At Gumption Gear Review, we continually strive to provide our readers with in-depth, informative, and entertaining reviews of the latest outdoor & adventure lifestyle products. Towards those ends, our “Business of Gear” feature aims to introduce you to the personalities and ideas behind your favorite (or soon to be favorite) gear.
Winner of the Gear Junkie Best in Show Winter Outdoor Retailer 2012, recipient of our own Best in Show Summer Outdoor Retailer 2012, and winner of the best overall product for the 2011 Novel Awards at the Outdoor Trade Show for Great Britain, the GEIGERRIG team is crafting a full line of performance enhancing hydration packs and inline water filters that are changing the way people think about hydration in the field and on the go.
After working with the GEIGERRIG Hydration as part of the Hydration Summit, we reached out to Bob Geiger and asked him a few questions in an effort to provide an in depth look at the brand. Our thanks to Bob Geiger for making this Q&A session possible.
Q: For those who are unfamiliar with the brand, what is GEIGERRIG?
GEIGERRIG Hydration Packs, according to the LA Times and many others, is “The first real improvement in hydration packs since the category’s debut 15 years ago.” The patented design provides a very simple configuration that enables:
1) The system to be easily turned inside out for cleaning in the top shelf of the dishwasher.
2) Pressurized so that the water sprays out for easy drinking, cooling, cleaning and sharing.
3) Snap on hosting of a plug-and-play, in-line water filter that enables on-the go water access from rivers, streams, lakes and ponds.
Q: Today hydration packs seem to be nearly as ubiquitous as the fluids they carry. What sets GEIGERRIG apart?
The purpose of carrying a hydration pack is to provide easy, hands free, access to water carried comfortably on your back. Traditional hydration packs basically restrict the water access to one person, and for only use – drinking. Water has many, many more uses than just for drinking; and the vast majority of outdoor activity is enjoyed with friends, pets and family. The patented pressurized system of GEIGERRIG enables the water to be sprayed out for easy drinking during aerobic activity and for easy cooling, cleaning and sharing. No longer is the water carried restricted to one person and one purpose.
Then, because water use and access is so easy and convenient with a GEIGERRIG hydration system, it is more common that you may run out of water when using a GEIGERRIG pack. It is advised that traditional hydration packs only be filled will potable water from a reliable source – your kitchen sink. This reduces your range during outdoor activity to how far you can go on 2 or 3 liters of water. Then, you’ve got to find a faucet. Not with the GEIGERRIG.
The GEIGERRIG hydration system, due to its pressurized configuration, enables you to refill your system from a natural water source. All you do is snap your GEIGERRIG in-line water filter into your drink hose, and the pressure from your GEIGERRIG pushes the water out of your hydration system, through the filter and into your mouth. The pressure of the GEIGERRIG enables high-power, in-line filters to flow.
Finally, traditional hydration packs are often considered difficult to clean and maintain. Food grade products should not have this reputation. In fact, they should be able to be cleaned in a dishwasher or easily cleaned by hand in the field. The GEIGERRIG hydration system can easily be turned inside out and placed in the top shelf of your dishwasher. And, the pressurized spray of the system pushes fluids through the drink tube, so you don’t get bacteria and back wash building up in the lines.
The easy cleaning of the GEIGERRIG increases the life of the hydration system while also enabling you to comfortably fill and refill your hydration system with tap water, river water, Gatorade and more. And if you forget to clean the system, you don’t have to worry about it weeks later when you pull it out to use. Just turn the system inside out and give it a good scrubbing by hand or in the top shelf of the dishwasher.
Q: We know that you served our nation in the Marine Corps, for which we thank you. How did that experience shape the vision for GEIGERRIG Hydration?
Thank you for the saying that. I loved serving in the Marine Corps. There’s nothing like it – nothing at all. And, there’s nothing like this country either… if we can manage to keep our freedom.
My experience in the Marine Corps truly did provide significant influence on our product development and engineering decisions. I reflect back on the Marine Corps often because it really pointed out to me what a complete hydration system should be.
One thing is that we knew that the system had to be durable, easy to use, and most important – INCREASE WATER USE, WATER ACCESS AND WATER SAFETY.
