The North Face Hammerhead - First Look

The Hammerhead, with 12 litres - nine litres of which is carrying capacity - is a nice compromise between a skinny standalone hydration pouch and a larger day-walking size. Since most packs these days feature hydration system compatibility as standard anyway, the TNF ones are aimed at fast movers like bikers, runners and lightpackers who want a complete package including the actual hydration system. But with modern equipment getting lighter and smaller all the time, there's no reason why you shouldn't use something like this for lightweight day walks in summer.

The other main component of the package is the 3-litre BL Nalgene hydration system. It's a completely new version and, as far as we know, the only way to get one in the UK is to buy a TNF pack. The bladder itself is made from a tough-feeling urethane-type plastic and has a big, Camelbak-Omega style screw-on lid that makes it easy to fill and clean the bladder.

The real departure though is a neat snap-on connection for the hose which allows you to remove the bladder from the pack without taking the hose off . It also makes for easier cleaning when needed. We've never come across a similar system and were initially a little suspicious of its integrity.

There's enough capacity for most users too and the external pockets and cargo net take care of overflow capably. The sternum strap buckle come emergency whistle makes a nice shrill noise too. It all feels nicely made and well put together and the burnt orange colour of our test pack - officially Sunlight Orange - was lovely.

We were a little dubious about the Nalgene hydration system and, in particular, the pug in and out tube junction. It's spring loaded so once you remove the tube, the valve seals the bladder. In practce its been fine and particularly handy for quick refills on the hill when you can remove the main bladder without having to re-thread the tube through it's locating straps. So far we've had no problems whatsoever with leakage, though the tube has self-detached under pressure a couple of times.

The bladder seems reasonable taste taint free so far and the thickish plastic seems good and durable. The bite valve is okay though still doesn't flow quite as freely as as the market-leading Camelbak version, you have to have it one way round for maximum efficiency. We appreciated the lock-off lever on the valve, which stops flow and prevents accidental discharge on your car seat, but again, it's not quite as good as Camelbak's version. That can be switched on or off with one hand, while the Nalgene version is a two-handed operation on the move. If you're really fussy, you could just switch the valve, though like we said, it still works reasonably well.

We're still not sure how well the perforated EVA foam back panels will work in really warm conditions, but we're cautiously optimistic and we like the colour a lot.

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