April 6, 2017

MSR Hydromedary

I just noticed that MSR no longer makes their hydration bladder, the Hydromedary. This is too bad, because this was probably the best hydration bladder ever made. Not a perfect one, but the best one.

What made it great? It wasn't the lid. The lid was a pretty basic screw top without the added keeper, or positive locking sensation of Camelbak brand lid. The bite valve and on/off valve were also sub-par compared to the corresponding Camelbak parts. Both were a lot bulkier, which was annoying when I tried to stuff them through hydration ports on various packs. No worries there though, both of those MSR parts were easily swapped out for Camelbak bite valve and on/off valve. Yes, MSR will sell you a kit to convert your dromedary bag into a hydration bladder, but these have their downsides and are just not quite the same for the dedicated hydration system user.

What made the MSR Hydromedary better than every other bladder was the fabric. It was made of 200d Cordura. This made it way more durable than any hydration bladder from Camelbak, Platypus, Osprey, or any other manufacturer. I use mine a lot in the warmer months and it's still going strong after 4 years. It gets crammed into backpacks along with climbing gear and other hard sided stuff. On a big wall I like to pack the bladder about halfway down the top haulbag and let the hose stick out the top of the bag so I can easily drink but not have to manage another item out of the bag.

If you are a hydration bladder user and want the best one they're still out there for sale on the internet, get them before they're gone!