Stays Put

By Christian Johnson Ranked #2 - Trail Running Hydration November 21, 2008

From start to finish the pack doesn't move. Easily adjustable as the bladder drains to keep it tight on your back. The padding on the back is designed to ventilate so you don't get as sweaty as with other hydration packs.
I have a 1st gen HPL 020 and after about a year of use it developed a leak near the top, on the weld. I suspect the reason the leak develops is a combination of "saggy bladder syndrome" and the material the bladder is made of. Unlike the camelbaks which are held in place at the top, the nathan bladders are not held in place so it sags as it is emptied, bending in the same spots each time creating the leak. IMO a simple design flaw.

If you're as cheap as I am it can be fixed with a simple bike tire patch kit (vulcanizing kind) for $2 to $3 and a small plastic clip sewn into the top that holds the bladder in place, preventing the dreaded saggy bladder syndrome. It's worth noting that I made no attempt what so ever to contact Nathan about the leak.

View Details: Nathan HPL #020 Race Vest

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