Operating in the field for months on end, it was very frustrating to need water to spray off your magazines and ammo, only to find out that you have to suck water out one mouthful and a time and spit it on your gear. It was very frustrating to need to share water, only to find that all of the bite valves were caked with Copenhagen. Some guys, would blow back into their hydration systems to try to create some pressure in their pack, but if you ever watch that in person, it is the last source of water that you’d want to use or drink. It was also very frustrating to want to use your water for field hygiene – cleaning various body parts – only to find that you had to take off your pack, remove the hydration system, hold it high above your head, and then dribble water out onto your body. Other times you’d have to go lean against a tree, or sit on your hydration system to get water for this purpose. Not convenient during a tactical movement or patrol.
I had places to go, things to do, etc. All I wanted was a system that would spray off my feet, my hands, my face, my back, whatever. (You can imagine the desire for a periodic rinse when being in the field for days on end.) Then, there was casualty treatment. Here you have an injured Marine who needs a clean spray of water to evacuate and treat a wound, and your only option is to suck water out of the hydration system and spit it on him…. or to blow your nasty germs into the hydration system to dribble some out onto the wound…or to take off your pack, dig out the hydration unit, unscrew the cap and dump it on him. It was crazy. Next, it was a persistent problem that the hydration systems were not maintained and cleaned properly. Marines would finish a field operation and forget to clean their hydration system for the next one. Then, because it was inconvenient, they simply chose not to use the hydration system at all.
Also, after being in the field for a few days, you really start to crave fruit punch and sugars. It was always a very measured decision to add any flavor to the water in your hydration pack because you knew that the system would get sticky and nasty. And if you forgot to clean the hydration system after the operation, forget about using it again. So, having a hydration pack that is easy to clean was a top priority. Then, there was the issue of accessing and using water found along the way. It’s not like there’s a kitchen everywhere you go… so being able to drink from rivers, streams, lakes and ponds is very important. Doing that with a traditional hydration pack was not possible. First off, you can’t afford to get sick in the field. Second off, the traditional hydration systems are pitre dishes for fungus and growth. Finally, the pack had to be well made and durable. No cute little trinkets, graphics and wimpy fabrics.
So… There you have it, a quick summary of the problems that the GEIGERRIG had to address. And, GEIGERRIG has done it with a very simple, reversible, pressurized, filter-ready system.
Q: What can you tell us about GEIGERRIG after sales support?
Between myself and my business partners, we have nearly 90 years of collective business experience in the outdoor industry and retail. E-mail templates that forward issues off to who knows where, and phone systems that make you push 75 buttons to get to the proper message bank, are out of the question. Keep it simple! When you call GEIGERRIG, you can actually get a person on the phone. You can even get a return call within the day. Also, we make every effort to return e-mails within 24 hours. We enjoy getting calls, and we enjoy helping customers. Our warranty system is quick, easy, and reliable. (Every warranty inquiry is viewed by customer service, myself and the president of the company. )
The art of good customer service, with an actual human being on the company end of the line, is a lost art in far too many places. We do our very best to approach customer service the ol’ fashioned way: “The customer comes first. The customer is always right. Do the right thing. Do it now.”
We want to be treated fairly, so we do everything we can to treat customers fairly. We find that karma is good that way… for everyone.
Oh, and there is a life-time warranty on our hydration systems for leakage.
Q: If there was only one thing you could tell people about the brand, what would it be?
We’ve got your back.
Q: Where can people get the GEIGERRIG line-up of products?
You can get GEIGERRIG hydration packs and filters on our website – www.Geigerrig.com . All orders placed on our website are fulfilled by our specialty retail dealers who know their stuff. You can also find our products at REI.com, Gander Mountain.com, Sportsman’s Warhehouse, Cabelas.com, Military Base Exchanges, Sport Chalet, and top-end specialty shops all over the world. You can search our extensive list of retailers by clicking the “Find a Store” button on our website. It is also a good idea to like us on www.facebook.com/geigerrig because we often post special events and offers there.
Q: Is there anything else that you think our readers should know about GEIGERRIG?
There is a lot of very declaratory discussion out there about GEIGERRIG hydration packs and in-line filtration… Forbes, CNN, LA Times, 3M Corporation, Blog Sites, etc…. “Bottom Line: The best hydration system I’ve found.” “The first real improvement in hydration packs in 15 years.” “Product of the Year.” “Accessory Product of the Year.” “Geigerrig has produced exactly what its customer want, and has been able to replace the competition in most every case.”
Stuff like that…
Comment like this really do humble us. We know that when an expectation or standard is set, we have to deliver.
It is our goal to do that, and to honor the very kind comments that have been made about our company and about our products.
We want to be put to the test, and we really welcome the opportunity to take care of people. So, feel free to contact us, ask questions, and even call us directly.