Review of the Hydraquiver by Orange Mud (originally published in the New Leaf Ultra Runners newsletter)

With Spring coming upon us, birds chirping, the Sun warming the trails, and the turning of the calendar towards Potowatomi, Ice Age Trail and Kettle Moraine, the thoughts of many ultra runners turn to “should I use a handheld or a hydration pack?”, “I hate my _______ pack, what do you think of those new ones by Ultimate Direction/Nathan/Ultra Aspire/Camelback?” and so forth.  Joining this battle between bottles and the bladders in hydration packs is a new company from Southern California by the name of Orange Mud (www.orangemud.com).  The company’s first product is the Hydraquiver, which fits between those who prefer bottles and those who wish to run hands free.

The Hydraquiver uses a 24 ounce bottle (it can hold a 21 to 26 ounce bottle) which fits in the “quiver” on the runners upper back.  On the runners shoulders are two pockets in which one can put Gu’s or similar items.  On the back, are two zippers allowing you to put small items, like a phone, iPod, keys, etc., in the back.  There is also a port through which your headphones can be routed from the internal storage. There are also attachments if you want to use a bungee cord to tie on a jacket , shirt, etc.  Under the bottle is a reflective strip and while the Hydraquiver may look heavy, with a lot of padding, that padding actually creates an air channel so in my use on the trails at Veterans Acres and during the Potawatomi 100 mile trail run, I didn’t find it to cause any uncomfortable hot spots.   Even with a full bottle, the Hydraquiver is remarkably light, weighing only 346 grams.

To put it on, simply put your arms through the straps and then pull them tight.  The extra inches of straps can be stuck under or can go through the hoops on the back of the pack.  I found that the manner in which the Hydraquiver fits, pulls back your shoulders and helps keep a good running form.  Probably, not intended, but, a good piece of accidental engineering.  I didn’t find the straps irritating at all.  The bottle also fits in the middle of the back which minimizes sloshing. 

Throughout my use, I found it easy to pull out the bottle and then to put it back into the quiver .  The only issue I had was at night when my cap was turned around, that the top of the bottle would sometimes hit my bill.  Not a huge issue.  For a woman, if her hair is in a pony tail, it shouldn’t pose a problem with the water bottle in my opinion.

I can honestly recommend this product over lumbar belts (which can be irritating to bad backs or just frustrating as they want to slide down) and unless you are going to run many, many miles and need a big bladder of water or much more storage, this is a good solution.  For example, at Veterans Acres, we normally run loops of 5 to 6 miles and can then refill.  Similarly, at races like Potawatomi, the Aid Stations were close enough together that a bottle worked fine.  For races in hotter climes or with Aid Stations more infrequent or longer apart, you might prefer a product with a bladder.  Or, just wait for Orange Mud’s next promised product, which will hold two bottles!