Leaky hydration units.

[DougPaul]

That may be, Giggy, but they're heavier. Now I generally use one Nalgene so that if I need to filter water the units will fit but I also use several Rubbermaid bottles. They're light, made of a "greener" plastic, and cost a lot less than Nalgene. They've held up perfectly, too.

Summer bottles don't have to be heavy. I bought a 6/8 pack of soda and use the bottles for hiking. Very light and adequately robust. (Bottled water bottles seem to be much more fragile.)

Doug

 

[erugs]

I use these light-weight bottles year-round for day hikes and haven't had trouble. I've even frozen them to have cooler liquid during the afternoon on hot summer hikes.

 

[Mr. X]

Usually I use bottles but recently used my Camelback on an extended backpack. No leakage problems, but I used iodine to treat some questionable water and now can taste the iodine w/every filling! Anyone know of a way to get rid of the taste??

Try a mixture of vinegar and water, fill and leave over night. I also found that for storage, to avoid mildew etc I throw my empty bladder in the freezer.

-X

 

[Neil]

I went to Camelbak's site and it looks like they sell packs integrated with bladders. I just want a 3 liter bladder. Since I already have the hose and bite valve for the MSR maybe I'll just get another expendable MSR bladder but maybe choose one from their tougher line of bags.

I think I spent as much time checking out $30 hydration units as I spent researching $1000 refridgerators. It's good to know I have my priorities nice and straight. BTW, my lawn is dying. Why is that?

 

[DougPaul]

BTW, my lawn is dying. Why is that?

Your hydration bladder isn't leaking enough?

Doug

 

[sapblatt]

Love the Camelback - no bad taste, no leaks yet...
Nalgenes weigh 6-8 oz empty...Gatorade bottles work well and weigh less than half that...
My Camelback does not work so well with my filter so if i will be filtering I take an empty Nalgene...
I rinse out the Camelback after each hike with hot water, scrub the bite valve and fill it with cool water and baking soda until the next hike - been working well...

 

[keepin' on]

Usually I use bottles but recently used my Camelback on an extended backpack. No leakage problems, but I used iodine to treat some questionable water and now can taste the iodine w/every filling! Anyone know of a way to get rid of the taste??

this will kill the bacteria and any odor http://shop.piwine.com/shopsite/prwc/product92.html

I like my Camelbak and have had no problems with it (I've had it for 2+ years). Though I have not had any issue with my Platypus it looks to be seriously lacking in the strength and durability department...it just looks and feels cheap....

 

[jbreen]

Originally Posted by keepin' on
this will kill the bacteria and any odor http://shop.piwine.com/shopsite/prwc/product92.html

I first started to use that to sterilize beer bottles for homebrew, then needed it for a forgotten Camelback. I can vouche that it works well.

I remember a few years back some mag (Backpacker?) drove a small car over various bladders and I think the Camelback came out on top. I guess if I ever get struck by a car hiking, that wetness I feel will not be my drinking water.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I went to Camelbak's site and it looks like they sell packs integrated with bladders. I just want a 3 liter bladder. Since I already have the hose and bite valve for the MSR maybe I'll just get another expendable MSR bladder but maybe choose one from their tougher line of bags.

I think I spent as much time checking out $30 hydration units as I spent researching $1000 refridgerators. It's good to know I have my priorities nice and straight. BTW, my lawn is dying. Why is that?

Neil - Watch for sales on small packs. Often they come with a hydration bladder already, so you get a bladder AND pack for the same $$ or only slightly more.

 

[RGF1]

Usually I use bottles but recently used my Camelback on an extended backpack. No leakage problems, but I used iodine to treat some questionable water and now can taste the iodine w/every filling! Anyone know of a way to get rid of the taste??

Possibly using a very mild detegent and soaking it over night or longre . in warm war. then rinsing it repeatedly to get rid of saod residue .

It seems to get rid of fuel odrss in thoise containers an has cleaed oput other stuff so i can use it to hold something to eat or drink just a guess
ifall else fails get a new baldder fro the camelback

 

[JohnL]

I've used Camelback's for about 5 seasons now with no problems other than operator errors. Rinse them, wash them, rinse them again and throw them in the freezer. Fresh as can be! Whatever minimal inconvenience there may be in preparation is more than made up for with convenience on the trail. IMHO

JohnL

 

[Neil]

Camelbak is obviously choice #1 on this forum. Do you all carry a Camelbak bladder in your pack or do you all have packs that are manufactured by Camelbak?

