OakLeaf
04-02-2012, 04:37 PM
http://www.hydrapak.com/store-2/#ecwid:category=632677&mode=product&product=2526111
These come in 5-oz and 8-oz versions.
First off: if it grosses you out to think about sucking a viscous fluid out of a flaccid cylinder on a public street, stop reading right now. :p I'm pretty immune to gross-out and suggestive resemblances, but I seriously had to get over this.
With that out of the way...
Likes:
They don't take up much more room than the contents. Nice when I might want to start a run with a partially filled flask, even nicer as I empty it along the way. That's especially true with the 8-oz flask, which I can now use on my longest runs in place of two partially filled 5-oz hard flasks.
It's easy to squeeze the last bit of gel out.
No noticeable plastic taste.
Surprisingly easy to fill - as floppy as the plastic is from side to side, it's strong enough to stand up inside a cup or whatever while being filled.
Dislikes:
The contents need to be slightly more diluted than full strength Hammer Gel to flow easily through the valve.
I haven't dropped one yet (touch wood), but the floppiness makes it feel insecure in my hand and harder to get out of my vest or belt.
There's no real way to clean it besides shaking it up with soapy water inside and squeezing it out the bite valve. They're okay so far after just a couple of uses, but I'm not that optimistic about what the bite valves will look or smell like a year from now.
Overall, I would recommend these flasks to anyone who uses gel or similar concoctions.
These come in 5-oz and 8-oz versions.
First off: if it grosses you out to think about sucking a viscous fluid out of a flaccid cylinder on a public street, stop reading right now. :p I'm pretty immune to gross-out and suggestive resemblances, but I seriously had to get over this.
With that out of the way...
Likes:
They don't take up much more room than the contents. Nice when I might want to start a run with a partially filled flask, even nicer as I empty it along the way. That's especially true with the 8-oz flask, which I can now use on my longest runs in place of two partially filled 5-oz hard flasks.
It's easy to squeeze the last bit of gel out.
No noticeable plastic taste.
Surprisingly easy to fill - as floppy as the plastic is from side to side, it's strong enough to stand up inside a cup or whatever while being filled.
Dislikes:
The contents need to be slightly more diluted than full strength Hammer Gel to flow easily through the valve.
I haven't dropped one yet (touch wood), but the floppiness makes it feel insecure in my hand and harder to get out of my vest or belt.
There's no real way to clean it besides shaking it up with soapy water inside and squeezing it out the bite valve. They're okay so far after just a couple of uses, but I'm not that optimistic about what the bite valves will look or smell like a year from now.
Overall, I would recommend these flasks to anyone who uses gel or similar concoctions.