Introduction
Hydration packs are great as they offer the user quick access to water on the go. Stopping to take off a rucksack to access waterbottles is time-consuming and inefficient; especially if the ruck is heavy. By having constant access to up to 3 litres of water from a strap-mounted hose, the user is able to carry on with the activity at hand.
Source have been a well known and respected name in the hydration game for a while now. The hydration pack in question, the ILPS doesn’t get as much screen time as most of the others so this review is to maybe clarify a few things for someone who can’t choose between the standard pack and this, the wide pack.
It’s worth mentioning at this point that Source have two different websites with two different product line-ups. There is a site for regular consumer products i.e running and cycling. Then there is the ‘Tactical Range’. This is where you will find their more heavy duty items, designed primarily for the military.
Build Quality
Like all Source products, the ILPS build is great. If you already own a Source hydration pack, the build quality is the same and you won’t be disappointed.
Straight out of the box, the membrane feels like it could take a beating. It’s a nice thick green polyethene. Apart from directly pushing sharp objects such as a knife tip into it, the bladder feels like it will hold up to almost everything else. Squashing, throwing and pushing obscurely shaped items into seems it fine.
The seams and joins around the edges are nicely over engineered. The plastic welding is firm. No bubbles, signs of deformation and pretty wide the whole way around. Also, the connector on the bladder for the hose has been more than sufficiently bonded. I can’t see any issues here in the future.
All the other plastics and materials are solid. The main tube doesn’t kink and is hard to squeeze. This is great as any heavy objects sharing the same space such as a ruck plate won’t impede water flow. You can throw everything in with it.
The tube covering is securely fixed and doesn’t slide about which is something I was worried about at first. Time will tell is the ‘hook’ side of velcro will ruin it as the two seem to be attracted. But for now, its fine and shows no signs of wear. I will note that on my tube, there are visible signs of glue at both ends where the tube cover has presumably been stuck to the rubber tubing. This isn’t an issue, only aesthetic but on the black version, it shows up quite a lot.
Connectors. As you probably already know, the hydration system is modular and has connectors. These have been totally leak-proof so far.
Design & Use
Modularity
The design of the WLPS is great. Just like many other (but not all, especially cheaper) hydration bladders, the hose can be removed along with the mouthpiece. This is great for a few reasons:
- If a component fails, it can be replaced without buying a whole new system (and the extras are easy to come by).
- It allows for easy cleaning and storage.
- It allows for a more customisable system.
Customisable
Customisable is probably the wrong word but for example, Source sells two different mouthpieces. Unfortunately, you cannot choose which one you want at the time of purchase. It is supplied only with their ‘Storm Valve’ but if you want a typical bite valve, one can be purchased separately and changed with ease.
Source also sell longer hoses. In most scenarios though, the one supplied will be sufficient. I find the tube length just perfect. But if you have an unusual pack layout, given the modularity of the system, this can be extended with ease.
Multiple Hydration Sources
Because of the wide range of Source products available, it is an option to have a bladder and say a Nalgene bottle both able to run from the same hose. Personally, when I go out, I always take another water source as a backup. Living in a hot country (summers get up to 40°c) means running out of water is not an option. So, if my bladder fails, I always have a Plan B. Two is one and one is none. So for example, with the Source ‘Convertube Kit’ which fits Nalgene bottles and standard camping flasks, it is easy to switch from one to the other. This is great if A) Your bladder fails or B) Your bladder is depleted and a quick change is needed for another source. This moves us on to…
Capacity
On the Source website, the ILPS is stated as having a 2-3L capacity. The reason for them stating a 2-3L capacity is because the ILPS was designed for ballistic vests. Basically, the reservoir can hold 3L but won’t fit into a vest when full. The volume is simply too much. Personally my Source ILPS is kept in the ruck plate pouch of My GR1 so I cannot relate to ballistic vest integration.
I can, however, confirm that if planning to use the ILPS in the ruck plate pocket of a Goruck GR1, it will fit the entire 3L. However, if the internal Molle rows are being used, the reservoir will need to be folded over, making enough space for only 2L. This isn’t an issue for me as I said earlier, I always take an auxiliary water bottle (or two). The organisation and extra space inside my ruck is worth more to me than cramming in the whole 3L. This is a personal thing though and you will know what works best with your set-up.
Size
The Source ILPS is the widest pack they offer. This was my main reason for purchasing this model. I didn’t want “dead space” to either side of a bladder that was narrower and taller. My perfect situation is to have a bladder that fits the entire width of my ruck and the ILPS almost does.
The ILPS is one of four Source bladders sold as “Low Profile”. This was another reason for the purchase. I didn’t want a big balloon-like bulky bladder in the middle of my ruck. When full to the 3L limit, the bladder is thicker (XXXcm) than I originally estimated but works fine regardless.
I had aspirations of storing the bladder in the laptop compartment of my GR1. I can confirm however that the reservoir is too wide for this to be a reality. To be honest though, given the thickness of the bladder full, a laptop compartment probably isn’t an ideal place. Even with a thick frame sheet, the bulge can be felt.
