I bought an EXO plate carrier and found that every hydration bladder I owned would hang over the bottom, making vehicle entries/exit a small nightmare. When I found the Tidepool, I ordered it to give it a shot. I wasn't wrong. The zippered clamshell design made it easy to access the bladder (no stuffing it down a long carrier). The storage pocket on the outside it great for storing smaller items, though you probably want to limit it to flatter items. Definitely recommend this bladder carrier.

To be honest, when I first found the Tidepool hydro carrier online I was not quite sure to expect. Seeing as it is recommended for vehicle operators I figured I would give it a shot seeing as convoy operations are the majority of the work I do. I purchased the tan one for my MBSS training rig so that I could put it through the motions in the harsh Chihuahua desert and Oregon mountains of West Texas. My first thought when I had it in hand was how well it is constructed. It is made of very sturdy nylon that is well stitched, especially at stress points. The bladder is a 1.5L bladder so it holds a reasonable amount of fluid without it becoming overwhelming or weighing down the rear panel of my plate carrier. The bladder is also well constructed and mouthpiece seems like it will take some abuse. It comes with an insulated over for the hydration hose which to me is an added bonus. I've run this through a few training sessions with no issues thus far and it is a vast improvement over my Tactical Tailor hydro carrier in terms of comfort when mounted up in a vehicle. Overall I give this little hydro carrier a 10 out of 10... I like it so much I just ordered a black one for my work rig and I'm ditching my Tactical Tailor hydro carrier from my kit.