I made the switch from using a Camelbak bladder to the swig rig and it is so much more efficient than using the bladder. The set up was simple, although I didn’t quite understand what the black clip attachments were for at first since there wasn’t much instruction included on their benefit to the system for a first time user like me. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because I prefer the bite valve of the camelbak. I prefer to pinch the valve with my fingers to drink instead of biting since after hours of hiking my jaw gets tired and it can sometimes lead to a headache. The bite valve on the camelbak is much softer, wider, and very little bite force is needed to get the water flowing. The Hardside bite valve, however, is firmer and requires more precise placement of your teeth on the valve to get the water flowing, since the range of space to actually bite the valve without biting on the hard plastic inside the tube is much narrower. Because the range of space to bite is much narrower, pinching the valve with my fingers to allow water to pass is more difficult as well. The camelbak valve does seem to leak more and can come off more easily than the Hardside valve, but I find overall that the camelbak valve is easier to actually drink from compared to the Hardside valve. Additionally, the bite valve cover on the Hardside doesn’t stay on so sometimes I think it would be better to just remove the cap if it won’t stay on anyways. Lastly, I think there would be a benefit to creating a straw cover to protect the straw part of the Hardside Swig Rig when not using it. When I take the straw mechanism out to refill my water bottle while backpacking, I don’t typically have a place to put the Swig Rig while the straw is still attached to the Swig Rig Nalgene cap and tube. It’s an inconvenience to feel that I have to take the straw off the rig and find an available clean space to store the tube while using the Nalgene outside of actively hiking (walking around camp with the bottle, relaxing in a hammock with the bottle, refilling the water bottle, etc). I know there is an on-the-go attachment Hardside sells, but instead of purchasing and carrying an extra piece of specialized equipment, having a cover similar to the one Hardside sells for sporks would be a very simple fix to protect the straw while not in use. That way I would be able to set it aside without worrying about dirt, dust and debris getting on the straw. With all that said, I still prefer the Nalgene and straw tube over the camelbak. It’s easier to refill, I don’t have to worry about it popping or leaking while hiking, and once it’s set up I rarely if ever have to make adjustments. I just think there are some simple adjustments or additions that could be made to make the product even more comfortable and convenient for the user and hopefully Hardside sees this review as good faith suggestions to improving the Swig Rig system :)

This is a total game changer for spring ski touring! I'm able to keep my 1L Nalgenes in my pack where they won't freeze without worrying about them rupturing or leaking when I sit on my pack to take a break. Also, much easier to get back into my pack than a half-full bladder. I recently used this on a 6-day ski tour from June Lake to Yosemite along the Yosemite Southern Border Route and it helped me stay well hydrated. The air at night was extremely dry, and after the second night of the trip I realized that I could bring my Swig Rig into my sleeping bag with me to drink water without having to sit up. This also kept my hose from freezing overnight. My only complaints (minor enough that I didn't even knock off a star for them) are: 1) The straw is lot permanently attached to the lid and can fall off when you're swapping Nalgenes. I'd prefer it to be semi-permanently attached and will be looking into whether there is food-safe adhesive that I could use to keep this from happening 2) The hose kinked a bit sometimes depending on how I had my bottle and other gear packed. A strain-reducer (like laptop power cords have) to encourage the hose to bend over a larger radius would prevent this (at the cost of more weight) I'd also say that the outer lid could have a much smaller hole to reduce the risk of nipple damage from other items in your pack pushing on the nipple. Overall, 10/10! I've been recommending it to everyone I know who uses a Nalgene on their backcountry ski trips.

First time trying out this product and it did not disappoint! We opted for the insulated tubing which kept our equipment from freezing at 21 degrees, used the insulated covers for our nalgenes, and the spoon covers (which seem small but make a big difference in keeping your spoons away from touching stuff in your bear canister). We used it while Hiking Mt. Whitney and many people had tubing freeze so I can't recommend the insulated enough if you will be in colder climates. We used Bladders prior to this for backpacking and won't be going back. It's so easy to access and also gives you more versatility with what you can do with your nalgene. We were able to use it easily on both our 65 liter packs and our smaller 16 liter packs. The only small upgrades that could make this product even better would be a magnetic clip for the tubing. We ended up not using the plastic clip that comes with it at all because it wasn't easy to use and didn't stay securely on our straps. The cap that covers the mouthpiece was pretty loose and didn't always stay on the mouthpiece, so that fit could be a bit tighter. The water flow is good but you can't get a solid gulp without really working hard at it, which helps you from over drinking but not great if you're super thirsty. Would be great if it flowed a bit easier. That being said I would still buy this product again and recommend it to friends and backpackers. Those upgrades don't make or break the use of the product.

