TESTED: Thule Rail 8L

Words: Will Shaw

Photos: TBS

In some circles, hydration packs are frowned upon as a fashion faux pax. When you ride a good one like the Thule Rail 8L though, you remember how handy it is to have everything in one place.

As the name suggests, the Thule Rail 8L is a hydration pack with 8L of storage. The pack also features a 2.5L reservoir, Thule’s clever ReTrakt hose, a ton of storage options, and little details like reflective decals.  

Having everything in one spot is undeniably handy.

I used the Rail on our NSW Snowies road trip, and it was great to grab my pack and know I had enough water, snacks, and spares to ride for hours with no worries. Utilising frame storage, bibs with pockets, and strapping things to your bike is no doubt in vogue at the minute. Despite the cleaner aesthetic and lighter weight this can achieve, I find myself stuck trailside missing the one spare I need surprisingly often.

Grabbing a pack that definitely has your multi-tool, as well as a tube that hasn’t got a hole in it from rubbing against your frame for six months is one less thing to think about. You also never forget the little details, like a spare hanger and gear cable. The Rail even has little icons on the pockets to indicate what they were designed for, like a mini pump or C02 cartridges.

Another reason some people aren’t pack fans is due to their tendency to overheat. The Rail performs surprisingly well in this area. Whilst it’s not as cool as no pack at all, it’s up there in terms of the packs I have ridden with, and if you fill it full of icy water it stays even cooler. The sleeve between the bladder and your tools, food, and spares also does a good job of keeping moisture out of the front of the pack.

Another hurdle a good hydration pack needs to get over is weight distribution. There’s nothing worse than litres of water sloshing around, and a pack riding high on your back. The Rail does a great job of staying put, despite the standard looking two strap securing system. The pack does wrap around at the hips where the lower strap is connected. This keeps everything still when your body and bike are anything but on a rough descent. 

On the topic of staying put, the ReTrakt drinking hose uses a clever magnetic system to do exactly that. Other than not rattling around while you’re riding, it’s nice to let go of the mouthpiece and have it sling back into place without taking your hands off the handlebars.  

Another feature is the lash point for strapping pads, helmets, or removable chinbars to the pack. I used the lashes to attach my kneepads to the pack before big ascents, and they were unnoticeable on the way up.

The other neat feature is the two side pockets on the pack that you can access without taking the pack off. I was using one side for bars, and on longer rides I’d have a drink bottle of drink mix in the other. Whilst having the drink bottle poking into my side wasn’t the most comfortable, once I’d drunk the bottle I squeezed the air out and put it in the pack. In my mind the slight discomfort is worth it for the time saved cleaning the bladder.

In terms of pricing, at $219 the Rail 8L is in the ballpark with other name brand packs offering this amount of storage, such as the CamelBak T.O.R.O 8.

All in all, the Thule Rail 8L is a solid option for someone looking for a no fuss, well thought out hydration pack. It’s clever weight distribution, little touches like the ReTrakt hose, and ease of mind knowing you’ve got everything you need have me reaching for it regularly. 

RRP: $219

From: thule.com.au

Hits:

• Quite stable, with easy to access storage
• A place for everything
• Designed to carry protection for aggressive riding
• ReTrakt!

Misses:

• Someone might call the fashion police