The Osprey HydraForm™ Reservoirs and HydraLock™ Frame System

Over the last thirty-five years, Osprey has developed an outstanding international reputation for its basic backpacks and other outdoor carriers. However, it is relatively new to the hydration pack market and is not as well known in this respect as some of the bigger players like Camelbak or Hydrapak. Nevertheless, the Osprey Hydraulics™ - a combined system including both the reservoir and the pack structure – has introduced a new dynamic to the hydration pack industry which will undoubtedly set a new standard for people’s expectations of hydration packs.

The Osprey reservoir lines – the HydraForm™ Reservoirs – is not particularly revolutionary in its own right; instead it borrows a number of innovations from the competition. For example, the HydraForm™ Reservoirs employ the wide openings that enable to user to easily clean and dry the reservoir when not in use or to add ice to the packs when filling. Similarly, the reservoirs meet pharmaceutical biocompatibility standards (for taste and odour), are BPA and PVC free, and are treated with antimicrobial inhibitors like most reservoirs on the market today.

Nevertheless, there are a couple unique features to the HydraForm™ Reservoirs that make them distinctive; specifically the moulded plastic backs and the firm spines. The moulded back helps the reservoir match the shape of the reservoir’s dedicated space (see below), even when it is full of water. The firm spine also helps the reservoir fit properly, but at the same time helps to stabilize the reservoir in the pack. This, in fact, is a fairly helpful innovation because many other reservoirs have a tendency to fold in upon themselves once they become half empty or otherwise become awkward to carry or difficult to access. The firm spine that runs the length of the reservoir not only helps it stay in place even as the water level declines, but also makes it easier to quickly insert or remove from the pack.

The real innovation of the Osprey hydration packs is to be found in the HydraLock™ frame system of their packs. The HydraLock™ system is basically an internal frame which is an integral aspect of the hydration pack and creates a dedicated space specifically for the reservoir. However, this dedicated space is not fixed, instead the HydraLock™ frame applies constant pressure to reservoir which both makes it easier to access the water through the hose/bite valve, but also keeps the liquid firm, preventing sloshing. The HydraLock™ system packs are specifically designed to work with the HydraForm™ Reservoirs, though the basic technology employed means that one could probably use any sort of soft sided reservoir in the pack with much the same effect.

The HydraForm™ Reservoirs and HydraLock™ Frame System – working in tandem – represent a significant advancement in hydration pack technology simply because it more thoroughly integrates the reservoir and the pack into one cohesive system as opposed to simply having a water bag inside a backpack. The result is that when using the pack, the liquid stays fairly firm and in place as opposed to sloshing around and/or allowing the reservoir to fold in on itself (which makes it difficult to both carry and drink from). There can be little doubt that in the future other hydration pack companies will follow Osprey’s lead in more thoroughly integrating the reservoir and the pack, but for the time being Osprey is setting the standard in this respect.