Finding the Best Hydration Pack

February 16, 2011 (Ogden, Utah) – The issue of in-line filtration is now a significant discussion point when defining ―The Best Hydration Pack. Among the many other benefits uniquely offered by the award winning GEIGERRIG Hydration Packs is their ability to dramatically increase effective access to more and more water sources by turbo charging the performance of in-line water filters. Accordingly, outdoor enthusiasts, first responders, water filtration companies, emergency preparedness companies, and filtration experts are all salivating at the new pressurized GEIGERRIG hydration packs and GEIGERRIG hydration systems. [Quotes below from: Dennis Brown, COO of Aquamira Technologies; Robert Simpson of BDnP Filter Systems; Miles Maiden, CEO of Steripen; Shawn Hostetter, President of Katadyn North America; Ken Larson, consumer, retired educator, and avid outdoorsman; Gregory Collins Ph.D., Vice President of R&D for Nephros Inc (UF-40 Ultrafilter); John Amoroso, Search and Rescue for Kern County, CA; Mike Atkinson, Former Navy SEAL and Owner of Trident Tactical/Technical]
Since the unveiling of the GEIGERRIG Hydration Engine and Hydration Packs, the air waves have been a buzz when it comes to the new prospects and realities for in-line water filtration for hydration packs and personal hydration systems.  GEIGERRIG  offers a powerful, reliable spray that allows for convenient and easy use of the water carried in a hydration bladder. Because of this spray, the water can now be shared with others without sucking on dirty bite valves as well as easily accessed and sprayed for cleaning off body and gear. And, no longer is the discussion about "hydration bladders". Now the discussion is about "water engines”, or in GEIGERRIG terminology, "Hydration Engines". Accordingly, users of these new GEIGERRIG Hydration Engines use much more water and subsequently need to refill more often. And, yet another problem solved by the pressurized system of GEIGERRIG… The pressurized system of GEIGERRIG hydration packs makes refilling easy and convenient, affording much greater opportunities and realities for in-line filtration, and therefore much greater access and use of water found in streams, rivers, creeks, ponds, lakes, etc.
Dennis Brown, COO of Aquamira Technologies, Inc. commented, "We were excited to be involved in the in-line filtration capability of the GEIGERRIG. The GEIGERRIG pressurized hydration engine opens a whole new world for the performance of in-line filters for hydration packs. It greatly enhances the convenience of personal water filtration and improves the access to more water sources for hydration pack users."
Commenting on their relationship with Aquamira Technologies, Curt Geiger, President of GEIGERRIG Hydration Packs said, "We really enjoy and value our relationship with Aquamira Technologies. Their terminal-end, Frontier-Pro is such a cool and effective filter. Refitting this filtration technology into the sleek GEIGERRIG in-line filter, has delivered a great product for us, and has served as a perfect spring-board for future plug-and-play devices uniquely suited for our pressurized hydration packs. The GEIGERRIG pressurized hydration engine, and its plug-and-play adaptation – not just with regard to in-line filtration – eradicates the well known limitations and inconveniences of the traditional hydration pack while opening a whole new world for convenient and effective use by individuals, athletes, teams, workers, and families for recreation, survival, comfort, emergency preparedness, field hygiene, hydration and all-around improved performance in the world of sport and outdoor activity. We enjoy the expansive product capabilities afforded by Aquamira as well as GEIGERRIG’s ability to play well with all of the innovative filtration companies and filtration experts in the outdoor industry and otherwise."
Robert Simpson of BDnP Filter Systems LLC said, "The GEIGERRIG offers an enhancement to the performance of our filters. Our portable filters work well with gravity but a slight increase in pressure is like adding an after burner to a jet fighter. Our LP418M reduces ecoli to 0.0 in tests by independent testing labs. A highly mobile hiker, biker, camper or warrior can get ultra clean water with little or no effort. Now they have the potential to draw from most sources and not have to carry extra water weight. Can you imagine staying out for 30 days without hauling water? The GEIGERRIG is a perfect fit with our filters and synergizes the components into a fantastic system. We can now improve performance just by merging the systems."
Miles Maiden, CEO of Steripen said, "Innovation is an extremely important facet of our business, and we certainly admire and respect innovation wherever we see it. And it seems clear to me that the GEIGERRIG Hydration Engine is an excellent example of great innovation – a truly elegant and game-changing technology!"
