Orange Mud HydraQuiver Vest Pack 2 review: 66 ounces, carried on your back

The HydraQuiver’s proposition is unusual: two bottles ride vertically high on the back, in a quiver arrangement, with room for a third between them, plus two more bottle positions on the front and two small velcro pockets for gels and bars. Total carrying capacity comfortably over 66 ounces of fluid without a bladder or a handheld in sight.

The reviewer came to it with a specific problem. Preparing for the Uwharrie 100 in North Carolina, he was running a technical 20-mile loop — rocky outcrops up high, root-choked ground down by the creeks — carrying 22oz on a waist belt plus one handheld — and running dry around mile 14, at which point he was drinking out of creeks.

The questions going in

The review sets out its criteria up front, which is a good discipline:

• Will the bottles stay put on technical descents?
• Will it chafe under the arms, sitting that high on the back?
• How do the velcro-from-the-bottom mini pockets on the front work in practice?
• Will it overheat the neck and back?
• Can it be worn over a singlet without chafing?
• Does it restrict arm swing?
• Is it worth the money?

What the testing found

Bounce. Other reviews had warned that positioning takes some fiddling. This one had no such trouble on a first 10-mile shakedown run.

Bottle security. He deliberately tried to shake the bottles loose mid-run, leaning forward hard. They stayed. The assessment: the only way they were coming out was if he went over headfirst.

Access. Reaching back and pulling a bottle from its sleeve required no contortion — the single most important thing about a back-mounted system, and the one most likely to fail.

The full load. On the second Uwharrie session the vest went out fully loaded: two 22oz bottles in the quiver, a third 22oz up front, and the remaining front pocket holding 12oz of pre-mixed gel. Every question on the list came back positive.

The argument for back-carry

The reasoning is worth keeping because it is not the usual one. Weight on the front torso encourages a forward lean, and that lean gets worse as a runner tires. Moving most of the fluid weight behind you keeps the posture honest late in a long day. That is a real consideration on a hundred and almost never discussed.

Price

$149.94 at the time, which put it in the same bracket as comparable vests from Ultimate Direction, Salomon and Nathan. Made in the US with a full guarantee.

Verdict

Not a universal recommendation, and the review does not pretend otherwise. For a runner who dislikes bladders and handhelds and wants the load high and behind, it answered every question asked of it.

The pack was supplied for review. No positive coverage was agreed in advance.