Field Journal

Stories Behind the Gear: Hydro Flask
Written by Jenny Tough // Photography courtesy of Hydro Flask

We speak to the Hydro Flask team in Bend, OR, about their flagship product, their innovations for the future, and their #RefillForGood campaign to eliminate plastic waste.

Refillable water bottles are, to most, an essential item, picked up with your keys, phone and wallet when you leave the house. Staying hydrated and avoiding single-use plastics is simply automatic. But ten years ago, when Hydro Flask was born, that routine wasn’t automatic to most people. To initiate the change, it’s taken a cultural shift, more environmental awareness, and a great product.

Born out of Bend, Oregon, USA, Hydro Flask has outdoor sport at the heart of its culture. A decade ago, products for keeping drinks hot already existed, but no one had used technology to keep drinks cold, too. Using vacuum-insulation, Hydro Flask launched a revolutionary product for outdoor-lovers to carry both hot and cold drinks with them, and the company hit a bit of luck as the world began searching for solutions to single-use plastics. Adding to its superior product, the brand applied colour trends to create something that also looked great, and soon became a global favourite.

Today, vacuum-insulated technology is ubiquitous in the water bottle market, but Hydro Flask is still a pioneer in its field. Still working out of Bend, the team of outdoor enthusiasts continue to look for solutions and create great products for their users. They recently launched a soft goods range – which was enthusiastically received by their committed consumer base – and improved their flagship bottle with a lightweight version.

The new Lightweight Trail Series bottle is a Hydro Flask with all of the same technology to store beverages – cold for up to 24 hours, or hot for up to 12 hours – but in a sleek, lightweight design for those who spend more time in the backcountry. It was a favourite item in our Sidetracked Equipped AW20 gear review, and at 25% lighter than the original version, it’s also proving to be popular with ultralight enthusiasts.

For many companies, commercial success means the ability to invest in and pursue areas that are important to their core culture. This thinking has seen Hydro Flask launch Parks for All, supporting non-profit organisations that focus on building, maintaining, restoring and providing better, more equitable access to parks. To date, it’s donated £1.3m towards the project, all made possible by the continuing success of its product line.

Since the arrival of the pandemic, outdoor activities have boomed in popularity – and so have the products. Hydro Flask is naturally reaping the benefits of that, and feeling optimistic about the future. Even as many parts of the world begin to return to normal, the growth in the outdoor community does seem to be holding, with more people discovering the joy of taking ordinary activities outside – not just exercise, but also picnics, meetings, and socialising. In its own words, Hydro Flask says it ‘builds products to help people enjoy their time outside more’, and as more people look to incorporate the outdoors into their daily routines, its products are perfectly positioned to promote sustainable values and leave-no-trace usership.

One of its core campaigns around sustainability is Refill for Good, an initiative to eliminate single-use plastics. Welsh adventure activist Laura Owen Sanderson is one of the ambassadors for the campaign, as part of her mission to highlight the issue of microplastics in UK water sources.

‘We can all do our bit to help the environment, and by reducing our use of single-use plastic consumption we will have a positive impact on both the environment and the amount of oil-based plastic seeping into our wild spaces. That’s why I am proud to be part of the Hydro Flask #refillforgood campaign.’ – Laura Owen Sanderson

Looking towards the future, Hydro Flask is looking to continue its success as a brand, leading the charge in furthering cultural change towards a plastic-free world. With its new products proving that it’s staying at the top of its game, it looks set to remain a powerful force for good.