 

[nancy]

I've always used Platys and yes, eventually they wear out like everything else in this world. But I have sent the problem children back and received replacements, often the newer model for no charge. The zip tops work for me. Easier to clean. Camelbacks taste bad.

 

[KMartman]

Camelbacks taste bad.

I agree...but they are the strongest...I am going back to bottles personally...

M

 

[spencer]

Though my experience doesn't differ significantly, I'll chime in...

I've had two platyp(i?) crack.

I have a few different size CBs and have never had any problems with them (they range in age from <1 to >6 years). None of them ever tasted bad until I put idodine in them. I try to hold out but inevitably I end up needing some water when I'm without my pump. Just last weekend, I had to put iodine in my 100oz which I was hoping to keep pure.

Stinky, if you keep telling yourself you like iodine, the taste kind of goes away

I don't ever freeze them (although it sounds like a good idea) but I do wash them out and hang them inside out to dry after each use. I never put any drink powder in them.

For each bite valve I've lost or ripped, I've found another one along the trail. Good karma, I suppose.

spencer

 

[five_head]

Camelback

I've been using a Camelback for a few years now with no bladder leakage. The only area that I have seen leakage is from the on/off valve. I noticed a small crack in the valve that caused it to leak. A quick replacement and it was good as new.

 

[jbreen]

Originally Posted by Neil
Do you all carry a Camelbak bladder in your pack or do you all have packs that are manufactured by Camelbak?

I have a Jansport Couloir (discontinued model) that came with a mesh sleeve that fits the 3L camelback quite well. My wife's pack, without the sleeve has been adapted to use the camelback that comes in a sleeve with d-rings to attach it, I think they call it the unBottle. It seems flop around more than I would prefer, but she likes the pack and prefers the camelback to bottles.
Both packs have bottle pockets so that option is always available.

 

[smitty77]

Camelbak is obviously choice #1 on this forum. Do you all carry a Camelbak bladder in your pack or do you all have packs that are manufactured by Camelbak?

Both.

I wanted a bladder for by big daypack, and Campmor had a Camebak HAWG hydration pack on sale for $55, so I bought it since I was also in "desperate need" of a smaller daypack. The first few times I used it the water tasted like plastic. Initially I thought it was picking up the taste because I was filling the bladder the night before a hike. I tried filling it just before leaving the house but the result was the same. It's getting better with each use, and I'll try the vinegar trick tonight. So far no leaks.

I bought my dad the UnBottle for x-mas one year. He said it works well. The outer sleeve gives you another layer of protection from other objects in your pack.

 

[JohnL]

Camelbak is obviously choice #1 on this forum. Do you all carry a Camelbak bladder in your pack or do you all have packs that are manufactured by Camelbak?

I have the Camelback pack with the 100 oz bladder. It is my pack of choice for the summer. It has enough room for my requirements on long (20+ miles) trips and is small enough to be quite comfortable. It works quite nicely for me. YMMV.

JohnL

 

[darren]

Do you all carry a Camelbak bladder in your pack or do you all have packs that are manufactured by Camelbak?

Like smitty said, it depends on what pack I need. If I need a medium or big pack, I put my camelbak bladder in the pack. Most new packs come "hydration ready". Also like smitty, I have an old Jansport mid size pack with a mesh sleeve that takes the bladder nicely.

If i am going for a dayhike and I'm leaving the camera gear at home, I just use my camelbak blowfish pack. It holds 100 oz and with a zipper expansion can hold either ~450 cu in or 750 cu in. Plenty of room for a fleece shirt, lightweight shell, food, map, compass, even a hat and gloves. That's all you need. The pack is a lot lighter than most small "hiking" day packs and the blatter is much lighter than the 3 nalgene bottles you would need and it a lot more comfy on your back too. A lot easier to drink from the hose on the fly than to break out the bottles too.

The camelbak HAWG that smitty mentioned is a pretty good pack too. It is a little bigger than I need for a dayhike or mtn bike, but it would be good if you want to bring a little more than the blowfish. I think it holds about 1000 cu in.

Winter is time to break out the bottles though. Of course I don't need to worry about that now.

- darren

ps: Just saw that Bike Nashbar is having the deal of the century on the camelbak blowfish:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=16983&storetype=estore&estoreid=668&pagename=

It's the '05 model for $48 plus you get the $20 cleaning kit for free. Not bad. The only thing is that I have an old blowfish and they used to have a mesh pocket with a sinching strap on the back. It is a nice place to quickly store a shell or whatever. The new packs dont have the mesh pocket any more (for the last 4 or 5 years anyway). It's still a good pack though. I like the way it expands so I can use it for summer and fall / mtb ride or hike.