Walking Equipment and Accessories

HydraPak Shape-Shift 2L Water Bladder | Review

Ideal for multi-day backpacking, thru-hiking and wild camping - there’s a lot to like about the HydraPak Shape-Shift water bladder

Why We Chose It: Lightweight, adjustable, easy-to-use

When it comes to hydration on-the-go, HydraPak know their stuff. Based in California, their products are inspired by the types of thru-hiking adventures you’d find in the Redwoods, the Lost Coast and in Yosemite. In fact, our editor used the Katadyn BeFree (that they helped to co-produce) for his 500 mile FKT of Wales’ mountains just last year.

We’ve got our eyes on the Shape-Shift water bladder here, however, and we’re liking what we see. With a reversible and adjustable design – a shape shifting design, if you will – this reservoir would make a useful addition to any kit bag.

Who Is The Shape-Shift 2L For?

With a capacity from 1.5 to 2L, the Shape-Shift is suited to everything from intense mountain biking and bikepacking to multi-day backpacking and camping trips. Considering its high capacity, it’s got fairly portable dimensions of 13.3 x 6.4 inches, and should slot neatly into most daypacks.

Materials

The materials used for the Shape-Shift are TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), PP (polypropylene), ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and silicone. Put simply, it’s mostly made of plastic. Whilst that can have its downsides, these plastics are in fact very durable. HydraPak have also used a PFC and BPA-free design here so no nasty chemicals should enter either your body or the surrounding environment you use your filter in. There’s also RF-welded seams throughout, adding to its overall durability and leakproof reliability. Heading out with this crammed into a tightly packed backpack? You’ll be able to rest assured this isn’t going to give you any surprises.

Features

To start with, we’ll talk about the adjustable single baffle. It sits in the middle of the bladder and can be ‘unlocked’ from the inside in a zip-like motion which extends the bag’s overall water capacity. (If that doesn’t make sense, HydraPak have a useful video to show exactly how it works).

“It’s also worth noting that the whole water filtration system is freezable.”

Connected to the bag, there’s the 36 inch HydraFlex tube which is built to be both flexible and non-kinking for easy storage. At the end of the tube is the Blaster bite valve which self seals after each gulp and features an on/off switch bar to prevent leaks even further. This whole tube system is attached to the bag using a Plug-N-Play connector which has a high flow rate and an auto shutoff valve to stop it accidentally opening in your bag. This connector can be easily removed from the bag for no-faff refilling – so you don’t need to unravel the hose from you pack when you need to refill.

To access the main body of the bag, there’s a patented Slide-Seal top that opens up fairly wide and has a leakproof seal. Once this part is open, you can actually turn the whole bag inside out for a thorough cleaning, and to hang it out to dry.

And lastly, you’ve got Dual FlexGrip handles at the top of the bag that make it easy to grab the Shape-Shift from your bag or carry it to your chosen water source. It’s also worth noting that the whole water filtration system is freezable, and can still work in temperatures of up to 60° C.