Dakine Hot Laps 5L Hydration Pack

What it is

• Waist Mounted Hydration Pack
• Carries 2L of Fluids.
• One Separate Compartment.

Dakine is one of the mainstays in bags and packs and has quite the following in the cycling world. With products ranging anywhere from large luggage bags to small and compact hydration packs, they have quite the variety and for the hot Summer months ahead, we were looking for a way to stay cool. 

Although it’s intended use isn’t necessarily moto, we sought out their Hot Laps 5L Waist Pack. The hydration pack carries up to 2L or 70oz of fluids, and has a separate compartment to stash some smaller items. The reservoir is tailor made to sit inside the hip mounted pack and features a Phaser bite valve on the end of the hydration hose. Additionally, the hose has a floating magnetic clip on the end and has an attachment point on the side strap to hold the hose around your waist. The side straps are made of a compression material with the idea that it tightens up as the water runs out in the reservoir. A vented mesh back panel is claimed to help cooling and external attachment straps on the underside of the pack are designed to carry bigger items (like knee/elbow pads for cyclists). Retailing for $75.00, the pack is available in a few different colors and the adjustable side straps make it a one-size fits all

How it works

• Resembled wearing a fanny pack.
• Helped with body cooling and movement.
• Magnetic waist clip was tough for motorcycle use.
• Used a longer hydration tube to run over the shoulder.

First off, the pack isn’t necessarily designed for motorcycle use. With deeper roots in the cycling community, the pack’s features have quite a few benefits aimed at that crowd. However, most of those were able to transfer over quite well for our use. Wearing a back mounted hydration pack isn’t always the best as it restricts movement a little bit and it generates more heat in that area. Therefore, we were looking for the ideal setup to go racing in 1.5+ hour GP races when the temperatures start to rise.

Wearing the Hot Laps 5L pack felt just like wearing a fanny pack. Very non-restrictive and minimal heat build up were some of the advantages of running this setup. Usually, the traditional back-mounted hydration packs are prone to bouncing up and down and tightening up the shoulder area and just make it an inconvenience to bring water -- especially when racing. This solved the issue and serves as a more solid way to carry fluids. The compression material straps do a good job of keeping the pack tight against the body as the fluid level decreases and we never had a problem of it coming too loose while riding. Also, having the ability to carry 70oz of water is quite nice for longer rides/races and we never needed to carry any more.

The lumbar-shaped reservoir was very simple to fill up and the sliding mechanism to open/close the reservoir is as simple as it gets. Every once in a while, the slider binds, but the process is very simple and the same manufacturer (Hydrapak) seems to make almost everyone’s reservoirs these days. Durability wise, everything is holding together quite well and the bite valve hasn’t leaked a drop since we’ve had it. 

Some drawbacks to this pack are you can’t wear a fanny pack with tools and there isn’t enough room to carry the standard necessities. The secondary compartment is big enough to carry a few things, but when trying to transfer over all usual items from our designated fanny pack, we ran out of room rather quickly. In that case, we just relied on someone else to carry the tools while we comfortably rode around with ease! Additionally, the magnet mounted hose stemming from the reservoir isn’t the best setup for motorcycle riding. Trying to get it locked in while riding is tougher than we’d like, and we had quite a few instances where a tree branch knocked it loose. Also, when racing, it’s nearly impossible to reattach the magnetic mount when trying to continue at speed. Our solution was simple - get a slightly longer hose and run it up and over our back like a traditional back-mounted hydration pack would do. Once we made this modification, we’ve never looked back and are satisfied with the drinking solution. 

Overall, we’re pleased with Dakine’s Hot Laps 5L Waist Pack. Our intended use if for GP racing, where carrying tools and items of that such isn’t necessary and it holds more than enough water for even the hottest days and the longest races. It’s added comfort and non-restricting qualities help as the tracks get rougher and at times, it’s like we forget we’re wearing the pack. Our biggest gripe was the waist secured hydration hose, but a simple fix to run it through our jersey and over our backs like a traditional setup was all that was needed to fulfill our desires. Not to mention, the pack is cheaper than many of the backpack style systems out there.