Geigerrig Hydration System

[Renatomic808]

I hate hills, and they exhaust me quite easily since I'm about 230-240lbs. However to do most.. if not ALL canyons, there is always some sort of incline and elevation gain to conquer. Anyone who has canyoneered with me have heard my cries, moans, and grunts about how hill suck. Keeping hydrated and cool is definitely an issue for me, as I sweat more than an altar boy going to confession alone with a priest.

So last year I entered the trip report contest for the Geigerrig hydration system. I was highly motivated to win it. So why not take advantage of just reporting the canyons I run weekly/bi-weekly. I fingered I had a chance, since not many people were interested in this particular prize, as they were with the previous canyoneer-starter-kit.

The backpack I won, was the "RIG1600" in black. It also came with the 3L hydration engine, the in line virus/bacteria filter, and a warranty.

First the backpack. I took it out for a few uphill hikes for "training". It was a little heavy, but nothing like our canyoning packs. I had to do minor adjustments here and there before I got that "perfect fit" for me. Once I got that sweet spot, I barely noticed it was there. The capacity of the backpack is pretty good. However when the bladder is full, it reduces A LOT of the internal capacity. Not a big problem for me though.
About a month of use the webbing that holds the plastic piece on the shoulder strap broke. I didn't know if the warranty was gonna cover this issue, considering I didn't really pay for the backpack. I decided to give it a shot here http://www.geigerrig.com/warranty.html
After about a day, they already a replacement on the way.. no questions asked! I have since modified the backpack like a true canyoneer.


Now for the hydration engine. This is where it truly shines. My first impression during my first hike, I didn't really notice a difference between "sucking" and having it "squirt" in my mouth. I thought "eh, it's alright". I did enjoy that I could cool myself off though. I could also cool down my girlfriend quite easily as well as we humped up the mountain.
About 4-5 uses of the Geigerrig, I decided I'd try going back to the regular style "suck-as-you-need" bladder. OH MAN DID THAT SUCK! It was quite a challenge trying to hydrate while breathing so hard. I actually had to take short stops to catch my breath just to take a sip of water. I decided that after that day.. no more sucking!

Other notes:
Taking the hydration engine into a canyon is also awesome. Having a pressurized system helps me do the work of the devil (bolting). As I, or whomever is drilling we squirt water onto the bit/rock to keep it cool, and extend the life of the bit.

The only issue I can think of that you may run into is if you are submerged into water or go for some short swims, the bulb used to pump air into your hydration engine will fill up with water. You would need to remove it, flip it upside down, pump/squirt the water out, and reattach it.

The inline filter is AWESOME. I have used it many times, and haven't peed water out of my butt yet.

In the end, Geigerrig has won me over as a loyal customer. I will NEVER go back to a normal hydration system. In fact I have since then purchased the smaller RIG710 for hiking, running, and bicycling. It has a smaller 2L hydration engine.