Hydration Tablets from U for You

If you're hot, sweaty, and on the move a lot, here's something new for you: tasty hydration tabs.

Sometimes I get some oddball samples of things to try out for this travel gear blog, but if they're fun, inexpensive, and have at least some application to moving around your state or the wide world, I'll test them out. Or I'll get some help from others to try them out, which is the case with these U hydration tablets from a company called nuun.

Think of these as a portable form of energy drink, and one that doesn't require throwing away cans or bottles. Each little tube has 16 tablets, each one good for a liter or so of water depending on how strong you want the taste. And in this case, you actually will want to taste them: the surprisingly yummy flavors are tangerine ginger, Goji berry green tea, and lemon chai. You pop in the tablet, it fizzes for a bit, then your bottle of water is transformed.

They contain lots of electrolytes and vitamins to replenish what you've lost on that long hike or bike ride. You'll get your zinc, your magnesium, your vitamin A, and a whole lot more. These would probably be good for jet lag too, with all the B vitamins. Almost no calories though, which puts them ahead of most commercial energy drinks that are full of sugar or corn syrup.

My wife is a personal trainer, so I had some people at her gym try these out, people who run marathons and triathalons while I watch football and drink beer. They universally gave the flavors a big thumbs up, though some wanted to dilute them more. Some of the testers got a boost from them, others preferred the heavier-duty stuff they normally use, but liked the convenience of this.

Get all the details at the U Hydration site, where you can buy a 3-pack of these (enough for 48 liters) for $24.

The tube is easy to pack and is made of recyclable plastic. And hey, the artwork is nice too.