Bought 2 of these for my 9 year old and myself to attach to our 32 oz insulated water bottles. Worked perfect for both of us to use with our fashion backpacks for a summer time Disneyland trip. I just used some small Velcro straps to attach the hose to our backpack straps. Having a hose made it super convenient to stay hydrated instead of having to stop and try to pull out the water bottle, which can be difficult for an excited 9 year old and a single mom while trying to get through the Disney parks. The cover stayed on the mouth piece really well while getting on and off rides. Thanks to this system we stayed properly hydrated the entire trip, which makes for super pleasant 16 hour days, in the 80-90 degree weather, 3 days in a row. I recommend keeping extra valves close on hand. On the first day, within 15 minutes of walking into the theme park, my daughter lost her valve and I left the extras at the hotel, so I switched lids with her and had to make sure my backpack stayed upright the rest of the day. It was fine with minimal spilling, but just one more thing I didn’t have to worry about if I had the extras on hand. Worked great again for our big family Disney trip in October, which was pretty warm. Again we stayed properly hydrated and had another smooth trip. So happy I found this and I recommend this to all my family and friends

My son and I had a trip planned for out west including Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon for summer of 2023. I had never owned a hydration system, but read a lot about bladders leaking and being difficult to clean. With the temps planned to be in the 100-115 degree range, I didn't want to take any chances with a bladder failing so I decided to order two swig rigs and four 48 ounce Nalgene's (REI). I must say that the Nalgene's were the way to go as they didn't add much weight and were very durable. They are harder to store due to not being collapsible, but did give me reassurance during our trip. My only complaints are that the straw and hoses became disconnected a handful of times and you didn't notice until you attempted to take a drink. After a quick fix, it was back up and running in no time. So why did I rate 5 stars with these issues? I'm not sure it was the fault of the rig and could have been mine as I didn't take the time to read the instructions very well. I do wish I would have gotten the cleaning brush as it's not the easiest to clean and dry, but I'm sure I'll buy another couple of kits for my wife and daughter and will order it then.

Purchased a full swig rig with bottle and another wide mouth lid with tube for an existing Nalgene I have. A one way valve was installed backwards, but you can pull it out and reinsert correctly. That being said I did a 65 mile hike with them and was concerned they would fall out with how loose the valves are. One rig seems constricted like in the Nov. 18th review said. They both have a slow drip when I set my pack down on its side (both purchased bottle and my existing Nalgene). Lastly, the one inlet on the cap doesn’t have a pressure fit rib holding the tube onto it. So it slipped out a lot until I zip tied it tight. It’s one of those things where I still appreciate it much more than a bladder. There definitely seems to be quality control problems and things that I don’t think someone would have sold to me if they just gave it a once over first. If I find something else similar, I will buy it because spending $115 on a water bottle with a hose and an additional hose… should not have dripped at the very least.

I've always been nervous about managing a bladder especially when on a multi-day trip that requires filtering and refills at least a couple times a day. plus I hate washing bladders. I just finished a 13 day thru-hike of the Northville-Placid Trail in the Adirondacks and the swig worked great matched up to a single 32oz nalgene bottle. The bottle stayed in an exterior side pocket of my pack along with my filter, and the hose threaded up through the pack compression straps and then back down my right shoulder strap. The clip worked nice - it works best if you kind of squeeze in, don't try to jam it. No need to open my pack to for any reason on a re-watering stop. The hose is kind of scuzzy after a couple weeks but that would be for any system. Durable, practical, great system. If I was going in a more arid climate I might use a second bottle in the opposite side pocket and then just swap them quick. Thanks

I got the insulated hose one because they were out of the regular. Having said that I think it’s nice that I can swap out the hose for an uninsulated one if I want. The insulated hose isn’t a sleeve that goes over a regular hose either so that’s nice, and it has a decent thickness, my cat has been gnawing on the hose a little bit but I don’t think he punctured it so that’s good. I’ll be using the rig for backpacking, I like it better than a bladder system sloshing around in my pack since it doesn’t have a hydration pocket (it’s a roll top Hyperlite style bag). So with this I can put my tall nalgene on my outer mesh pocket of my bag. At first it seemed a little spendy for just a lid, straw and hose but I can tell it’s a quality product and I’m happy to support a small business, plus they gave me a discount code just for asking. Would recommend.

