For many people who perform high-output outdoor activities, straight-up water in their hydration pack just isn't enough – they want water with an added energy supplement. The problem is, the pack's bladder can retain the color and taste of such concoctions. That's the reason Infuze was created. It adds a supplement to hydration-pack water, downstream from the bladder.
Instead of having one hose going straight from the bladder to the mouthpiece, Infuze-equipped third-party hydration packs have one hose going from the bladder to the shoulder-strap-mounted Infuze device, then another hose running from it to the mouthpiece.
As water is sucked through the device, it picks up a liquid supplement contained in an onboard "flavor cartridge." These cartridges are interchangeable and refillable using supplied "flavor packs," which are available in various flavors. Although the packs are currently non-reusable, Infuze inventor Danny Noall says that there are plans to make them also refillable.
The supplement itself contains natural energy boosters – in some cases electrolytes or caffeine – but has no artificial food dyes, chemical sweeteners, or other non-natural ingredients.
If users just want pure H2O, twisting a dial on the device causes the water to bypass the flavor cartridge. That dial also controls how much of the supplement is released into the water. Additionally, it is reportedly impossible for supplemented water to flow back up into the bladder.
Infuze should work with most existing hydration packs, and is currently the subject of an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. A pledge of US$20 will get you a unit with two flavor packs, assuming all goes according to plans. The planned retail price is $40.
More information is available in the pitch video below.
Source: Indiegogo