HydraPouch in Competitor Magazine (formerly Rocky Mountain Sports)

Here is Competitor Magazine's coverage of HydraPouch in the "Getting To Know" section of their June 2009 edition. The text of the article is copied below. You can also click here to see it on our website.

"Squeeze. Fill. Sip. Repeat. Staying hydrated during races has always presented a problem for runners. It's nearly impossible to drink out of a cup while running without spilling half the drink and disposing of the cup on the ground.

Enter the HydraPouch, created by Craig McSavaney of Boulder. The eco-friendly, reusable product holds up to six ounces of liquid and fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. The squeeze top allows the pouch to be filled easily and a spout makes sipping simple. Additionally, the pouch attaches easily to a runner's pant waist via the flexible belt strap.

To fill the HydraPouch, McSavaney has created a simple nozzle called the HydraPour, which attaches to any cooler, and allows for quick and clean dispensing.

Competitor Colorado caught up with McSavaney to discuss the new products.

WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR HYDRAPOUCH COME FROM? Back in 2002, paper cups started to bug me. The basic idea for the HydraPouch was that you can be able to fill something up really fast at an aid station, carry it with you and have it be comfortable in your hand.

WHY ARE PAPER CUPS THE ENEMY? The numbers are mind blowing. The Bolder Boulder used 475,000 cups last year. The New York City Marathon went through 2.25 million cups last year. It's miserable to drink out of a paper cup during a race. They are environmentally unfriendly and also cause a safety hazard. I'm yet to meet anyone who has said drinking out of a paper cup is a good experience. And race directors don't want volunteers having to chase cups a half of a mile to a mile down the road. I want to grab six ounces of water at an aid station and I want to sip it and not spill it all over me.

WHAT IS THE HYDRAPOUCH MADE OF? Silicon rubber. It's the same material that baby bottle nipples and kitchen utensils are made out of. It's a food-safe, medical-grade product. It has no chemical products, and is made in the U.S.

HOW HAVE RUNNERS RESPONDED TO THE PRODUCT? It's been universally positive. We did extensive testing with 60 long-distance runners in Boulder and Denver. They tested the HydraPouch, they tested the HydraPour, and they tested paper cups. We had them fill out surveys, and out of all the surveys, we had exactly one person who said they would not buy the product.

HydraPouch is available for $16.95 at hydrapouch.com. - Derek Schimmel