The US Army Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment (MOLLE) was the most prominent advancement in individual kit for the US Army soldier. The MOLLE brought hands-free drinking to the US Armed Services. Hands-free drinking consists of a collapsible water bladder with a tube and bite valve that the user lightly bites to allow the flow of water while he sips to stay hydrated. In the 1980s and early 1990s, before the use of commercial tube hydration systems, resourceful US soldiers converted the flexible 2-quart canteen into a tube hydration system by connecting a tube to the NBC cap. This had limitations. It did not provide an adequate volume of water through the tube, and the tube did not have a user-friendly bite valve or an on/off switch.

One of the first, and best-known, commercial hands-free drinking systems was the Camelbak. The Camelbak company was founded in 1989.³ The first CamelBak products proved to be very popular among mountain bikers and motocross riders, because they allowed them to drink without taking their hands off the handlebars in technical terrain. The product began to cross over into other sports, and soldiers began purchasing them with their own money.