I use the Source ILPS in two different configurations:
Hiking & Trekking Configuration
In this configuration, the Source ILPS fits into my Goruck GR1 Ruck Plate pocket. It is out of the way, has extra protection from the pocket material and won’t move around. I do however have the internally Molle webbing fully populated with pouches that go down to the top of the Ruck Plate pocket. This means that the Source ILPS is too tall to fit properly. As a workaround, I simply fold the top part down and into the pocket. This does compromise some capacity as mentioned earlier. In this configuration, the ILPS will hold 2L but is very discreet and leaves lots of room for other things.
Rucking Configuration
In a rucking config, the Ruck Plate Pouch is taken up with weight. See here how we do it. The weight takes priority of the pouch as it keeps everything in place. Luckily though, when I’m out rucking, I leave the kitchen sink at home. The only things that are usually taken are, the rucking weight, bladder, auxiliary water, camera and phone. Taking so few things means there is plenty of space to have the ILPS fully extended and full to the brim. In this situation, I simply suspend from the inner Molle with a carabiner.
Refilling
There are two ways to refill the ILPS.
‘Widepac’ – Wide Opening Access
This is Source’s marketing team’s name for the main loading opening. I have found it works well. Slide the wide clamp off, and fill up. This process is easy, quick and clean. It is worth noting that the bladder doesn’t stand up by itself. This won’t be an issue for most people as it will be refilled from a tap. Where I live, all our water goes through a filter jug meaning that it takes 5 minutes to fill with waiting in-between (the jug only holds 1L).
Before I received the ILPS, I was concerned that the reservoir material at the opening may crease or not line up properly with the guide. This has never been an issue though. The system works perfectly. As the guide is stuck to the bladder, everything lines up well.
With the wide opening system, I have only one thing to note. When you receive the Source ILPS, there is a sort of grease/lubricant in the slide mechanism. I can’t find anywhere if this is supposed to be a lubricated area and have grease reapplied or whether it is for shipping and storage only.
‘UTA’ – Universal Tube Adaptor
The Source ILPS is only one of 3 hydration systems the sell that include the adaptor. For me, this wasn’t a selling point at the time of purchase but there is no option to buy the system without it. I am however extremely glad to have it. The Source UTA could almost have its own review.
This little piece of kit was very underestimated and I have found myself using it a lot. I will go through a couple of great uses here:
In The Field
This is where the UTA shines. Recently I undertook an 80km hike through the mountains. This was a 19-hour hike, temperatures were in the low 30°s and hydration was essential. The day before I left, having had my route planned out, I made 2 water drops on parts of the trail. I hid some disposable water bottles in bushes.
When I reached a ‘water checkpoint’ I took out the bottles from the bush and refilled my bladder. The adaptor was great at this. It meant I didn’t need to take off my heavy pack, take several things out to get access to the bladder, slide the top open and fight with, trying to support the ILPS whilst refilling. Then put everything back. Instead, I unclipped the mouthpiece, took out the UTA from a quick access pocket and filled up. It was that simple. Little time was lost as I was on the clock too.
Also, if your trek or hike takes you through civilisation, you can easily pop into a convenience store, grab some bottles of water and top the bladder up whilst on the move.
Pre-Trip Prep
Whilst it’s perfectly viable to use the sliding wide-mouth opening if you are like me and have your pack setup and ready to go all the time, removing the bladder and any other equipment to refill before a trip is an inconvenience and takes time. By using the UTA, simply leave the Source ILPS empty in the ruck until you’re ready for action then refill using the UTA. Simple.
Topping Up
Like mentioned earlier, I always take an auxiliary bottle on trips however often, my ILPS will run out and a top-up is needed. I have found the narrow opening Nalgene bottle just fit with the UTA. It is a tight fit but does work. So now, when I run out of water, I open my ruck, grab my Nalgene and fill up through the UTA.
Of course, the ideal situation would be to have the ‘Source Convertube’ kit. Then it would be possible to simply change the hose from the bladder to bottle but funds for gear aren’t unlimited and compromises have to be made. For now.
Conclusion
The Source ILPS is an exceptional piece of kit. The build quality is very high and gives you confidence taking the bladder into the wild and putting it through its paces. Even with the most extreme uses, it should last a long time.
The Source system modularity is definitely appealing allowing more customised configurations to match each individual users needs. The downside to Source’s current product line-up is the lack of an option to customise from purchase. You get what you are given and anything else needs to be purchased separately such as the bite valve. This could make a premium product even more ‘premium’.
The size is a personal choice and individual to every user. Personally, I like the size. But if you don’t, Source have many different sizes to choose from. The great build quality and design will be the same so we encourage you to browse the entire catalogue before committing. But for the ILPS, the fact that at 2L capacity the bladder is considerably thinner is a pro for me. Also, the width is great as I hate big bulges in a pack. Extra width ensures the ruck is balanced laterally, spreading weight evenly over both shoulders.
Source is a company who are producing great products and I plan to purchase more from them in the future. The ILPS is a great example of their flagship hydration bladder and would recommend it to anybody looking to invest a little more than usual for a top quality product.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Tough Materials | Could be too wide for some packs and configurations |
| Great design | |
| Interchangeable and customisable parts | |
| Expandable by using other water systems | |
| Different hose colour options |
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