Orange Mud Endurance Pack Review

The Good: Lots of adjustment straps (side, back, front) help create a great fit.

The Bad: Front straps are a little long, and we had to tie them up to prevent “flopping.” (See the update below)

The Medal Worthy: Perfect use of pockets built into the shoulder straps and back. The pack is minimalist, but the storage locations are so optimal that it’s honestly surprising how much the pack can hold (besides water).

Full Review

The following review is for the: Orange Mud Endurance Pack

We tested this running belt via the following activities:

• Hiking Kamiak Butte
• Road running
• Paddle boarding Elk Lake

Design and Quality

We first heard of Orange Mud after seeing their HydraQuiver product line, and previously testing their handheld running bottle. Both products were very well built and the Endurance Pack isn’t any different.

The pack is made of abrasion resistant stretch fabric on the outside, and breathable mesh lining on the inside.

Our favorite part though, were the storage compartments. The pack is almost a cross between a traditional hydration pack and a race vest. There’s an open pocket on each side of the chest straps, and Velcro pockets on top of each shoulder strap, all of which are ergonomically convenient for quick grabs on a run or ride.

In addition to those quick grab pockets, the back includes three other compartments: 1) a zippered pouch with key loop, 2) main storage compartment, and 3) bladder holder.

We carried the following during our test:

• Zippered back: keys (attached to key loop), and Leatherman
• Top left shoulder: sun block
• Left chest: iPhone 6

For longer runs or hikes we’d prob also keep a bar or gel in the other shoulder pocket.

In addition the back side also has pole attachment holsters (optional), though we did not test these.

Lastly, the pack does come with a 70 oz (2L) bladder, with a traditional bite valve. The drink tube threads through two loops and down the right shoulder, but can easily be moved around if needed.

Comfort And Fit

It’s pretty easy to tell that Orange Mud put a lot of thought into dialing in the fit.

The front has two sternum straps, accompanied by adjustable side straps and even a back strap towards the bottom to tighten up the pack.

One of our testers is a fairly petite woman, and had to pull the chest straps pretty tight. Unfortunately this left a fair bit of the strap to “flop.” We ended up wrapping it back around itself to keep it from bouncing during the run.

Ultimately this wasn’t a big deal, but wish they had the nice strap hooks like they do on the side straps.

Update 7/27/16: We reached out to Orange Mud, and being as awesome as they are, they had this to say: ” We’ve toyed with ways to secure the extra strap in the front and that’s just a tricky one. We do find some users cut off the excess and sew it, and we can always do that for you too.”

Final Thoughts

Overall we really liked the Endurance Pack. It’s a little more form fitting than a typical hydration pack, mostly because of the stretch fabric and elastic straps, and we liked that. So, if you’re looking for a new (or first) hydration pack this is at the top of the list.

Buy on Amazon or Buy on Orange Mud

Disclaimer: This product was provided free of charge for this review. We have not been paid to review this product and all opinions are ours and based on an actual product test.