Review on SHARKMOUTH FLYHIKER Hydration Backpack: Lightweight and Comfortable for Short Day Hikes, Day Trips, and Trails - Includes 2.5L BPA Free Water Bladder by Ronny Prather

I REALLY wanted to love this product but it failed in several key areas. and good quality zippers. The pockets are large enough to hold a pocket first aid kit, snacks, and a few other miscellaneous items, making it ideal for day trips and day trips. The insulated pocket protects your back from the heat of the drinking chamber and the insulated hose is very comfortable. It's also a nice little handbag. I received a "Jungle Green" bag which is actually dark gray but I chose the color from the picture and not the description. I like storm gray with black. The bottle was easy to fill, put in a backpack and clean. There was no noticeable "flavor" on first use, although I brushed it well prior to first use. The hook on the strap ensures the tube stays in place securely and won't dangle when hiking or climbing. I've read reviews of the bladder "sloshing" problem, but it's an easy fix. Once full, turn it over to get air to the hose outlet, suck the air out of the valve until you get water, THEN put it in your backpack. When air doesn't mix with water, there's no splashing sound (this should be standard with all reservoirs). THE BAD: *Edit* I originally posted a review about the chest straps not being height adjustable, which was a huge issue given my frame. As it turned out, what I thought were fixed chest strap connection points were actually adjustable. Mine were just terribly tight and it took someone with stronger fingers and more patience than me to adjust the height of the chest strap. After this was fixed the backpack fitted much better and the chest strap was in a more comfortable/comfortable position. Although it takes a lot of effort to adjust, the chest strap height is no longer an issue and the backpack fits well! The waist belt is still attached, but at this price point, that's about all you can expect. There were no issues until I was on the trail. The bite valve has a terrible leak. If you close and stick, everything is fine. But once the valve was pulled out, it leaked horribly and I felt like I was drooling with every sip. I checked that it was tight in the hose and it was, and the water outlet itself was tight unless I bit or squeezed it. The leak occurred between the valve and the hyperboloid shaped piece of plastic in front of the attachment point and there is no way to fix it. It will just keep leaking, which will make drinking pretty damn uncomfortable for me until I find a new bite valve. really solid package. I've used it on a few day trips, a few car rides, an outdoor concert, a few day trips, and once when I had the flu and didn't want to get up to stay hydrated. It's still intact, works great and can take a beating. I upgraded to four stars but only because I had to replace the bite valve right after purchase. Had it come with a working bite valve it would have easily received a 5 star rating.