Osprey’s Raptor 14 Hydraulic hydration pack is impressive because it has a collection of unique, well thought out features, notables being the wedge-shaped 100oz Nalgene Hydraform bladder and Airscape Suspension system.
Hydraulics refers to the bladders ability to remain flat against your body, even when filled thanks to a rigid rear panel that’s sculpted to conform to the shape of your back in the cycling position. The front side of the bladder has a plastic carrying handle that performs three functions: it protects the lower half of the drinking tube so it’s always in an optimized flow position free of pinching, it acts as a secondary support to retain the bladders shape and insure that perfect fit and also aid in filling by providing structure and a handhold. Add in Nalgene’s contamination resistance and you have one of the most effective, easy to use bladders available.
Airscape is a mesh outer covering on the back of the pack to keep direct contact to a minimum and provide a degree of cooling. By positioning the weight of the pack slightly off your back Osprey was able to add rigidity to the pack’s basic structure without affecting overall comfort and fit. This rigidity matched to the design of the bladder makes it exceptionally easy to pull out and put back the bladder in it’s compartment even if the pack itself is stuffed full of gear and food.
Just the features mentioned above make this one of the best designed and most comfortable hydration packs available but attention to detail in the pockets themselves make the Raptor 14 that much more impressive.
A quick switch of clothing and equipment, and the day turned from mountain biking to mountain hiking, with the bonus of a picnic at the summit becoming part of the new plan. We’d picked up some local cheese and paté and put them in our cooler for an evening appetizer; instead, they were pressed into service as a decadent lunch, along with some of our usual traveling bag of food. The Osprey Raptor 14 hydration pack that I’d been trying out is larger than the typical MTB pack, and was able to handle our lunch easily. That’s actually pretty impressive for an MTB pack; our lunches aren’t exactly starvation rations! So, in short order we were headed up the trail. And, I do mean up.
If you asked the endurance racing crowd or if you surveyed the bikepacking group, the folks that spend hours and days crossing remote sections of the countryside, as to what backpack/hydration pack was a favorite among them, the Osprey Talon 22 would be at the top of the list. It is lauded for its comfort, design, and construction. In the world of hiking, multi-sport and mountaineering, Osprey is well known. It turns out that Osprey has been making packs for some time now and in 2009, celebrated 35 years in the business.
Now, in addition to more types of packs than you can imagine, they have added a new line of hydration packs under the Hydraulic banner. Called the Raptor series, they are pointed directly at mountain bikers although they could apply to a multi-sport application.
With focused attention on providing quality backpacks that match the unique body sizes/shapes and an effective suspension system to minimize the stresses of carrying gear through adventurous lifestyles, Osprey has emerged on the forefront in the outdoor industry for their products. It was just a matter of time before they would come out with their own version of the hydration system, and after testing it for the past few weeks, I can safely say they have placed the bar extremely high.
The main attraction in West Virginia’s Valley Falls State Park is the rushing water over the sandstone ledges of the Tygart Valley River forming several waterfalls. The park also boasts exhilarating singletrack mountain biking along its 18-miles of trails. A mountain bike ride through Valley Falls State Park will dehydrate a biker quickly, and a hydration pack such as the Osprey Raptor 14 is designed for longer mountain bike rides. The Osprey Raptor 14 along with the other hydration packs in the Raptor series will be available at retailers in mid February of 2010.
Hydration packs have been around a few decades now and every backpack company makes them. They revolutionized the way we carry our water while hiking, mountain biking, ultra-running and even fighting wars. But after breaking new ground, hydration packs haven’t changed much. Sure, they come in different sizes and configurations for different sports but I haven’t yet seen a pack that makes me want to give up my ten-year old Camelbak. Until the Osprey Raptor 18 ($80) arrived.
The team at Osprey has a new pack series; the Hydraulics Raptor series. They come in four different sizes and are marketed for mountain biking, adventure racing, fast hiking, and trail running. I have been waiting to get my hands on one of these packs.
So, now I have a Raptor 10 pack. I will be using it mostly for mountain biking and for day-hiking while working as a trail guide. I have the size S/M which has a storage capacity of 600 cu. in. /10 liters, and it houses a 3 liter hydration reservoir.
There are seven key storage areas to this pack. I m going to describe these going from the back to the front of the pack.
arrived.
