The Watercell X family: 20L, 10L, 6L, & 4L
You don’t need to have been adventuring in Oz too long to know that one of the logistical problems you’ll commonly face is that of water. Long day trips, and even car-based camping trips can be problematic enough, but once you begin spending one or two nights, or more, without access to water, figuring out how to lug around enough to drink and cook with can become a major nightmare.
Over recent years, large volume water bladders have helped ease the problem. That said, they haven’t been perfect. Their shapes have been less than ideal for packing. Lashing points have been minimal or non-existent. They’ve unwieldy to carry or fill. And the caps have frequently been placed in less-than-ideal locations.
The designers at Sea to Summit decided to have a crack at something better. The result is the Watercell ST and the Watercell X, with the former being a more minimalist trail solution, and the latter being a little heavier duty and offering a few extra features. Both will be hitting the shelves in April.
Designers focussed on three key areas: form (in terms of shape and packability); carrying and lashing ability; and the cap. In terms of form, they incorporated sidewalls along with a baffle in the bladder’s middle to
help it retain a flatter structure, to the extent the bladders would be stackable. For carrying, they improved the grab handles and lashing points and included adjustable webbing on the X model. And they moved the caps
to the top of the bladders, which makes for easier filling from both taps and shallow creeks. It also makes complete drainage for drying the bladder at the end of a trip easier. The caps, incidentally, are a standard wide-mouth width, meaning they’re compatible with filtration systems. And an adapter is in the works to allow connection to hydration hoses with bite valves. The X also has an option for a shower attachment.
Both bladders come in 4L, 6L and 10L options, but X also comes in a gargantuan 20L model. Even the thirstiest of adventurers should be able to last a night or two with that.
For more info: seatosummit.com.au