How to add hydration port to Zpacks Ultra 100x pack

Use a soldering iron or anything else that’s round and you can get hot.  Melt a hole through it.

Try it on your old pack or a piece of fabric first.

You could put a reinforcing patch first.

I’ve done that with gromets before.

Thanks, Jerry. Melting is a great idea. I will need a pretty bug hole, at least 1/2″, so I don’t know about a soldering iron. Maybe I could punch a hole, and then run a soldering iron around the edge. AND add a grommet.

Use a Shepard’s hook heated up and to round it out. I wasn’t going to say it though. I’m glad Jerry did. It’s self healing.

Heat sealing to reduce fraying is a great idea.

Google

To melt a clean, fray-free hole in Ultra 200X fabric for a hose, you must use a controlled heat source like a soldering iron or a heated metal tube because the woven Ultra high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polyester fibers will instantly fray if cut with standard scissors.

🛠️ Required Tools
Soldering iron with a pointed or conical tip (or a metal pipe/socket heated with a torch matching your hose diameter).
Scrap piece of wood to place underneath the fabric as a backing surface.
Masking tape to prevent fabric distortion.
Respirator mask and a well-ventilated workspace (melting synthetic fabric creates toxic fumes).

📋 Step-by-Step Instructions
Mark the spot: Place a piece of masking tape over the area. Mark the exact center and diameter of your hose hole on the tape.
Prepare the backing: Place the scrap wood directly underneath the marked fabric. Ensure the fabric lies completely flat against the wood.
Heat the tool: Heat your soldering iron completely. If using a metal pipe, heat the edge evenly with a torch using pliers to hold it safely.
Pierce the fabric: Press the hot tip straight down through the center mark. Press firmly until you hit the wood backing.
Enlarge the hole: Work the hot iron outward in a circular motion to melt the fabric up to your marked diameter. The heat will melt and fuse the Ultra 200X fibers together, creating a sealed, hardened edge that cannot unravel.
Test the fit: Let the edge cool for 30 seconds. Peel away the masking tape and push your hose through to check the clearance.

If you want to ensure the hole never stretches or tears under heavy use, I can show you how to reinforce it. Let me know:

Maybe put a dcf patch over the spot first for reinforcement

That sounds plausible to do with a soldering iron, to melt a small hole and then gradually enlarge it. It wouldn’t be perfectly circular, but that really doesn’t matter.

I’ve done it with a stake. I use a hot butter knife to cut strap which seals the ends. I don’t feel I have the expertise to tell someone how to poke a hole in their expensive new pack. I usually wait a year before modifying. That way it’s no longer new. Time to think about it.

I’ve done that before – circular motion to enlarge hole – that works pretty good.

If you do that rather than cutting hole first, then there will be excess material around the perimeter making it a little stronger

The melted fabric doesn’t have the same strength.  It can crack or whatever.

I thought a small DCF patch or tape on both sides might strengthen it a bit. Then I remembered I have a couple extra laying around. Easy enough to slip in an envelope. Send a DM if you want them.

Thank you for the kind offer, @terran. I also have some of those patches for repairs.

I had reached out to customer service at Zpacks about this, and they put me in touch with Joe Valesko, owner/founder of the company.

[Note: Joe was also very helpful to me a few years ago when I reached out regarding adding snaps to their classic sleeping pad to use it as a quilt with their elastic strap. He told me exactly how to do it, including Amazon links for the specific snaps and crimp tool.]

Firstly, Joe confirmed that they do recommend running the tube out through the roll-top of the pack. He indicated that he tried it personally and felt that it worked adequately. I am going to load up the pack and try it again this week. I ordered the accessories that allow you to clip the roll-top ends to the sides of the pack instead of doubling them back over the top, to see if that helps. I don’t know why I am finding it so difficult if other people can do it. To be fair, I saw a short r/ultralight thread on the same topic, and a couple of other people were having the same trouble and looking for alternatives.

Regarding making a hole, here were his comments:

Ultra fabric doesn’t fray or tear easily. If you are intent on cutting a hole, you could probably just cut a slit anywhere without bothering to reinforce it. You could also add a reinforcement patch on the interior before you cut it, if you want to.

Adhesive won’t stick well to the exterior of the material, so if you want to put a cover over your hole you would be better off sewing on the cover, and taping the stitching on the inside.

So it seems that melting the fabric or using a grommet is unnecessary. The information about a cover was helpful, because I had been considering using Tenacious Tape to attach a piece of waterproof fabric loosely over the hole. But sewing a small cover, and sealing with DCF tape inside, is easy enough.

Or use a water bottle hydration tube and keep it on the outside

Yes, that was one of the suggestions in the reddit thread. IIRC, one user even managed to put a reservoir in a side pocket. An advantage would be that you could see how much water is left in the container. But hanging it inside the pack right next to your back is good for balancing weight.

I have never used a bottle with a hydration tube. I assume you need to hold the bottle in an inverted position.

No need to invert: just run the tube down to the bottom of the bottle.

No need to invert: just run the tube down to the bottom of the bottle.

Got it, makes sense. I didn’t realize that the tube inserted that way. I was imagining a bottle top with a hose nipple.

GGG

Maybe I will give the bottle idea a try. I do like to carry 1.5-2L, but I can easily do that with two bottles.

Or an Evernew pouch.

I took my calipers to the hardware store and matched the OD of tubing to the ID of a sports bottle cap. Instant sip tube.

Buying a kit gives you more features, such as quick disconnects and bite valves.

In freezing weather I prefer to let (or force) the tube to drain so that it doesn’t freeze.