Minimal Gear offered me VectoPlus for an honest review. I used it in three different ways in the last few weeks, and I just got back home. Here’s my honest review.
1) Car travel. I live in the US, and I HATE paying for water. Most tap water is drinkable. The VectoPlus allows me to fill up & have water on-hand while I travel locally or out of town. I usually have bottles rolling around in my truck and am always unsure how much water I have in each. With VectoPlus I can fill this up & leave it on the backseat. It’s clear so I can see how much water is left. It’s also lightweight (4L is 5.4oz), leakproof & easy to use/refill. I don’t question its durability because I dropped it while full (accidentally) on the asphalt, and it had no damage or leaks. Oh, and the carrying handle is much appreciated. The money I saved NOT buying water while I drove 2000 miles in the last few weeks made it worth it.
3) Backpacking. I backpacked in the desert for a few days. Carrying water in dry regions is essential when hiking. I prefilled the VectoPlus with potable water & carried it in my backpack. With my VectoPlus full (4L) it weighed over 8lbs. That is quite a bit of weight. The fact that VectoPlus is lightweight, leak-proof and pliable makes it the perfect way to carry water in a pack. I compared my VectoPlus to another popular water bag and the VectoPlus is lighter, cheaper and much easier to pack. The other one is too stiff, and you really have to move things in your pack to make it work. One person in my group used a different brand and it leaked in his backpack.
3) Car camping. I have a couple of Vectos (smaller bags) and just like those the VectoPlus has a huge water catch opening on one end. I cannot explain to those who haven’t filtered water before what a huge help this is to keep the process streamlined and cleaner. I scooped up dirty water via the wide opening. I connected my Sawyer to the 28mm opening and was able to filter water just as easily as my regular Vecto. I have a couple of Gear Ties from CNOC that I used on the ends of the VectoPlus to hang the water bag upside down to filter into a bottle.
I’d like to suggest to Minimal Gear some add-on attachments ideas: 1) a custom hanging cord/hook for those looking to use something sturdier to hang their bag. I only have 4L bag (8lbs). The bigger bags will need more heft to hold them up. Also, consider a way to hang the bag in a car (like off the passenger handles) for car camping and/or travel; 2) a water dispenser attachment (like the one on coolers with the button). This would make it easier to pour water into a bottle when traveling. 3) An attachment with different flow options (drip, stream, flow, etc.) for dry & low water backpacking areas to conserve water. 4) Lastly, some guy on YouTube created a Quick Connect for his water bag & his filter. That would be awesome to have that made professionally.
I really believe this bag is such a great idea and will really help hikers on trails like the PCT where it’s dry. It’s my go-to vehicle water carrier and I’ll be getting another (bigger?) bag.
Thanks for letting me test this out. I’m impressed again by another great CNOC product.
