Back when I did the Inca Trail, I thought it was a good idea to wear my 1 litre Nalgene bottle in a sling over my shoulder for easy access while I hiked. It wasn’t long before I realised that having a kilogram weight swinging wildly around my neck and shoulders on a steep uphill trudge (especially at altitude) was a bloody terrible idea. That’s not to mention chasing the Nalgene back down that hill when it slipped out of the harness.
Upon my return home from South America I bought myself a hydration bladder, and found that it would’ve been a much better idea for such a long and difficult trek. These days, though, I’m mostly doing very short and often unplanned hikes with the kids. So the hydration bladder usually just sits in my freezer, leaving me to either carry my water bottle, or bag it and end up drinking less than I need to because it’s a pain to get it out.
Enter the Hipsta One and Hipsta Bare… They’re one of those “why the hell didn’t I think of that?” kind of gadgets. A simple, effective, and secure way to carry a water bottle, especially when walking or hiking, but even when jogging, working out, or bike riding.
Intended for use with bottle necks that are around 30mm in diameter, they’re best suited to disposable water bottles, but will work with some reusable bottles as well. I don’t regularly purchase disposable bottles myself but, being the forgetful sod that I am, I tend to always have one lying around that I’ve bought in a time of need. In the longer term, I’ll probably seek out a reusable one to use with my Hipsta.
Getting them to grip onto your bottle couldn’t be much easier. All you need to do is squeeze the two large rubber tabs together, poke the bottle lid through the loop, and let go.
The Hipsta One is intended to clip onto a thick belt or backpack strap, while the Bare has a tighter clip that is more suited to shorts or tights. I found that both fit on my backpack straps or jogging shorts without a problem. The main difference between them for me was the swivel feature on the Bare which I could clip onto a vertical strap on my backpack, allowing the bottle to hang comfortably.
At only 34 grams and 21 grams respectively, they don’t add much weight to your kit. While hiking with a backpack, I found the extra weight of my water bottle quite comfortable on my front as well, even balancing out some of the weight of the backpack. Wearing it this way makes taking a drink almost as easy as it’d be with a hydration bladder. They’re small enough to just leave in your day-pack (or gym-bag) too, so they’ll be there when you need them most.
Did I mention they’re awesomely designed and come in a bunch of bright colours? All of these are available online at the Hipsta website for $12.95 (if you’re keen on the Hipsta One in white or yellow, you can snatch it for $5.95 at the moment). Bargain.
Hipsta sent me these two products, and have also sponsored this review. However, as I made clear to them prior to accepting the gear, this in no way influences the opinions I express here. If I’d found flaws with the gear, you’d be the first to hear about them.
Have you tried a Hipsta water bottle holder? Or do you have questions about the review? Let us know by commenting below.
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