Hydration Bladders - seeking opinions

[Dugan]

I recently purchased a new day pack that I'd like to add a hydration system to. It has a sleeve designed for that purpose. I don't know much about hydration systems. The features I know I'm interested in are: 1. a bladder that's in the >= 3 quart/liter range, 2. a valve that could be operated by hand so I could squirt water into my dog's mouth or dish, 3. durability, 4. price.

Can a bite valve be operated by hand?
What other features are useful/helpful?
Favorite brands?
Do they need to be cleaned? If so, how?

Thanks all!

 

[shadowcat]

hydration bladders

i have several that came with packs, but my most recent purchase is the camelback omega 100 oz for $29 or so. it comes with the tubing and a big-bite valve. (also comes in smaller sizes: check the web for the best prices;altrec, etc all carry the omega line) The Omega is particularily nice because it has an extra-wide opening so you can get your hand inside to clean it out really good.
i also suggest, if you snowshoe, that you pick up the insulated tube & mouthpiece later in the year. this will keep the water from freezing in the tube (the bladder shouldn't freeze while in your pack). i used mine all last winter and it worked great.
there's other brands out there but this is by far the best one as far as i'm concerned, it's fairly priced and it lasts so any extra expense is worth it.
re: the bite valve, yes you can squeeze it to get water out or just bite down on it as you walk, etc.
re: cleaning - with the omega it's not a problem as i stated above & yes keep them clean after every use, just like you would wash your water glass at home! you can buy various cleaning "kits" but so far i haven't found the expense necessary with the omega's ease of cleaning.
if you plan on taking your pup hiking, you could go thru water pretty fast using yours for the both of you. maybe you can get a small pack for him to carry some of his own???? i'm not to familiar w/ hiking w/dogs so others can better help you on that one.

 

[lumberzac]

1) Yes. Just squeeze the valve with your fingers
2) --
3) I like platypus after a bad experience with a camelback. Plus Cascade Designs customer service is top notch
4) To clean I leave a little bleach water in the bag and hose over night from time to time. This kills any nasties that may grow inside it.

 

[John S]

I use a 100 oz. Platypus. The bite valve can be operated by hand as long as it is beneath the level of the bag. Cleaning is not a problem but be aware that I only fill it with water. At home, I remove the bite valve, rinse it as best I can and let it dry. I shake out the hose and bag, hang the hose and place the bag on a windowsill between a window shade and a curtain where it is warm but shielded from direct UV. It dries in a day or two. I’ve had no mildew or other problems but probably should do a bleach rinse one of these days.

In addition to cleaning access, larger openings are desirable for adding ice cubes or filter attachments.

 

[Gris]

I'll 2nd the Playtpus Big-Zip hoser system, easy to fill & clean & doesn't leak if properly sealed. One other good thing about the Platy BZ, comes in diff size/width/lengths so if you measure your hydration sleeze you can usually find one that's a perfect fit!

 

[Rob S]

Here is a link to the Cascade Designs website for Platypus and here is another link to the Camelbak website.

I own both, and like both, for different reasons. But I will second lumberzac's endorsement for Cascade Designs customer service. A few months ago, I sent back an older model because it began leaking from a hose connection. They sent me a brand-new model absolutely free.

 

[Jay H]

Platypus bladders are good but they do wear out. Any creases over time/temperature will become brittle. I haven't had a failure yet but I'm a bit conservative and will replace them before I think they will give. Hate to have a leak somewhere unfortunate!

Cleaning can be done with specific tools from Blackburn, etc. but it can also be done with DIY solutions, tools.

Jay

 

[bruno]

i like the msr red one. 90 oz and i've never drunk it all no matter how hot. the valve doesn't leak at all. avoid the 'ziploc' types.

 

[Remix]

I vote for an MSR dromedary bag and the kit which replaces the lid with a lid/hose connection.

I always like to have a gallon of water handy at camp for dinner, thirst during the night, and breakfast. But I dont want to carry a gallon, thats for sure!

 

[JohnL]

I have the Camelback 100 oz one and the bladder is insulated. I will mix a tray's worth of ice cubes in it with my drink in the morning and it's good to have a nice cold drink even six hours into a hike. I wash mine with soap and water, rinse well, shake it out and then put it in the freezer. I use various flavors of GatorAde or GookinAde and there is no after-smell to the plastic after washing. No leaks.

JohnL

 

[imarchant]

I have a Camelback hydration pack, but I usually put just the bladder in my daypack wrapped in my fleece pullover. It keeps the water cold and keeps the pack light. Platypus bladders cost less than the Camelback. Dick's sporting good carry both brands if you want to do a comparison. Get one with the wide mouth opening to make it easy to add ice.

