USWE F3 PRO Hydration Pack Review
Positives
Negatives
There is a new player in the hydration pack market, namely USWE, and Camelbak as the incumbent champion should watch out for this competitor. In fact, USWE has created a hydration pack that competes extremely well with anything that Camelbak offers. The USWE F3 Pro hydration pack provides an easy drinking bite valve, a super-efficient 4-point harness system, all combined into one of the most comfortable hydration packs we have ever reviewed.
So everybody knows the name Camelbak, as they have pretty much dominated the hydration pack market for the last couple of years. However, lately Camelbak has had some competitors move into their turf, with many of these manufacturer’s producing some technically advanced products. The problem these new manufacturers face is how to improve on the Camelbak easy drinking drip proof design.
So in comes USWE, a brand that many may not have heard of, but it is making big strides in the hydration pack market.
USWE F3 PRO Review
USWE uses a Hydrapak inner capable of holding 2L of your liquid of choice, and claims to be 100% BPA and PVC free. The USWE bite valve certainly allows for easy drinking – you won’t have any of that frantic gnawing at the bite valve to get to your juice. Another benefit of the bladder is that you can actually read the number on the pack when you are filling it, the drinking tube clips off for washing and the angled bite valve makes for easy drinking.
But the main feature that sets USWE apart from other manufacturers is the harness. USWE calls it the “No Dancing Monkey”, which entails a 4-point suspension harness that ensures the hydration pack remains exactly where its intended, right on your back!
So you may be asking, what’s so great about the USWE “No Dancing Monkey” harness system, apart from its kinda cute name!
Basically the harness ensures that the hydration pack won’t bounce around when you do.
The system is superb as it does away with the waist-strap as well as the restrictive chest strap that other manufacturers may use. USWE has found a way to stop the pack from flying about when you hit a jump or even a little bump on the single track. And it’s no marketing jargon either, it really worked out on the trail!
When initially putting the pack on you might feel like you are in a straight-jacket, but you soon get used to the broad straps. The USWE one-handed closure system us also so simple to operate that you may find yourself unclipping when you are climbing the hills and then strapping back in when on the downhills or where you need the pack to stay put. In fact, even on some of the most horrendous single tracks, the USWE F3 Pro stayed exactly where it should have, snugly on our back and this was even when it was filled right up to the brim.
USWE has also cleverly thought about the carrying capacity, just over 600g including the bladder makes it lightweight on the back.
Final Verdict
Searching for a truly comfortable water carrier has been a difficult task, but the USWE F3 Pro hydration pack really is the most comfortable hydration pack that we have come across in a long time
