hydration packs

[jmegillon149]

my camelbak has started to leak, does anyone have any other brands to reccomend that seem to be durable. I don't want to waste my money replacing - but going back to bottles - no thanks!

 

[David Metsky]

Camelback is the most durable I've found. I figure that replacing the bag once every 2-3 years is a small price to pay for the convenience. The bare bladders are fairly cheap.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

My cycling Camelbak is 10 or 11 years old now. Granted I don't use it all that often, mostly skiing in the winter, but it is still quite serviceable. It is a 70oz bladder.

My hiking one is < 18 months, so the jury is still out. Personally, I expect things to last longer than that, and will take advantage of the EMS return policy if it dies in what I consider a premature time frame.

Tim

 

[dentonfabrics]

Have you taken a close look at the bag? I had an incident where I thought the bag was leaking from the lid, only to notice that there's a thin white grommet that needs to be perfectly positioned right up against the top to ensure a good seal.

Also, condensation is always an issue on warm days, esp if you pack the bladder with ice cubes.


bob

 

[cbcbd]

IMO in my experience, all my bags have eventually leaked, being Camelbak or Platypus (haven't tried the Nalgene bladders).

Have you had it for less than 2 years? Here is Camelbak's warranty from their website:
"CamelBak Products warrants the products which is manufactures to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of two years from the date of purchase...
During the two year warranty period, CamelBak will repair or replace, at its option, only the defective part of the pack, reservoir, BiteValve or outer pack at no additional charge"

For US warranty services please contact CamelBak directly either by e-mail, phone, or fax:
[email protected]
800-767-8725 ext 234
fax: 707-665-9231


Even if you do get something else you could always send this one in to get replaced...why not.

 

[urbanRecon]

I have 2 nalgenes - a 3L Rapid Fill and a 2L Big Bore. My only problem was a leak in the valve - which was caused by the small O ring for the valve popping off. I actually found the O ring and have had no problems since. I also bought the insulator sleeves which help keep the water cool in the summer. Buy the big bore sleeve no matter what - I see no use for the Super D sleeves.
http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=25
http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=27

On a personal note - after I had my leak - which I discovered on the trail - I have decided to go 1/2 hydration, 1/2 bottles. Luckily my buddy had a couple bottles so we could salvage my water at the time. Also, as stated in a previous post, there will be condensation due to ice cubes too. I think that's true no matter what you go with.

I can personally recommend nalgene - I have had mine for 2 complete seasons now.

 

[TCD]

I also carry a bottle as a "reserve tank," partly in case of hydration system failure, and partly because it's hard to keep track of how far through the water you are, and it's nice to have a back up when you run dry.

I've had good luck with Platypus; the failures I've had have been the usual Platypus "wrinkle/flex crack." I don't think any brand is perfect.

(The other failure mode I've had is due to my idiot cat, who will bite holes in the hoses if they are left unattended for even a minute. I discovered that on the trail one day, as water was dripping down my side. I examined the hose and found the pinholes of a cat bite pattern. I then took the ruined hose and left it out, and watched him bite it. He can't stop himself; it's like he's in a trance.)

TCD

 

[DougPaul]

(The other failure mode I've had is due to my idiot cat, who will bite holes in the hoses if they are left unattended for even a minute. I discovered that on the trail one day, as water was dripping down my side. I examined the hose and found the pinholes of a cat bite pattern. I then took the ruined hose and left it out, and watched him bite it. He can't stop himself; it's like he's in a trance.)

Maybe there is some interesting chemical in the plastic...

Or have you been putting catnip in your water?

Doug

 

[Neil]

I've had my share of leaky hydration units. I used to shove them in my pack any old way and never thought about them until they leaked.

Now I carefully slide them into the hydration sleeves of my packs and treat the bladder-hose junction with TLC. I'm using an MSR heavy-duty 4 litre unit that I recently bought.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Speaking of running dry -- For the first time ever, I drained the whole 3L pack - on top of Field on Saturday. For most hikes in the 10 mi / 3000-3500' range, I would never drain all 3L. I usually take the 3L in the bladder and a liter of Gatorade. This time I took the 3L bladder + 1L Nalgene with 50/50 water/Gatorade. I finished that on Avalon, within 30 minutes of the parking lot.

Everything was super-saturated on Saturday - the air, me, my clothes, ... very hard to get evaporative cooling.

If my 3L bladder failed near the start, I would have to turn around. One of these days I will get a pump/filtration system. Meanwhile, I do check all the connections, and put pressure on the system (weight) after filling it and before leaving the house, to check for leaks, or potential bursting.

Tim

 

[sapblatt]

Never had an issue with my 3L Camelback - about 2 years old - it is the insulated one, which may protect the bag a bit more. I usually carry the bladder, not always full with water, and I also carry a one liter Nalgene with Gatorade and as a backup - I figure they have a much lower failure rate, and they are easier to filter into with my filter (it attaches.)

I do carry a backup bitevalve (they come off easy) and have it pretty quickly accessible, and I have been meaning to get a back up lid for a Nalgene, as I have had one of those fail, although that was back in the day when I attached them with carabiners to my pack - it got caught and went carrening off Cannon Mountain...still there as far as I know.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I do carry a backup bitevalve (they come off easy)

This is a good idea. I've gotten away with it because I always have the hydrolock valve between the bladder tube and the bite valve. It helps reduce leakage during transport, serves to stop the flood if you lose the bite valve, and it turns the valve 90 degrees making it easier to use. Probably the best hydration accessory available, IMO.

Tim

 

[sapblatt]

This is a good idea. I've gotten away with it because I always have the hydrolock valve between the bladder tube and the bite valve. It helps reduce leakage during transport, serves to stop the flood if you lose the bite valve, and it turns the valve 90 degrees making it easier to use. Probably the best hydration accessory available, IMO.

Tim

That is a good idea - I will get one...

 

[erugs]

The Hydrolock has saved me from loss of water, too. I also recommend not having just one water container, and have decided it is a good idea if one of them fits a water filter, even if I'm not carrying mine. I have learned to be careful when tightening the lid of my Camelback, but still have accidents from time to time. An addition to my pack, based on several experiences this summer, is to carry chemical treatment, especially when traveling lightly. I was sitting on the Wonderland Trail a few weeks ago, about to dip my empty water bladder into a stream, untreated, when a Trail Angel came along and treated my water along with hers so I didn't have to tempt fate.