#hydration

I’m a little ashamed to admit this, but the Sedici Acqua hydration backpack is the first hydration pack I’ve owned specifically for motorcycling. Don’t get me wrong; I own a hydration pack and the associated gear for outdoor activities like hiking, but all this time I’ve simply relied on hoping I can grab a drink of water when I stop at, say, a gas station or oasis. Or in the case of our photoshoots for MO, we’ll simply carry bottles of water in the camera car and drink up at photo stops.

Beginning in Spring and ending in Fall, the motorcycling season basically exists during the warmest time of the year. Staying cool while operating a motorcycle during these months heightens the experience by increasing a rider’s comfort. Maintaining a healthy temperature also increases a rider’s safety. We covered the obvious ways to keep your temperature in check with our Warm-Weather Buyer’s Guides for Boots, Jackets and Pants, Gloves. Here we look at a few additional, but no less important, ways to manage your personal thermostat.

I was perfectly happy with the kid-sized Camelbak I got my son when he was, what, six years old? But when the wasteful child was last home from college and saw it drying on the clothesline, he disposed of it while I wasn’t looking in spite of the fact I told him Jimmy Lewis himself had told me the black stuff growing in the hose was nothing to be concerned about. It had been colonizing in there since the mid ’oughts and hadn’t killed me yet. With another long hot summer fast approaching, I was forced to obtain a new “hydration system.” I never do any of the sort of serious “enduro” riding this kind of backpack is really designed for, but over the years I’ve found they’re also fantastic for street riding, especially when it’s hot and dry. And especially if I’m going anywhere with Brad Banister.