Thule is well known as a car rack company with a gamut of products to outfit your vehicle to carry practically any sporting equipment. In addition to racks, Thule has been expanding its offerings with a huge range of backpacks and luggage. Following that trend, the Swedish firm is jumping into the highly contested hydration pack market with three packs.
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Thule Vital specs
- Cargo capacity: 3, 6, and 8 litre packs available
- Vital 3: 1.75L Hydrapak reservoir
- Vital 6 and 8: 2.5L Hydrapak reservoir
- ReTrakt magnetic hose return system
- Low-slung design
- Weight: .45 / .52 /.55kg (1 / 1.15 / 1.21lbs)
Built for comfort and feature-laden
Thule claims the new Vital line of packs are built for comfort with a low-slung design that places the weight of the pack on the rider's hips. The upper back and shoulder straps are a mesh reinforced material for breathability.
The back panel features a bit of padding, but unlike dedicated back protection packs, Thule is not claiming any safety certifications for the panel.
To keep the reservoir hose from flopping around, Thule's ReTrakt system uses seven small magnets to draw the hose back to the shoulder strap.
Pockets abound, including ones on the waist belt for quick access to items without having to remove the pack. These jersey like pockets feature an extra lip at the top designed to keep items inside the pocket without the use of a zipper.
Inside the bright yellow interior, there are dedicated loops for a mini tire pump as well as a shock pump.
Thule Vital pricing and availability
$89 USD for the Vital 3, $119 USD for the Vital 6, and $139 USD for the Vital 8, including the hydration bladder. UK£ and AU$ are to be confirmed.
Thule is projecting availability in February of 2018.