Cost: $115, I scored mine for $30
Rating: 8/10
Pros: Well built, you WILL go through more water, easy to clean, accessories available
Cons: Cost if you pay retail, and as I said before you will go through more water (may run out.) Also nozzle freeze in cold weather.
This is a great pack, lightweight, and breathable straps and back support, and is made with a durable (but not super light weight) 840 ballistic nylon. The pack is a perfect Spring/Summer/Fall hiking pack. Enough to hold some basics, and food. Not really suitable for winter hiking because there would be no room for a jacket, spikes, etc.
For those of you not familiar with the Geigerrig's "Hydration engine," or reservoir , this thing is a work of art. It is a 2l (available in 3L) pressurized water reservoir. Why is that useful? The water carried in a hydration pack is now usable for many more purposes. Spraying the sweat off of your face, spraying the dirt out of a wound, spraying mud off of your gear, makes sharing water easier/cleaner with hiking partners, and the most important reason for me; is you use about 50% more water on your hikes. I heard that claim, and was amazed when it actually happened, every time since I bought it.
Going through that much water is great for your system and energy, but when your using that much, you tend to run out a lot quicker. There are two options for this, upgrade to the 3l, or purchase one of Geigerrigs inline filters, they have both bacteria, and virus versions, so you can fill up on the go. The filters work because of the pressurized system, easily pushes the water through the filter and down the tube.
My only issue with this pack, was on my Snow lake hike the nozzle tried to freeze up a few times, even with an insulated tube. The pressure was enough to push through the ice and keep water flowing, but for a longer hike could have been an issue. Geiggerrig does offer a "Insulated tube garage," that hooks to any hydration pack to insulate and product your drink tube and bite valve. Inside the garage is an internal pocket to load hand warmers to help reduce the possibility of your bite valve freezing in very cold weather. I may have to try this for cold weather hikes.
Last but not least, the ability to clean the reservoir is second to none. No more messy, complicated cleaning kits. The Geigerrig has a slide top, and easily pulls inside out, and is dishwasher safe. This makes clean up a non-issue, and is a very useful feature.
From their website:Geigerrig.com
Reservoir: 70 oz. hydration engine. Quick-release valves for drinking tube and pressurization tube for easy refill and reservoir removal. Slide top for easy refill, cleaning and drying. Reversible reservoir that is dishwasher safe. Spray to cool, clean and share.
Filter ready.
Fabric: 100% Heavy Duty 840 Ballistic Nylon
Weight: 1.95 lbs
Length: 17.5"
Width: 9"
Zippers: Diagonal Pack Zipper and Top Horizontal Zipper for easy access to the hydration system.
Non-Removable Waist Strap
Shoulder Strap: Terraced Overlay for Adjustable Tube Configuration and Power Bulb Configuration. “Quick adjust” pull tabs for easy in-and-out.
Additional Features: Plug & Play Reservoir Tube Connectors, 5 in by 7 in internal mesh pocket, able to hold a 3 Liter engine if desired, magnetic tube holder, adjustable (Velcro) power bulb holder, waffle mesh padding covered with breathable mesh for the should straps and back plate, adjustable chest strap (vertically and horizontally), emergency whistle on the chest strap.
