USWE Airborne 9 Hydration Back Pack
With Action Cam Harness

Riders may be in search of a bounce-free, form-fitting hydration pack that has the compatibility to mount an action camera, but which companies are answering this call? Developed and tested with top-performing athletes and weekend warriors since 2007, USWE (pronounced “you-swee”) answers to all in the ridepack search party. USWE’s mission from day one has been to design packs with a comfortable fit so riders feel like they’re wearing nothing at all. With that being the case, we couldn’t wait to see how this pack held up against other packs featuring hydration, storage and camera-mounting solutions.

Tech features:

The Airborne 9 pack features an innovative, 100-percent bounce-free, four-point harness system. This patented harness technology means no “Dancing Monkey.” This daypack is made to carry your gear and hydration while you’re crushing the trails. It uses max airflow, high-ventilated shoulder straps and a back panel with anti-slip ridges for better contact with the rider’s back. Inside the main compartment is a clever compression sleeve to secure the 3-liter hydration bladder with a slide-seal top and a plug-’n’-play coupling. To keep the drink tube in a secure, easily accessible position, USWE has upgraded the latest Airborne with a strong magnetic tube clip. Furthermore, the total storage capacity of the pack—9 liters—is distributed among eight storage pockets. This includes a smart organizer pocket that prompts a rider to keep everything tidy and in position for easy access.

Bonus round! The pack includes several smart attachment points for a helmet and knee/elbow pads. Best of all, attaching the optional action camera harness will allow riders to capture moments of on-board riding footage.

On the trail: 

The Airborne 9 pack falls into the midsize trail-pack category and held everything we needed (and then some) inside. Having space to organize, we were able to pack enough essentials to solve most typical trail-side problems. The included, easy-to-use, easy-to-clean, 3-liter bladder held more than enough water for all-day trips. The action camera harness was comfortable and functional. The raw footage from our GoPro 7 was bounce-free and crisp. We quickly realized the camera harness being integrated into the four-point system was the key to the sharp footage.

One downside we found with the action camera harness is that it could use a bit more ventilation, as it blocks direct airflow to your chest. Regardless, the mounting plate does provide a solid connection to help minimize camera-shake when recording. Our testers agree that this pack would be ideal for the full-day adventure rider looking to carry a large volume of water, pack all necessary tools and gear, and film his or her trail journey.