RoguePak: The Recyclable Hydration System

The Good: No cleaning required, quick filling, quality bite valve and quick connect valve.

The Bad: Have to dispose and replace (see more below on why this could also be a plus).

The Medal Worthy: Possibly the perfect hydration system for the casual hiker, biker or someone who travels.

Full Review

I haven’t seen a lot of innovation in the hydration pack industry for quite some time. So, I was pretty excited to try out RoguePak recently.

Here is the exact product we reviewed:

Roguepak (4) Reusable & Recyclable Reservoir 70 Oz – Made in America

According to RoguePak this is the “first hydration system with simple, disposable cartridges.” They also go on to state it’s “quick filling, convenient, and safer.”

Let’s see how it stacked up…

Design and Quality

The hydration pack itself is made out of BPA free recyclable material, specifically polyethylene. The mil thickness of the bladder is actually a bit thinner than I’m accustomed to, which makes it easy to roll up and store, and also super lightweight.

My first thought was, “Is it as durable as my Platypus bladder?” And after watching this video I’m pretty sure the answer is yes!

The bag was also easy to fill. Instead of unscrewing a cap at the top or bottom of the reservoir, this system a “fast-fill” port that you just spread apart with your fingers.

I was able to fill it up with water with no problems.

There is a secure-seal closure clip that you roll the top of the bladder over and clip in place.

And while I wouldn’t ever leave home without this clip (because there is no reason taking a chance), the bladder actually self seals.

I even held it upside down without the clip to test it out.

Overall I thought the design was pretty spot on. I’m glad there was no screw on “lid” or fill port because that’s the one place my other bladders sometimes leak. The fast-fill feature sets the RoguePak apart.

Sip Tube and Bite Valve

The RoguePak uses a conventional bite valve.

Disposable

This is really the main feature you need to look at if you’re considering a RoguePak hydration system.

Unlike other hydration bladders the RoguePak is disposable.

What exactly does this mean?

Here’s how a conventional bladder works:

1. Fill reservoir with water or other mixed fluid
2. Go running, hiking, biking, etc.
3. Clean, dry out, and store bladder

The problem?

Most people skip step three above. Why? Because cleaning out hydration bladders…to put it plainly…sucks.

You either need some wacked out coat hanger cleaning kit, or cleaning tablets. Even if you use one of those system you still need to get the bladder completely dry before storing it, or you still risk bacteria or something else growing in there.

With the RoguePak system you can buy two (2) or four (4) 50 oz, 70 oz, or 100 oz bladders and just recycle them (or throw them out) when you’re done.

Cost

Knowing that you’re not keeping a RoguePak bladder forever, is it worth it to have to replace them?

To put that into perspective you can one (1) Platypus Hoser 70 oz for about the same price as four (4) RoguePak 70 oz bladders.

Final Thoughts

After using this product on a day hike and skiing, I have really nothing bad to say about the product. It really just comes down to cleaning your bladder versus pulling out a new disposable one.

For me, these bladders seem absolutely perfect for the casual hiker/camper, or for vacation/travel. In fact, we’re going to Zion National Park in a few months and I plan on taking the RoguePak with me because it’s just so much easier to store, and I can toss it when I’m done.

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.