Whether you’re a single-track slasher who doesn’t like to pedal to the middle of nowhere unprepared, or a two-footed trekker ready for an epic full day excursion, the Jolla from Hydrapak is ready for any adventure with 1100 cubic inches (18.0 L) of space and Hydrapak’s 3L Shape-Shift reservoir.
On Design and Performance…
There’s a world of trails out there yearning to be conquered. Whether by foot, saddle or snowshoe, your do-it-in-a-day conquests require more gear to get you through all the what-ifs and inevitable minor hiccups. So Hydrapak has dramatically redesigned the Jolla to easily handle the gear and water necessary to get you through it all.
Thanks to an ample main compartment, multiple exterior pockets, and an secondary middle organizer compartment, the Jolla ensures you’ll never feel needy on the trail again. The Jolla is ready and willing to gobble up rain gear, a light jacket, multi-tool, pump, spare tube, lunch, and more. For the moments you need some musical inspiration, the Jolla is ready with a media pocket with dedicated audio port. And once you pedal to that secret spot of serenity, stash your helmet in the XC helmet carry.
But let’s be honest, you can’t find serenity out on the trail, while suffering through discomfort. Towards those ends, ventilated and corrugated foam shoulder straps provide pillow-esque comfort while still allowing air to circulate when your internal engine cranks into overdrive. If there’s a company making packs with more comfortable straps, we have yet to meet them.
And while your shoulders enjoy the royal treatment, a soft moisture wicking back panel not only keeps you comfortable, but helps prevent, sweaty-back-syndrome during long climbs.
Hydrapak Hydration…
As with all the Hydrapak hydration packs, the Jolla hits its stride when it comes to the hydration system. Hydrapak makes one of the most highly sought after hydration systems on the market. Don’t just take our word for it… ask any of the world’s top twenty outdoor brands who are partnering with Hydrapak to make the hydration reservoir for their own brand of packs.
The Jolla comes standard with Hydrapak’s 3L Shape-Shift reservoir. The Snap-Zip Baffle on the new Shape-Shift Reservoirs gives you all the benefits of a baffle (slim profile and reduced jostling), while still allowing you to reverse the system completely inside out for easy cleaning and drying.
Like a jigsaw puzzle, that can only be appreciated in it’s entirety, it’s all the little details included by the Hydrapak design team that come together making this an industry leading hydration system.
Don’t like your water tainted with the taste of plastic? The entire drink system from reservoir, connectors and drink tube are all PVC free.
Tired of wrestling with the connection between reservoir and hoses? Hydrapak’s Plug-N-Play Reservoir valve is so convenient and useful one wonders why it hasn’t become an industry standard.
Weary of wet shirts from leaky bite valves? An updated Surge Valve with twist shutoff, ensures you shirt stays dry no matter how gnarly the trail gets.
Finally, Hydrapak’s Quantum Clip system might just mark the end times for Velcro’s usefulness on hydration packs. Courtesy of a magnet clip on the hose, and an adjoining metal piece on the chest compression strap, the Quantum Clip keeps the drink tube in place, and readily accessible for quick access.
The Critique …
Our gear crew didn’t have any major qualms with Hydrapak’s Jolla, but there are a few minor issues that seemed wrothy of note. The Jolla is designed with side pockets ready to house additional water bottles, but with a bladder in place these pockets seemed better used for bars, gels or packable ponchos. In the instance you are using the side pockets for those type of items, they aren’t easily accessible on the fly.
The Bottom Line…
There are times when your mellow trail ride reaches past the glorified lunch break and transforms into an all-day event. For those moments, the Jolla Hydration pack from Hydrapak is fully stocked with features for quick hit mountain adventures as well as trail and freeride mountain biking. Whether you’re out raging through the mountains or the urban jungle, you can press own knowing that the top of the line 3-liter bladder will keep you quenched during all-day adventures and the durability of the pack will keep up with your adventures for years to come.
Manufactured by Hydrapak, the Jolla offers 1100 cubic inches (18.0 L) of gear storage and comes standard with Hydrapaks 3L Shape-Shifter reservoir. Available for $149.99 in two colors from Hydrapak.com