Walmart has a cleaning kit for hydration systems that is a lot cheaper than the ones you can get for Camelback. It has the tube brush and an adjustable drying hanger. It was less than $10. Camelback wanted $20.

 

[Gris]

avoid the 'ziploc' types

Hmmm, somebody musta had a bad experience

but i've used Platy zips 50+ times w no problema, just gotta make sure you really squash it so it's good & closed

i've even done the sit-on-it test w no problema (& i'm a BIG guy)

 

[Jasonst]

I got an EMS pack last year that came with a 100 oz platypus. The system works great but it wasn't insulated, so after a couple hrs the water got warm from my back. Ended up replacing it with a 100 oz Camelbak unbottle (insulated)

 

[Hakuna Matata]

We have both platypus and camelback. The camel back bladder developed a taste after awhile that I haven't noticed with platypus. Rinse them well after each use and wick them with a papertowel. every once in a while soak them in a little diluted bleach.
The bite valve can be used for your dog if you hold the bag above the tube and squeeze the valve. We did this for my grandson when we hiked with him for a little extra fluids besides his bottle. He liked it so much he started wearing a camelback when playing around the house. Don't all kids?
To keep the water cold we freeze a couple of bottles of water and tuck them in next to the bladder. Then we have ice water at the end of the hike.

 

[twigeater]

I have various sizes of platypus (100oz, I think) camelbak (35, 50 and 70oz) and nalgene (100oz) hydration bladders. I started using them years ago for biking, and now I hate to be without them on the trail. I drink a lot of water and it's so easy with the bladders.

I replaced the platypus and camelbak bite valves with the big gulp bite valves. The nalgene's opening isn't large enough for ice cubes, but the bite balve is good. I like the softer, more flexible bladders of the nalgene and camelbak, but the platypus stands up on it's own.
I've never had a leaking problem with any of them, or at least none that bothered me. With the bite valves on mine I can squirt water, which also doubles as a shower while backpacking, or as on a past trip, to clean a very dirty cut.

My grandkids have 35oz camelbaks and they tend to drink more water just cause they think it's cool.

Care and feeding of whatever bladder you choose should be included in the instructions. Most say you should empty them and store dry - either with a special frame that keeps them open or some other method - I've used paper towel tubes before. Anything that keeps the bladder open.

When necessary I clean mine with bleach and/or the cleaning kit. You can store them with mouthwash in them. A baking soda rinse kills the taste of both the bleach and the mouthwash.

 

[Remix]

avoid the 'ziploc' types

Hmmm, somebody musta had a bad experience

Yes, I did, with a bag from ?gregory. It was open on the top and relied on a clip and magic rolling technique to seal it. One little error in rolling this bag and it would leak, leaving one all wet while necessitating a long hike back to the water source.

At that time I asked myself just how much time I should spend learning to put water in a bottle.

Its at the recyclers now, serving a higher purpose.

 

[Mark]

I first bought a Platypus which served me well for years. When I needed two more bladders for my kids, I tried a Camelbak. I like the big opening. Good for filling the bag, loading ice and cleaning.

The one thing I added was a valve for the mouth piece like this. I had the bag leak in my car when something got stowed on top of the bite valve.

Clean them and dry them like everyone says. I use a small, cheap aquarium air pump to completely dry out the hose and bag after each use.

If you are doing real winter hikes (i.e., below 20 or so), I don't think the insulated tube thingie is sufficient. It will delay, but not prevent freezing. In cold conditions, I've seen the mouth piece quickly freeze up solid rendering the bag useless. If you're hiking around freezing temperatures, you can probably get away with using a bladder. Colder than that, I'd switch to insulated Nalgene bottles.

Hydration bladders are one of the coolest and most useful inventions for hiking!

 

[IndianChris]

I found that camelback makes good packs but their bladders totally suck! Haven't had one yet that hasn't leaked on me the first time out (3/3). I have a Hydrapak that I use MTBing and it works great - no leaks and its a couple of years old.

On the flip side, camelback has sent me replacement bladders no questions asked.

 

[Darwin]

Don't ever use one in the winter even if it is insulated.

 

[Dugan]

Thank you!

Thanks to everyone, especially for the links and the tips about freezing.

I've narrowed my choices to either the Camelbak Omega or Platypus Zip. Both have similar accessories (I had no idea there were so many), except that Platypus has patches. Makes me wonder if Platypus wears out earlier, or whether Camelbak prefers forcing people to buy an entire new reservoir.

Is the Zip easy to work? (I'm a klutz that has trouble matching the tracks on zip-loc bags!)
Has anyone tried the patches? Would they work on a Camelbak?

Insulation - definitely a factor since winter is, of course, the best hiking season! If the hose & valve freeze at around 20 with insulation, at what point do they usually start to freeze without insulation? i.e. is the insulation worth getting? Or, at what temps do you tend to begin using bottles instead?