The Geigerrig Rig 1600 is the flagship of the Geigerrig Hydration packs. It holds their largest bladder and has the most packing space of any packs that Geigerrig manufactures.
I recently moved out west and started researching hydration packs. I wanted a pack that would work for day trips or as a possible bug out bag. I was initially drawn to the Military Packs produced by Camelbak, due to the cargo space. I felt the extra space was essentially to use it as a bug out bag.
One Saturday I walked into Costco and Geigerrig was demonstrating their backpacks and the feature that really caught my eye was that their hydration packs were pressurized. What that means is you can spray with their hose versus having to suck on the end of a hose of a camelback. Hence the Geigerrig tagline “Never Suck Again”.
I bought the Rig 1600 on the spot as it was the largest pack they sold.
The Geigerrig Rig 1600 is made of ballistic nylon. Ballistic nylon was initially used in WWII as a material for flak jackets worn by WWII airmen. It was intended to protect its wearers from flying debris as well as fragmentation caused by bullet or artillery shell impacts. The Rig 1600 is very durable and will hold up to almost anything you throw in it. I’ve worked mine hiking and it still looks brand new.
The 1600 in the name stands for the number of cubic inches of cargo space that it has. That seems like quite a bit of space but it’s not as large as I thought it would be when I purchased the pack. On a day trip I was able to pack some essentials, snacks and a light jacket. I could probably have fit a few more items but not what I would need for a bug out bag.
One of the great features of the Geigerrig packs is that Geigerrig sells an optional water filter that you can attach to any of their bladders. The water filter will filter up to 50 gallons of water. So no matter where you go you can have clean water.
By filling your Geigerrig bladder up with dirty water it means you have to be able to clean it. Cleaning your Geigerrig bladder is simple. They designed the bladder to be turned inside out and dishwasher safe.
They also offer additional accessories for the Geigerrig like a tube garage that straps to your shoulder strap. I would highly recommend this… if you hike during the summer the sun seems to hit the tube right on the shoulder and every first sip is warm so blocking the tube from the sun should keep your water a little cooler.
Overall, I love my Geigerrig Rig 1600 for a daypack, but I wouldn’t use it as a bug out bag for myself due to the lack of cargo space I think it would work great as a secondary pack for an older child to carry in the event of needing to grab and go. If I were building my ultimate bug out bag I would definitely use the Geigerrig bladder and filter inside a larger backpack with more cargo space. If you need a good secondary or hydration pack the Geigerrig Rig 1600 is one you should look at.