I just used the swig rig through 60 miles of hiking in the last two weeks (30 with an daypack and 30 backpacking). Great system with zero leaks. It was easy to remove and install between different bags or while filtering water into the bottle and track my water intake. I used 48oz nalgenes with the swig rig attached to one and the second one ready to refill. The system was much better than using bladder systems like I have in the past, and integrated well with my backpacks’ built in hose routing systems. The only drawback is that the balance of the backpack would shift as I drank water because I had the nalgenes in the external side pockets (as opposed to a bladder which is usually centered in the bag). It was an expected and negligible drawback which was outweighed by the convenience and lack of leaks in the system.

Admittedly I was reluctant to give up my water bladder, but when my bladder popped on a rock during a Wyoming elk hunt, I was forced to convert to the Mountainscape Nalgene (gift from a friend). I spent 5 days in the backcountry with this hydration system and another 1 liter Nalgene I used for my afternoon drink mix. This combo provides the perfect amount of water for a full day hunt in the mountains, including packing an elk out of rough terrain. The bottle fits well in my backpack hydration pouch and the hose is of sufficient length. Filling it is much easier than filling a bladder if you are pumping water from a stream. Also, the durability over a soft bladder cannot be overstated. My friend kept his in is backpack side pocket and it never came out of the pocket or was in his way. Great product!

I took my swig rig out on a day hike for the first time and I had a horrible experience. I had to take off my pack at least a dozen times just to connect the inner straw to the cap in order for me to use the hose system because the inner straw kept falling out and disconnecting. It was extremely frustrating because the inner straw would fall out again only moments after I had re-connected the inner straw to cap in order to draw water from the hose system. No matter how well I would insert the inner straw, it would continue to fall out rendering the horse system useless. I am sure I am not the only one who has experienced this issue. As of now, my swig rig is nothing more then an overpriced Nalgene bottle. I can not recommend this product to anyone and I am severely disappointed in my purchase.

I have a strange fascination with hard sided water vessels. I own and use bladders for a variety of purposes, but when I learned from The Outdoor Gear Review on YouTube of this product, I had to have it. So far have only used in the short config (on the go kit). Install was easy except it is somewhat difficult to get the insulated tube on the barbs when they're brand new causing some minor damage to some of the barbs. Bonus, I set up a short config on my 3 y/o son's little widemouth nalgene (was formerly using a guyot designs splashguard) and he is tickled endlessly with this. He drags it behind him by the tube and it has held up to the abuse. Bravo on making an excellent and novel product. It would be really nice if Hardside could standardize with Source hydration quick releases.

Very good product. I like the delivery method using a nalgene bottle. Makes cleanup easier. I wanted give a 5 star rating, but The Swig Rig comes short on a couple areas: 1.) The mouth piece guard is wanting. Once the bite piece gets moist, the cap does not stay on. I hope you develop a snap cap like they have on Camelbak. 2.) The hose clip hasn't broken on me yet, but it seems a little flimsy and I can't trust it will hold up. I recommend you make it stronger. 3.) Finally, a cleaning instruction guide was expected, but not included in my kit. Would have liked to know how to clean my Swig Rig, especially the bite mouth piece. It still had water from my last few hiking trips. Aside from those issues, an excellent system and a fair price. I would recommend it!

We are preparing for a 2 month trek in Spain with minimal gear. Didn't want to use a bladder and bottle on side was difficult to reach and was starting to annoy my wife as I kept asking for help with the bottle. Thought about making my own hose in bottle setup and found Swig Rig for widemouth Nalgene. Paired it with ultralight 1 liter Nalgene polypropylene bottle. Best of both worlds for lighter bottle on side and easy hose access for drinking. The quick hose release comes in handy to facilitate filling and not having to reroute the entire hose. I have made two modifications for my preferences, 1) installed Osprey bite valve and 2) Osprey magnet. I'm used to them and like the way they work a bit better, IMHO. Good quality and works as expected. Highly recommend.

I purchased this for both my fire pack and hunting pack. The first issue I found is their is a piece that is a flat disk and separated from the cap (which the nozzle connect to). My bottles all have leaked from this sight slowly. My biggest is though is it does not stand up to a beating. The hydration hose to cap nipple at the cap sight continually fall off with any pulling of the tube. This results in my water spilling all over out Of the lid. I ended up using glue and double zip tie to permanently secure the hose to the cap. So far this has helped. Hopefully they improve this design. I’d like to ask for a refund but also want to support them so they can improve products. Overall great idea, just some engineering flaws.