Vice President of Production for GEIGERRIG, Jeff Kjar, commented on the potential of Steripen-GEIGERRIG product integration and use, "We were encouraged to read the July 2008 report by the University of Southern Maine indicating the ability of the Steripen to consistently reduce the MS2 coliphage, a type of bacteriophage that infects Escherichia coli, in 3 Liter U.S. Army Hydration Bladders under varying conditions and UV dosages. The Steripen has always been such an ingenious and effective water purifying device, and that kind of performance by Steripen with a 3L U.S. Army hydration bladder greatly peaked our interest and our excitement about the potential integration and use of the Steripen purifier with GEIGERRIG Hydration Packs. The large mouth opening of the GEIGERRIG, and potentially the pressurized flow of water through a UV chamber, both offer unique opportunities in the future for application of the award winning Steripen to our GEIGERRIG hydration packs. Receiving an endorsement of our innovation from Miles Maiden of Steripen excites me because Steripen’s innovative UV purification technology, when considered through the new market lens of pressurized hydration, is like staring at drawings of cars designed for release in 2025 that may now effectively reach the market much, much earlier. Steripen is a great, great product."
Shawn Hostetter, President of Katadyn North America, personally dropped by the GEIGERRIG booth at the 2011 Winter Outdoor Retailer Show to find out what all the fuss was about. Curt Geiger recalled, "When Hostetter showed up at our booth, we were so happy to see him. He came at the perfect moment. Consumers and retailers at the show had been constantly asking us about the potential integration of our hydration packs with Katadyn filtration products, and having Shawn on hand to discuss and collaborate was perfect."
Immediately the adaptive and collaborative juices kicked in for both companies; and, in response to GEIGERRIG’s winning 3M’s In-New-Vation Award for best new hard goods product at the show, Shawn Hostetter commented, "Congrats to GEIGERRIG on their innovative designs. Katadyn water filters offer the unique benefit of being one of the only water filters that can be used in ALL CONDITIONS. The best selling Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter comes standard with CPC quick connects allowing easy adaptation to the pressurized GEIGERRIG hydration packs, and our Katadyn Vario also allows for easy adaptation as well. The mutual benefits here are very cool to see realized – especially for the consumer."
And there is nothing like direct consumer feedback. Ken Larson, a retired educator and avid outdoorsman purchased a GEIGERRIG hydration pack and then, voluntarily and without solicitation from GEIGERRIG, performed his own battery of measured trials and test to study the flow rate of a GEIGERRIG pressurized hydration pack connected to his Sawyer filter vs. the flow rate of a gravity fed, standard hydration pack connected to the same Sawyer filter. Ken sent his results to GEIGERRIG:

  1. The GEIGERRIG pressurized system, in conjunction with gravity, provided 3.38 times the flow rate of a pure gravity fed system using a .58 m outflow tube AND. (Filter used - Sawyer.02 Purifier)
  2. The GEIGERRIG pressurized system, laying flat on its back without the use of any gravity to generate flow, provided 1.48X more flow than a standard gravity fed system when used with a .58 m outflow tube. (The .58 m outflow tube is more comparable in this model since the GEIGERRIG hydration engine outflow tube is about .65 m)

Ken Larson (consumer) reported further, "The GEIGERRIG Hydration Engine used with a gravity filter or purifier is an ideal match for a person that wants to provide water for an individual or group in any outdoor situation. The combination of the GEIGERRIG Hydration Engine and a Sawyer .02 Purifier would provide one with water in ample amounts at the highest quality in less than six minutes per liter…..without the necessity to devise a method to hang a gravity based system with a filter or purifier. Just fill the hydration engine with water, put the GEIGERRIG Hydration Engine with a filter or purifier flat, inflate and water will be flowing from a filter or purifier."
By significantly increasing the flow rate through Ken’s Sawyer filter, the GEIGERRIG Hydration Engine provides a much greater amount of filtered water for use by Ken and his family. Also, because the system pumps water through the Sawyer filter without the necessity of gravity or excessive sucking, Ken can take his GEIGERRIG Hydration Pack and Sawyer filter with him for on-the-go filtration and hydration during outdoor activity with his family. Just fill up in the local stream, put the pack on your back, and the water is filtered as you go and as you need it.
