Tag: hydration

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Mosko Moto Nomad Tank Bag

I have a love-hate relationship with tank bags.  They’re great for keeping all of the essential things you need right where you can easily access them, but then all of the things in the bag tend to become a tangled mess. If you have a larger tank bag things can all but disappear, and looking for that second ear plug or tube of chapstick can quickly turn into a pull over and dig in your bag affair.  Thankfully, Mosko Moto has taken a completely difference approach to how a tank bag is organized, and fused it with so many innovative features that calling it a tank bag feels like an understatement.

The Nomad is a dynamic, multi-layer, gear swallowing and organizing tank bag that can be suited to any type of ride and any type of rider.  You can stuff the thing full of gear and load up the MOLLE on the top, or you can go fast and light and carry just the essentials, sucking the tank bag down on to the bike to go “high speed, low drag” in tacti-cool parlance.  Literally, this thing can be configured however you want to use it, allowing it to be the tank bag for just about everyone.

As with any other piece of Mosko Moto gear, a container ship of thought was poured into this bag, and it shows in the product’s final design.  The MOLLE on the top layer lets you install the included map pouch, or you can run whatever MOLLE compatible accessory you choose up top.  The MOLLE is sewn on to a beaver tail—open it and you’ll have access to your quick access items like your maps or GPS.  The next layer down is all about organizing your small items like charging cables, a tire pressure gauge, and earplugs. Below that you’ll find the main compartment that can swallow up a DSLR camera (without a battery grip), your rain gloves, or other large items you need to stash.  Below that is a sleeve that will accept the included 1.8L Platypus water bladder which is awesome for when you don’t want to have to wear your water.  And finally, all the way at the bottom of the bag, you’ll find two straps that turn the Nomad into a backpack, so you can park your bike and easily take your tank bag with you.

Backpack mode is something you’ll start using all the time.  Want to ride to a hike?  Just pack your Nomad.  Parking your bike in someplace sketchy? Just engage backpack mode so your tank bag and its contents can stay with you.  Want to easily bring all your gear from your tank bag into your tent?  You get the idea.  The Nomad is held onto your bike with a fully adjustable harness that goes around your frame up top, and has plenty of adjustment to fit on everything from my Super Tenere to a dirtbike—if you’re willing to stay back on your seat.  At the bottom end, you’ll find two cam straps (which are far superior to plastic strap adjusters) with Velcro that keeps the strap tails tidy.  One side has a male buckle and the other has a female buckle so these straps turn into your waist band when you’re in backpack mode.  I told you this thing was well thought out.

In use, the Nomad has proven to be an outstanding piece of gear.  With the exception of the tedious process that is installing or removing the map pouch (the snaps catch on the sung MOLLE bands; Pro Tip: use a MOLLE stick or a long flathead screwdriver to lift the straps over the snaps), the Nomad is hands down the most versatile and useful tank bag I’ve ever had.  There are too many other features to list in this review, as things like strategically placed Velcro patches and mesh pouch dividers would require 1000s of words to explain properly.  Trust the fact that Mosko Moto did their homework on this bag.   They’ve figured out how to add in all this versatility without taking up all of the gear room in their bag.  In other words, they’ve put in a perfect amount of organization so my days of rat’s nest gear tangles are over.

When you first get your Nomad, spend some time exploring the bag and playing with loadouts to figure out the best way to pack the bag.  That container ship worth of thought that went into designing and making the Nomad means that you won’t get the most out of it without taking some time to get to know the bag.  Try out backpack mode, put the map pouch on, put the raincover on, (it has a window so you can read whatever’s on top of your bag even with the cover on.) and you’ll be able to get much more out of this bag.

Mosko Moto’s Nomad Tank Bag is a great piece of gear.  You can pack the thing to the gills and expand the beavertail to handle quite a lot of kit, or you can run it scrunched down and out of the way with just the essentials.  Accessing your gear is quick and easy, and knowing that you’re not reaching into a tangled mess or accidentally pulling out extra unwanted items is a huge bonus—especially when you’re fishing for gear while under way.  The ability to carry a water bladder and backpack mode really expand on the use of this bag, and are features you’ll find yourself using all the time.  The bottom line is that the Nomad is an incredibly dynamic piece of gear that’s quite possibly everything you need to carry everything you need.

Full Disclosure:  Mosko Moto provided the Nomad Tank Bag to American Adventurist at no charge for the purpose of this review.
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The Trailshot

Remember that one time your ‘quick’ morning hike/ride/<insert adventure here> turned into an all-day safari, and you ran out of water before you got back to the truck? Perhaps you passed by a source of water on your way back, and your mind decided to remind you of all of the millions of ways in which water would be awesome right now. But you can’t drink from that sketchy-looking pool of turbid water, because giardia. (Pro Tip: You don’t want giardia.) Well, thanks to MSR’s new Trailshot water filter, there’s now no reason why you can’t belly up to that water source and drink long and deep.

The Trailshot is the water filter that you really have no excuse not to always carry with you. It takes up the same amount of space as two energy bars in your pack, and weighs in at all of 5.4 ounces. This isn’t some single use ‘survival’ filter where you can only suck water into your mouth. This is a proper water filter that can be used over and over to keep you safely hydrated anytime you need to gather more water in the field. The Trailshot uses MSR’s hollow fiber filter technology that effectively filters bacteria, protozoa, and particulates from any water source. For the North American user, this is really all you need in a filter. However, if viruses are a concern—international travelers, I’m looking at you—you’ll need to add another step to your water purification process like some Aquatabs, or check out MSR’s Guardian filter that handles everything (bacteria, protozoa, particulates, and viruses). When viruses are not a concern, the Trailshot is the water filter that you should always have in your kit.

Using the filter couldn’t be easier: simply drop the pre-filter end of the hose into a water source, and start squeezing the filter body with your hand. You can drink right from the mouthpiece on the filter, or point it into a water bottle or hydration reservoir and fill it at roughly one liter per minute. A big advantage with the Trailshot’s hose design is that you can pull water from a very shallow source, where a water bottle-style filter would be very hard to use. Another advantage is with turbid water: a UV-light type filter is unable to effectively purify cloudy water, a task easily handled by the Trailshot.

Pro Tip: When working with really turbid water, use some form of container to allow the water to settle prior to filtering so that you’re not sucking as much particulate into the filter for better performance. If the Trailshot does get clogged up, giving it a few good shakes along the filter’s long axis will get it going again.

MSR states the Trailshot has a filter life of 2,000 liters, but your mileage may vary depending on how particulate-laden your field water sources are. Spare filter cartridges sell for $35, and carrying a spare never hurts.

Stay Out Longer

A water filter is a key piece of gear for anyone who wants to carry less water (and weight), or who doesn’t want to be limited by the amount of water they can carry. As long as you know that there will be water to collect in the field, you can carry only the amount of water you need to get from source to source. This is a huge advantage for ultra-runners, enduro mountain bikers, or anyone who likes to go fast and light. If you’re the type of person who must to see what’s over the next hill, or who wants to be able to take the long way home, the Trailshot is a great piece of gear to keep in your kit so you can stay out longer than intended.

Dehydration is no joke: if you’ve ever run out of water in the field, you know it isn’t a good time. For the space of two energy bars, a Trailshot in your kit can keep you and a friend hydrated from practically any field water source. Mine traveled all over the Southwest with me this fall, and even when it’s just along for the ride, knowing I have a way to safely gather water from the field is a huge confidence boost. The Trailshot retails for $49—a no-brainer for anyone who plays outside. Pick one up, and avoid that one time where you ran out of water.

Buy the Trailshot direct from MSR »