I was in desperate need for new water reservoir for running after returning the one I was borrowing to its rightful owner. My sister came up trumps, giving me the Osprey Hydraulics 2L reservoir for Christmas. I’ve been keen to review it, but wanted to make good use of it before giving you the low down.
Features Of The Osprey.
The Osprey Hydraulic reservoir is made from a new MPE film (I won’t get scientific on you!), making it taste free. No more plastic tasting water, thank goodness. It also means it can also handle hot water, up to 60º. The reservoir has a nice curved shape with a hardened back, meaning it stays close to the body whilst running. There’s nothing worse that having a pesky water bladder jigging around, is there?
The previous Osprey reservoir I used had a screw opening. While it was a good size for filling, I didn’t like it that much. I found it took a couple of attempts to screw the lid on properly which meant I had a few runs with a leaky bag! With the Osprey Hydraulic reservoir, the top is sealed, a bit like an envelope. It makes filling easier, and I’ve found it foolproof (Penny-proof?) when it comes to leaking. You just press the top together and fold it down. A slide-on clip holds it securely in place.
The mouth piece twists 45º to open or close, making little leaks while running near on impossible. It’s easy to do and not too fiddly. I’ve never had to interrupt a run to sort out my mouth piece, or the reservoir for that matter. The mouthpiece comes apart easily for cleaning purposes too.
Also super useful when it comes to cleaning and filling is a clip that detaches the tube from the reservoir. It sounds a bit sad, but I love this feature. I can take the reservoir out of my running pack to fill or clean, without having to feed the tube out from the backpack. (Believe you me, this is a faff.) I believe this is a common thing for reservoirs to have, but it’s new for me. I’ve found it makes things that bit easier. Lets face it, washing out my reservoir is one of my least favourite jobs -it’s up there with window cleaning!
Does The Osprey Deliver?
Overall, I like the Osprey 2l Hydraulic reservoir. The 2L capacity is plenty for me and it fits nicely into my backpack. It doesn’t feel too rigid when I’m running either. I’ve never had a problem with the mouth piece and getting water when I need it. Filling is fine too. I like the sealed opening; I find water doesn’t spray all over me like it did with the previous one. Once the reservoir is sealed, the water is secure. I don’t have to worry about double checking whether it’s watertight or not. Osprey’s design is spot on.
If I had one grumble, it would be how the reservoir makes the water taste like plastic. The Osprey Hydraulic reservoir is made from a special material to prevent this, hence why I’m giving it a mention. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not awful. I’ve washed my reservoir several times, and miltoned it quite a bit. The taste is fading. I’ve read a review that stated a couple of runs with orange squash helps get rid of the taste. While it’s a grumble, it certainly wouldn’t stop me buying the Osprey Hydraulic 2L reservoir again.
I can only see this is a good piece of kit: well made and easy to use. Would I recommend the Opsrey 2L Hydraulic Reservoir? Totally!
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