Because of the pressurized spray and in-line filtration of the GEIGERRIG hydration packs, these revolutionary hydration systems provide superior benefits to coaches, moms, athletes, teams, workers, homes (emergency preparedness), and individual outdoor enthusiasts. But as a former Marine Corps Infantry Officer, Bob Geiger, Vice President of Operations for GEIGERRIG, immediately recognized the necessary application of the GEIGERRIG for first responders and military personnel:
Bob Geiger said, "Here you have a team of military operators and first responders carrying and using gear that is all designed to be durable, transferable, sharable, convenient and easy; but when it comes to hydration and water use – one of the top three necessities – each member of the team carries about 5 lbs of water in a traditional ol’ hydration pack that can only be sucked out for his or her own individual use – a use limited basically to hydration… but there are so many other uses for water that require convenient, easy access. With the traditional hydration packs, these first responders and military personnel must suck on one another’s dirty bite valves in order to share water or offer a nasty bite valve to hydrate an injured or dehydrated person. It means that the water is relatively inaccessible for use in flushing wounds, handling medical emergencies and for quickly and conveniently cleaning body and gear. Additionally, the traditional hydration pack is difficult to refill and clean. With the GEIGERRIG hydration pack, convenience assumes its proper place for hydration and water use, and GEIGERRIG’s in-line / on-the-go filtration provides quick, convenient access to more and more water while maintaining the mobility and operational effectiveness of the first responder, individual Marine, or military unit. The pressurized GEIGERRIG hydration system conveniently and efficiently delivers the water right where you want it, right when you want it, and in quantities that are operationally vital."
Accordingly, the technology in GEIGERRIG packs is already being tested with some of the best in-line filters in the world for military application and use. One such company and filter is the UF-40 Ultrafilter from Nephros, a modern medical device company that pioneers, innovates and invents first-in-class therapies and products that create a better quality of life for the populations they serve:
Gregory Collins Ph.D., Vice President of R&D for Nephros Inc., added the following statement, "Through our work under an Office of Naval Research grant, we have developed our UF-40 Ultrafilter as an advanced individual water purifying filter for remote military use in the field. Though designed as an inline suck-through filter, we believe the unique UF-40 Ultrafilter would be an ideal candidate for the GEIGERRIG system as it offers the smallest pore size filter of any commercially available inline water filter. As a true ultrafilter with a 0.005 micron pore size, the UF-40 instantly removes viruses, bacteria, and cysts from water without the need of secondary chemical disinfection steps. The UF-40 Ultrafilter is also fully compatible with CPC quick connectors for simple connection with GEIGERRIG hydration packs. The additional pressure from the GEIGERRIG hydration engine when paired with our advanced "Flush-Through" filter cleaning system (that allows the user to clean the filter without having to ever disconnect or remove it from the pack) will maximize the volume of purified water produced while having the highest quality compared to any water filter currently on the market."
Bottom line, the new benefits offered exclusive by GEIGERRIG hydration packs and hydration systems are not escaping the attention of those who actually operate in harms way:
John Amoroso, of Search and Rescue for Kern County, CA, took one look at the new GEIGERRIG Hydration Packs and ordered a RIG 1600 and a GEIGERRIG in-line filter. He said of his new Hydration System, "I received my RIG 1600… one word WOW. Quality is outstanding. I have had a lot of hydration packs, and this one is the best. The in-line filtration and pressurized spray of the GEIGERRIG is going to be a literal life saver. Fellow SAR members are already begging to get theirs too. Our packs have to be ready 24/7, and the ability to keep water in the pack and to routinely clean it in the dish washer by turning it inside out is also a key benefit for us – (GEIGERRIG’s production relationship and collaboration with Hydrapak offers this "reversible" benefit.)."
Mike Atkinson, Former Navy SEAL and Owner of Trident Tactical/Technical, agrees with John Amoroso saying, "Other than ammunition, radios and weapons, water can be the heaviest thing we carry. And, it has so many necessary uses. The GEIGERRIG system finally makes it easy to access, use, and share the water while also getting the hands-free benefit of a hydration pack. The plug-and-play, on-the-go, in-line filtration unit is on the money. Greater access to water… Much easier use of water… A pressurized spray… All without additional weight or any sacrifice of capacity in your pack. It looks like a no-brainer. It was my product of choice as well – for both the Shot Show and Outdoor Retailer show."
With all of this excitement, it is no wonder that, in celebration of the most outstanding new products, companies and ideas of the 2011 Winter Outdoor Retailer Market, SNEWS and the 3M Corporation presented the inaugural IN-NEW-VATION Award for the Hard-Good Category to GEIGERRIG Pressurized Hydration Packs.
"It is rare when a product brings so many things together and delivers so much mutual benefit. Social media such as Facebook, e-mail, cell phones, and computers have all become the top-of-mind products for uniting, communicating and sharing. But, bottom line, water access and water use is essential for everyone’s survival – even in this age of computers and electronics. Away from your kitchen sink, during active outdoor activity, GEIGERRIG hydration packs provides the most convenient solution for drinking and using water as a family, a group, a team, an individual athlete, or a worker." – Curt Geiger, President, GEIGERRIG Hydration Packs.
GEIGERRIG – Providing convenient and optimal use for the water you carry and the water you find along the way.

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