frozen hydration systems

[hardrain]

I was out this past weekend in sub-zero weather and the straw to my camel back froze up solid. Is there any way to use these things in this weather?

 

[Tom]

There are insulating covers for the hose, and cold-weather bite valves. Sometimes just blowing the water back into the bag helps, but don't blow too much or you will pressurize the bladder and teh water will come whooshing out at you.

I've found hydrators to be more trouble than their worth in very cold weather. With a wide mouth Nalgene, you can punch through the ice that forms on top and get a nice ice-cold drink when you need it. Keeping you second bottle in the pack helps slow down its rate of freezing.

Tom

 

[lumberzac]

I’ve heard adding Gator-aid powder to the water helps. It lowers the freezing point of the water a little. In the winter I generally do what Tom does though.

 

[Barry Sr]

I’ve heard adding Gator-aid powder to the water helps. It lowers the freezing point of the water a little. In the winter I generally do what Tom does though.

Try vodka

I usually keep it a bit closer to me (under my clothes) and keep the nozzle inside as well. I also back drain it after every sip as much as I can.

On the Nalgene idea, if you carry it upside down, it will not need ice breaking as it freezes from the top down.

 

[Stan]

Whenever I've have the chance I warm up the water before putting it in the bottle and I use an OR insulated bag to carry it. A nice treat as long as you have hot water is to add a tea bag to the bottle along with some honey.

For additional hydration on day hikes I've often packed a small thermos with either hot tea or chocolate. I learned that it stays HOT a long time and you can imagine my surprise, even some four cold hours later, when I took a long draft out of the thermos and felt like my lungs were being scalded.

 

[IndianChris]

Barry Sr - Great idea with carrying the bottle upside down. I'll do that this weekend.

 

[David Metsky]

I've never found a way to guarentee that a Camelback won't freeze up. I use Nalgene's for this reason in winter.

-dave-

 

[Jay H]

Adding salt to water will make the water freeze at a very slightly lower temperature but probably not that noticeable and you'll have salty water to drink.

Jay

 

[Mountainhound]

what i did is cut a old wool sock wraped it around the hose and duck taped it seems to work.

 

[Johnnycakes]

There was another thread (maybe two threads) on this not too long ago. I had completely dismissed the idea of using my hydration bladder in the winter until I read this thread. Thanks to some great advice from Michael M, I had what I would definitely call success using my bladder this past Saturday (high temperature of around -8 F). I was out for just under 4 hours.

As Michael M (and others) said, the key is to drain the water out of the tube immediately after taking a drink. You must do this every time. It is not a hard habit to get into. In fact, I didn't forget once. I took Michael M's advice and did the Statue of Liberty salute (holding the bite valve open above my head for about 5-10 seconds) to ensure that all of the water drained back into the hydration bladder inside my backpack. I then flicked to valve to the off position. The tube never froze on me, but the mouthpiece did. The fluid doesn't seem to want to drain completely out of the mouth piece. But, this situation was easily remedied by keeping the mouthpiece down the front of my jacket. By the end of my hike, I discovered that I could simply place the mouthpiece in the zippered pocket of my jacket and accomplish the same thing.

Michael's suggestion was to use a Camelback with an uninsulated tube so that you could verify that the tube has drained completely, so that's what I used. I still bring a liter of hot water in a water bottle inside my pack just in case.

John

 

[TomEske]

I'm not a hydration pack guy, I use the platypus bottles because yous can take several and they take almost no room when empty. However, the new Campmor catalog arrived today and I see that they are now making "low profile" hydration units that go UNDER yout outer shel and are insulated. They also have and insulated tube. Used together with the "blow out the tube" methos (which I think is a really neat idea) you should have a happy and hydrated hike.
Last year we spent a day out with the Scouts in about 10 degree weather and one of the other adults was bemoaning his hydration problems. This year it will be nice to pass on some solutions to him.
Man this is a smart group!
Tom

 

[twigeater]

I use a small bladder (35oz) and keep it between my shirts along with my lunch. I don't drink enough using nalgenes cause I'm too lazy to stop and get 'em out.

 

[Doc McPeak]

Johnnycakes, I've been sliding my camelbak (actually my Dana hydro-widget) down inside those huge interior pockets in the Ice Floe. I keep the tube inside and fish it out to drink and have had no problems so far... though it's only been down to 15* or so. I drink alot of water and bring a pair of nalgenes (boiling water) in coolies in my pack. My new trick is to bury one in the snow (great insulator) for the walk out... like one at the bottom of Calkins Brook, the other at Bradley Pond. Still warm when I dug them out... and the pack felt great heading uphill without them.

I do look five months pregnant but it goes with the blush in my cheeks.

 

[Remix]

I stuff a few hand warmers in between the insulation layer and the water bladder and keep the pocket opening well sealed while I travel. At night, it goes in the bottom of the sleeping bag. I have had pretty good luck, but both my camelback and nalgene bottles have frozen. Also, at the end of the winter, all the grocery stores seem to mark down the hand warmers to 10 cents, so its economical for me after I buy a box of 48.

When a camelback freezes, the lid becomes impossible to take off.
Pouring hot water on it is the quickest way to get into the bladder.

Not only must you blow the water back into the bladder to prevent the hose from freezing, but installing a positive cutoff valve helps to prevent water from making its way back into the hose.

Water left in the mouthpiece will freeze, but is not a problem if you put the moutpiece in your mouth.

Never completely fill a bladder in the winter. Leave space to pour in hot water to begin thawing. Same idea for bottles. Bottles go into an insulated sack upside down.

Working with frozen nalgene bottles is easier.

The bottom line is that both systems freeze, but I think you will use less fuel thawing nalgene bottle contents.

YMMV

 

[Tahawus]

I picked up the statue of liberty trick on this forum a few months ago and it works real well. A few times the mouth piece has frozen but i have a Platypus and the mouthpiece slids on and off without too much trouble. I also always fill up my bladder or bottle with warm water. On a cold day in the woods a little warm water doesnt bother me at all.

Maybe i should fill up with hot tea and by the end of the day I would have Ice Tea.

 

[Michael M]

See J Cakes

We bivied on the Donaldson ridge last WE 30-40 below. We all used CBs, only our newbie (first trip) had a freezing problem. She used an insulated CBs which buys about 2 minutes at this temp, keep the hose empty and it really works.


MM

 

[Mr. X]

This may sound dumb, but might adding vodka to the water act as a non toxic anti-freeze? I'm not talking a mixed drink here, but a verry small amount. I'm curious if it would even work. I know the water may end up nasty tasting though.

 

[Tahawus]

I don't think the issue would be the water tasting nasty rather it would be the vodka tasting nasty. Anyway if you are going to mix with water wouldn't scotch be a better choice?

 

[Mr. X]

Possibly scotch would be better. I'm going to test this tonight and give a "Mr. X exclusive" on the results.

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

Blow/Statue of Liberty method to keep hydration straws from freezing. During the Statue of Liberty salute, squeeze the mouthpiece to equalize the pressure, then hold mouthpiece down (still while squeezing) to drain the mouthpiece. Only problem I've had is trying to unscrew the cap of the bladder (it is always frozen), which means I can't refill it.

I keep addt'l nalgene bottles in my sleeping bag within my backpack (assume parka, etc. would also work). They've never frozen that way.