My first-ever hydration pack, the Olympic Bulls 1.5L accompanied me on many of my Spartan Beast Races in 2016-2017 and 2023.
Comfortable should straps, and an additional chest strap worked out well, and if frozen prior to a hot environment, added a little cooling to the back for awhile.
The hip belt is nice for about 1/2 of the design. Wrapping around from the back towards the front buckle, two easy-access pockets, perfect for holding GU packets, gummies, etc., are a nice start, however from there the quality slipped. Basically two nylon straps and a plastic buckle that I had issues keeping secure during obstacle movements. In my opinion, a better design would have been to utilize a hook and loop strip about 20 inches long that could be doubled over itself and secured, similar to some weight lifting belts. It would have allowed for better size adjustments, and not had the plastic buckle driving into the abdomen during belly crawls, etc.
The pocket on the back holds gloves or a windbreaker nicely, or additional fuel, however too much and the pack will become bulky and hang up on obstacles like barbed wire, small-space culvert crawls, etc. found in many OCR events.
As a straight-forward hydration pack for trail running, hiking, etc., this is a good light-weight option for minimal bulk compared to standard day packs.
For those of you Spartan Racers who like to “roll” through the barbed wire instead of doing an army crawl, this probably is not going to be to your liking. It may also get hung up if you carry too much in the back pocket and aren’t used to keeping your butt down.
The cap of the hydration tube was also subject to getting snagged and opened, so prepare for a little mud and grit in your teeth once you go to grab a drink.
The overall build of the pack is pretty solid, I still utilize it six years later and have not had to change out the bladder or the tubing.
Is it for you in an OCR setting over the vest style? That all depends I guess as I will be testing a vest style next.
Stay tuned for that review!
