Hydrapak's Flux series consists of lightweight, ultra-portable bottles that collapse down to pocket size when empty. The new Flux+ 1.5L adds a filter top to take care of microorganisms so that one can collect water from natural sources along the journey without worrying about any ill bowel-wrenching effects. The handy new bottle carries a liter and a half of water into the wild, refills and filters from natural sources, and packs tiny when not in use, giving it the promise of being one of the most convenient, functional water filter/carry tools on the market.
Like the Stash and Softflask, the Flux series is one of Hydrapak's collapsible hydration solutions. Available in several sizes, each Flux is designed to offer the same form and capacity as a rigid water bottle, albeit in a readily stashable package that weighs up to 60% less than its solid-bodied counterpart. Once the user has finished hydrating, the Flux bottle collapses down to store in a pack or pocket, making it much less cumbersome than an empty hard bottle.
The addition of a filter top makes the Flux series an even more versatile solution for multipurpose outdoor use. The feature comes as part of Hydrapak's greater expansion into filtration products with a lineup that also includes large 3- and 6-L soft-body storage containers with filters and filter tops meant to work with a variety of Hydrapak bottles. The 1.5-liter Flux+ looks to be the Goldilocks of the new filtration family, offering ample personal hydration capacity for shorter adventures with the ability to resupply on longer trips, all in a compact handheld bottle.
The Flux+ includes the 42-mm Filter Cap that Hydrapak also offers as a standalone product. Users can squeeze the bottle to drink filtered water directly or to filter it into a separate container. The cap's filter is designed to effectively seek and destroy 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria, 99.999% of parasitic cysts, and 99.999% of those microplastics you've probably been hearing a lot about.
The new Flux+ 1.5L bottle also features a redesigned bail handle that helps scoop water out of a stream while also working as a carry handle and means for attaching the bottle to a pack. In between the last sip and next fill-up, the bottle can roll up inside the looped bail handle for easy storage or hand carry.
The 5-oz (143-g), 9.8-in-tall (25-cm) Flux+ 1.5L certainly isn't the first integrated filter bottle out there, nor is it the first collapsible option, but it does look to be among the most convenient to use. We'd love to see the addition of a purification add-on for killing viruses, which would make the bottle more useful for international adventures – the collapsible design is already perfect for packing up in a carry-on.
Hydrapak launched the Flux+ this month for a retail of US$55.
Source: Hydrapak