This is the jobby: Hydration Pack

The main zip on my 5L mountain life pack broke so chucked it an looked for a cheap replacement; this is it.

The extra 1L capacity is handy but the pack is still nice and small
The 1.5L bladder is rubbery and works, but I’m preferring to use my Platipus
The zips are wide and seem smooth and strong
Three compartments, the main has a bladder pocket
Comfy straps and chest strap, and a waist strap (i’m cutting that off)
But no outside bungies – which is slightly annoying
Only in red
Very good for the cash

I had a cheap Aldi pack a couple of years back – which used the same bladder as the Tesco one. The pack itself is still going strong – it’s the one that gets the most use – but the bladder burst at the cap thread after a couple of months.

have you actually used it … no mention of you actually using it there ….makes it a pretty poor review

Having had a ride cut short due to a riding buddy using one of these ill steer clear thanks

i picked one up in tesco on friday, for the money you can’t really go wrong ( £9.97 inc bladder (bladder £8 on it’s own))

as druid says really. I had one and got through several of the bladders. Mostly they burst actually on the trails leaving me with no water to drink – for me it’s worth paying the extra for one which is reliable.

Also, the last two I owned contually dripped from the mouthpiece after a few days use, leaving a lovely dribble down your shirt 🙂

makes it a pretty poor review

Of course I’ve bl00dy used it. It’s rucksack; it seems reasonably well made, you put stuff in it; what more can be said?

[you may not have noticed, but I said I hadn’t used the bladder]

I used one for nearly a year until recently buying a camelbak for the larger bladder for this summers enduros.I will still keep this pack for local blasts when I dont need the large camelbak.Like others above,the bladder didnt last long so I replaced it with a cheap gelert one from e bay.You can’t really beat this for the money.Only “snobs” will shun it.

Got one – seems a good alternative for when I don’t need to take my Camelbak Blowfish. Mouthpiece could be better – drips quite a bit. Overall great value for money.

the mrs has been using one for about a year without issues. works well and is a good size for day rides

For the last couple of years Costco have had a High Sierra branded pack for £11.97. Not sure if they do this year or not.

But the pack definitely seems better quality and the bladder is a Source one which has lasted me a couple of years so far (with a replacement bite valve)

The Gelert one for an extra £5 has a bigger bladder & a few more features.
Mine has lasted a good few years now.

I’ve had one for about a year, and it has been great. For the price you really cant complain!

Only wish it had some bungees on the outside to increase the capacity, put a waterproof in etc..

Yes the mouth piece bit is not great, i have just taken mine off, and they seem to work fine without them.

I bought one for the bladder and Tescos were selling them off for under a fiver a few weeks ago.

Picked one up for the price mentioned by http404, great for local blasts and my daily commute. Colour doesn’t match my new favourite pikey aldi bamboo top mind 😳

Got mine for £4.96, supllied a few riders with them.

I’m happy with it as it has more space than my mini camelback and not as big as my Hawg for a few hrs of riding.

I can get my keys, spare tubes and tools in no probs. I also carry fluid, bike lock, first aid kit, pump and levers no probs.

Doesn’t look tough and just shower proof.

What do you expect for a fiver? (I have 2 now)

Am I the only one who much prefers a big mostly empty bag than a small almost full bag? On my back for every ride is a 30litre berghaus. Usually just containing water, pump, tube, tools + camera.

Had one for a year and only problem is that the tube can come loose from the blader. Think it is also a bit small for anything more than a local loop. Looking at a 20l plus for longer rides to carry all my waterproofs, water, and spares.

allyharp, I know completely what you’re talking about

takisawa2 – Member

The Gelert one for an extra £5 has a bigger bladder & a few more features.
Mine has lasted a good few years now.

I have a Gelert one, been using it for about a year or so and it’s great.

Only cost me £15, has 2ltr bladder in a separate area of the main compartment that is big enough to put mini-pump and enough chocolate bars etc, and a smaller front pocket that fits multi-tool, puncture kit, keys, money pocket etctetc. To top it off, the front section can be expanded away from the main and has bungee cords so can even use it to stuff my hoody on the back when it gets warm! Fully recommended!

Chopped the chest straps off tho, felt a waist strap was more than enough and a chest strap seemed restricting.

Cheap bags are fine until you catch them on a tree, then the material or stiching fails and the whole thing ends up hanging off one arm.
Spend decent money for a decent product.
Spend next to nothing and ride around with a POS on your back.
COSTCO packs are well worth avoiding.

That Gelert one looks very good. I’ve had a lot of success with Gelert products in the past.

“Cheap bags are fine until you catch them on a tree, then the material or stiching fails and the whole thing ends up hanging off one arm.”

Hmmm…nnnnoooo. My cheapy 5 L mountain lite has been bashed about no end, but the zips were always a bit iffy and broke irrepairably. The ones on this Tesco bag seem wide and strong.

You’ve been lucky my space ranger friend.

Ok so about 6 months have passed and the Tesco rucksack has failed. The light fabric on the upper panel has frayed through near the zip and will now pull wider with time. What a shame as in all other respects it is still fine.

i have one that is exactly the same as the gelert one above but it doesnt say gelert on it i got it at lidl last year for about 8 quid great bit of kit

edit . even the zip handle is the same lol

blue camel back style bladders are always toss ANYWAY.

do the right thing, and get a platypus bladder to replace it.

mines about 10 yrs old 🙂

Got my Tesco one in their sale for £3. Got a few as the hoses are worth that alone.

The Gelert is still going strong! the bag itself has been through the wash several times (at 30 degrees using Nikwax Tech Wash) with no visible effect on the fabric or seams and the bladder is still leak free and clean with just an after use rinse and an occasional dose of Miltons!

why cut of the waist strap?

I kept the waist strap but cut off the one that went accross my chest, around my sternum, just didn't feel comfortable with it fastened accross there and it irritated me hanging down and flapping around!

why cut of the waist strap?

It's a short back and I found the strap sat uncomfortably on my belly. The chest strap holds the shoulder straps in place.

I'm currently trying its replacement: a mountain warehouse walkabout 12

I've got a German Supermarket one the same as the Gelert and another older one. The older one has lasted nearly 3 years but I had to wash it recently as it was humming. The Gelert style one's bite valve was pants so I've swapped it for a Tesco bladder but otherwise great bits of kit. I think the sport is expensive enough without paying over the odds where it's not necessary.