquid. The bladder is connected to a hose that leads the user’s mouth and most also include a bite valve that allows the user to drink completely hands free. These devices first became popular with mountain bikers and motocross riders because it allowed them to drink hands-free and on the go while riding. These packs are more commonly called hydration packs, though water backpack remains the more popular terminology used in the military for these devices.

Today hydration packs have become very popular, especially in endurance sports that require speed. By being able to drink without stopping, all kinds of athletes get a competitive edge over those who have to stop in order to get a drink. This is particularly true for people engaged in cross country or outback sports where they have to bring their water with them, but cannot spend a lot of time stationary in order to access and drink it.

Not surprisingly, the military also saw the advantage of these devices. In that there was an overlap between the military and some competition in tough endurance sports, a number of soldiers began introducing the concept of the water backpack to the military. The first combat deployment of water backpacks was during the 1991 invasion if Iraq, Operation Desert Storm. At this time the water backpacks were still optional gear and only used officially by small elite groups of Special Forces. The British government followed suit and began issuing water backpacks to its elite units as well.

After the beginning of the engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq, both of which are hot and arid, the need to keep the soldiers properly hydrated became a real concern. Further, since both conflicts have devolved into unconventional warfare, where the soldiers have to be constantly on alert and often constantly on the move, the idea of stopping to drink became an issue. At the start of both of these conflicts the majority of troops still carried old fashioned canteens that carried very little water and required the solders to stop and take their hands off their weapons in order to drink.

After the New York Times ran a story in 2003 about U.S. troops in Iraq and their need for better water options in the harsh the Iraqi deserts, an anonymous donor in New York and the Camelbak company, based in California, donated some 1,500 water backpacks to the U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division, 101st Airborne. This stunt resulted in generating a huge amount of interest in water backpacks throughout not only the United States military, but that of NATO and many other militaries as well.

By 2004, the U.S. Army and Marines were regularly issuing water backpacks to ground troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. All NATO forces now use Camelbak water backpacks and Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Portugal and the U.K. have issued to them regular troops in the field as opposed to reserving them for elite units. Many other non-NATO countries have also taken note and are using either the same Camelbak systems or their own variations of water backpacks in the field. By the end of 2004, over 500,000 soldiers around the world had been issued Camelbak water backpacks.

Staying on top of this success, Camelbak has released more specialized water backpacks designed exclusively for military applications. The company has created seven customized versions exclusively to cater to the requirements of the militaries of Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. Further, they have continued to develop new and improved models of their more traditional water backpacks already being deployed by American and other militaries.

Not only has Camelbak been striving to meet the specifications of various militaries and improving their already existing products, but they have also been developing entirely new water backpacks. A good example of this is the CBR4.0 water backpack that is designed to keep water safe from chemical or biological contamination in warfare. These CBR4.0 units have been adopted by several countries as well as a several major police departments such as those for New York City and Hong Kong.

Not to be sidelined by Camelbak, the Pentagon itself has gotten involved in developing these systems as well. In June 2009, the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine developed the “Nutrient Delivery System” which attaches to the Camelback water backpack, injecting a powder mix into the water in the hose, without actually putting the powder in the reservoir itself. This is meant to make the water more nutritious and palatable while at the same time avoiding the mold and mildew that often result when beverages other than water are added to Camelbak bladder.   

The water backpack has been incredibly successful for the military, especially those fighting in desert or arid conditions. Further, since water backpacks can also be used for recreation, the U.S. Marines has used them as incentives for new recruits. They have been – and still are – offering free water backpacks to any potential recruit that signs up on their website.

Hydration packs are popular all kinds of sports today, but most of the time when someone refers to a ‘water backpack” they are referring to the military models and usage of these devices although they are essentially the same thing.