I hiked for six months using my snow boarding backpack while carrying over 90 ounces of water in reusable metal water bottles. It was not the most pleasant experience. I decided it was time to upgrade my backpack, but I was really hesitant about spending a lot of money so I kept putting it off. I had no idea what a difference a proper backpack would make until I finally broke down and spent the big bucks to get this Osprey Skarab 30 Hydration Pack - Men's. Why I love this Osprey Hydration Pack and why you should upgrade your backpack. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later! We only recommend products we love and your support means a lot to us! This post contains affiliate links and if you make a purchase after clicking on our links we will receive compensation at no additional cost to you.

What a difference a great backpack makes. My shoulders and back are not sore by the end of my hike because this hydration pack fits properly. My back doesn’t get as hot because there is some air flow.

I am sad I didn’t buy this hydration pack sooner. I could have saved myself a lot of pain and misery hiking all summer but oh well lessons learned.

Why this one?

• The hydration reservoir. I didn’t want to lug around multiple reusable bottles anymore. They are extra weight.

• I wanted the main compartment large enough to hold extra clothes and snacks. The wide opening makes is easy to shove my sweatshirt in while we are hiking.

• I choose the men’s version because gear capacity is slightly larger than the women’s

• It fits like a glove.

• Osprey’s “All Might Guarantee. Any Reason. Any Product. Any Era.”

If your backpack is causing you pain, do yourself a favor and upgrade to the Osprey Skarab 30 Hydration Pack - Men's or the slightly smaller Osprey Skimmer 28 Hydration Pack - Women's.

Interested in hiking gear? Check out our Favorite Hiking Accessories and Best Gear for Hiking in the Rain articles or take a look at our Gear articles. What are we doing next? Don’t miss an article, subscribe today.