FYI - Hydrapak failed me very early on during a 40

Just an FYI experience with the new 3L HydraPak. Failed me early on with no abuse or rough handling.

Sprung a leak within a mile of the backpack trip! At the location, when you first look at it, you suspect might be its weak spot. Up at Pictured Rocks North Country trail doing the 40 mile backpack. Within first mile I feel water dripping down my leg. Take pack off and discover the HydraPak 3L was leaking. See picture. Discouraging because shuttle dropped me off and was gone, I had 40 miles to go over 3 days. Couldn't fill the HydrPak more than 2/3 full because the hiking motion of the pack and pocket it was in forced water out the hole. Not happy. It could be wondered, were you rough on it? I really don't think so. It was deep in the middle of my pack unfilled until day of the hike, where it was filled, put in my backpack water side pocket. Took the hour shuttle ride to trailhead, backpack sitting upright, so no abuse to the HydraPak. I tried to seal it with a repair patch and glue but no luck. Definitely wouldn't trust it ever again - esp. not rely on it.

That does not look like a fresh break. There are no ragged edges on the break. It looks like a manufacturing defect right from the factory.

That's rough ... and a tough conundrum. It would be tough to get that to seal with a patch. A glue that you could let sit 24-48 hours would probably do better but that is not a time frame you can go without water. It would be nice to have had a complete back-up water carrying bladder but that is the path to overpacking. The good part is you were on a trail with plenty of water (always within a mile of 20% of the worlds surface fresh water supply ).

I did see a post once of a guy who climbed down to the bottom of a desert ravine. There was a popular trail that went to the rim (where people would sit and hydrate) but no easy access to the bottom. He climbed down there and found tons of water bottles people had accidently dropped off the rim and couldn't retrieve. Almost every type of bottle you can buy at REI was down there smashed/cracked to unusability. Most of the off the shelf water bottles from the convenience store were still in a usable state.

We have had enough problems with water bottles leaking over the years that we actually stress test every bottle we buy right after we get it home. WE fill it with water, and I squeeze the heck out of it. If it leaks, we take it back immediately and get it replaced.

Over the past ten years we've had at least three bottles that leaked...most from somewhere around the cap.

Sorry to hear about your wet leg and backpack. Lesson to learn is...ditch the bags. This is why I stopped using bladders because eventually they will leak all over your pack. I use mostly Smartwater bottles. The outside pockets on both sides of my pack will hold 2 bottles if I want. I usually have on in a pouch on my left shoulder strap and keep 2 in the mentioned pockets. Another great thing about these bottles is that they fit my Sawyer Squeeze water filter.