The Wadi 15 is the most expensive pack on test but in spite of the price it’s the most fiddly to fill. Funnelling two litres of water through a hole the size of a 10p piece and then positioning the bladder correctly in the bag is a bigger pain in the arse than the subsequent 50-mile cycle. That said, the bite-piece is well made and the pack feels sturdy on the back.

It should come as no surprise that this pack from the original hydration pack brand – invented 15 years ago by a paramedic and keen cyclist using an IV bag filled with water and sock sewn to a T-shirt – outperforms all the other packs on test. It’s easy to fill and it allows you to suck up water easily. The reservoir fits perfectly into the outer bag, so it doesn’t get creased and limit water intake.

Although it’s light and fairly easy to fill, the Fresh Pow lacks the strong support that some of the other packs have. It also has a stopper rather than a screw fitting on the bladder, which worked fine during the test but could pop out with more rigorous use. A plus point, however, is that the water pipe tucks itself nicely out of the way.

The DaKine is easy to fill and has strong support at the back, though for some reason it isn’t quite as strong as the company’s renowned backpack range. The water pipe attaches neatly to the arm of the rucksack when not in use, so it doesn’t flap around or end up tying you to your handlebars mid-bike ride.

While the Bullhead has good support and fits nicely on the back, the tube gets twisted easily, which makes it difficult to suck up any water. The only solution is to take the bladder out of the pack regularly and straighten the tube, which rather defeats the purpose of a hydration pack. On the plus side, the bladder is easy to fill and clean, the bite-piece works well and the mesh arm straps are great for keeping you cool on summer bike rides.

The only pack in the test to come with a space for a water reservoir but not actually include one. In some ways this is a good thing, because it avoids the pitfalls of bag manufacturers making low-quality bladders and vice versa, and Berghaus has stuck to what it’s best at – making quality rucksacks. It also means that if your bladder gets mouldy you can just buy a new one. The downsides are that you’re paying £35 for half of a functioning product.