Hydrapak - Soft Flask, 8oz Save 8% off

The flask''s soft material is very flexible and seems durable. The texture might improve grip.

The shortcomings at the spout, however, mean I''ll leave this item at home. It is a three-piece unit. The main part screws onto the flask and ends in a cylinder with about a 1/4 inch opening. A white plastic stopper goes down into the opening. Around the stopper and cylinder there''s a flexible piece that seals the flask in the closed position.

The problem is that it is hard to pull that piece up so the gel can get around the stopper and out. It has a tight grip on the stopper, so that most of the time when pulling up, either nothing at all moves or both the outer piece and stopper pull up and out. Either it doesn''t open, or it comes completely apart in two pieces. When it comes apart, the gel comes out easily, but it leaves some mess when forcing the stopper back in. It''s not easy to use while riding, either.

It is possible to work at it so that the spout is actually in the intended position, but then very little gel squeezes out, and again, it''s messy.

Runner''s World on July 24, 2009 said they liked the concept but hadn''t tested it. Bicycling''s "Gear of the Day" said the valve they tested "doesn''t flow gel well." I agree.

I got this the first time I bought gel in bulk, thinking this would be better than the conventional, harder plastic flasks. Not so; I''ve tried the older style flask now and find it works fine for me, and much better than this model.

Until they come out with a reliable valve, I won''t be using this.

I bought this because I thought it would be easier to squeeze the last drop of the Hammer Gel that I use while running from a soft flask rather than a hard one since the soft flask can be rolled up like a tube of toothpaste.

In practice, however, the difference was negligible. Moreover, this was bulkier to carry. Finally, unlike the hard flasks (which either come alone or with a clip on holster, and which I have reviewed on Amazon)this flask has no markings to indicate servings. I suppose you could take a felt tip pen and put on your own markings after you figure it out, but why bother.

The hard flasks are less expensive and more practical because of the markings and greater ease of carrying them. However, the soft flask does hold 8oz vs 5oz for the hard flask, so if you need to bring a larger quanity of gel, then the soft flask is for you. But unless you are running or biking for more than 2 to 2.5 hours, the smaller size will hold sufficient gel.

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