hydration systems

“how many of you use hydration systems as opposed to the (old fashioned) nalgene bottles?

i am considering the purchase of a system and the number of choices is slightly overwhelming....

what brand?? what size?? what style?? how easy are they to filter into??

what experiences (good and bad) regarding hydration systems have you had??”

“i don't get it. i mean i could see maybe if you were biking a long distance, but hiking, it just doesn't seem that bigga deal to stop & grab a water bottle . maybe if i were rich, but there lots of other hiking things i would rather spend my money on. just seems . . .. .silly. like ya have to have a straw to drink. kinda candy ass at best, pretentious at worst. just my opinion, i'm sure many will be offended. lol. OIL WELL!”

“I use a 50 oz Camelbac bladder in the side pocket of my pack during warmer months. The hose tends to freeze up in the winter so I still use Nalgenes for those times.”

“eddie bauer 3ltr bladder with hose.Super tuff and built.12 bux at Target.A no brainer.”

“I bought a Blackburn hydration pack from Campmor last summer for cycling. I hated it. The water always tasted like that tube you drink from. Dayhikes I like my Ultimate Direction Gemini waist pack that comes with 2 - 22 oz. bottles. Can't even tell I'm wearing it. If I need more water I throw a Nalgene in the pack department. Backpackin I use the Nalgene 32 oz. bottles. The tube suckin sucked. Thats just my opinion. Alot of people seem to like it. I'd go for the Camelbac unbottled if your goin to try it. 70 oz. or 100 oz.”

“I utilize two. I have a CamelBak 70 oz. Cloud Walker for mtn. biking and commuting to and from work. For dayhikes I use a 100 oz. Peak Bagger. I fill them half with ice and half h20, or Power Ade. Great way to stay cool on long hot trails and the ice will last for hours providing COOL refreshment.

And with 70-100 oz. you never have to carry a filter.”

“I use a camelpack UNbottle that goes in a slab pocket inside my pack..and out through the "gofer hole" and i have 2 100ml nalgenes in the packs mesh pockets. you can go alot longer and less taking off and picking your pack back up”

“I carry a 2L Platypus and two 32 oz. Nalgene bottles. I put water in the Nalgene's and Gatoraid, tea or Tang in the Platypus. I freeze the Platypus and by the time I get to where I am going is has started to thaw.”

“A 2L Platypus bag and a 2L MSR Dromedary bag retrofitted with a hose and bite valve.”

“I use a couple of Platypuses. One's 1.8L Hoser, the other is a 2.5L regular Platypus. The hose I have fits on either. The filter I use is an inline system with its own bladder. I fill the bladder and let the water drain through the filter and into the big platy. I use the Hoser as my main hydration bladder. Neither of them were very expensive, and it's nice to be able to take a drink without having to stop.”

“I know this a bit off the subject but has anyone tried the Exstream Orinco Bottle?”

“geezr,

Don't. I had an Extreme Orinco and hated it. Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze for a piss-thin stream of water, and only holds a few ounces. Now I use an MSR 2-liter bladder w/flexible hose and love it.”

“I use nalgene bottles. Usually, on the trail I try to minimize the amount of water and seldom carry more than one quart. After all, I only need enough water to get me to the next source.”

“Ummmm is a gatorade bottle a "system" ?”

“For me it depends a little on summer/winter - in winter I always carry a lexan nalgene so that I can fill it with hot water at night to warm up the bag, in summer I tend to leave that bottle at home and use 1 l wide mouth "soda" bottles plus at all times a smaller nalgene that I clip with a mini 'biner to the strap of the pack - this is what I sip from while hiking between pack off breaks - at the breaks I refill the small nalgene from the other bottle(s) - number of bottles carried depends on distance between known sources of water - usually 1 or 2 bottles full plus the sipping nalgene.”

“Thanks Steve Hiker”

“I got a two liter from Target. I LOVE it but by the fourth day of my trip, the bite piece started leaking. Has anyone else had this problem?”

“I've not had that problem with my Target water bladder. You can probably replace it with a camelbac bite valve. The Target hose is just a little bigger but It may stretch.
Good luck.”

“'Gatorade' bottles are too complicated and expensive,besides they only last for 5 or 6 hundred miles.”

“That's why I went to Power Ade bottles . . . durability. ;-)”

“Thanks walkindude, I'll check into it.

For those sarcastic few, I like the hydration system for the following reasons:

1) I can drink while still moving, therefore I take smaller drinks more frequently which is more efficient than guzzling when I've become so thirsty that I need to stop. (Hemingway would have been proud of that sentence)

2) I drink more so I'm less dehydrated.

3) The water stays cool inside my pack compared to water bottles.

4) My hydration system doesn't accidentally fall out of my pack. I've lost one water bottle in the past and on my most recent hike, I found two empty water bottles on the trail. I'd like to think they fell out of people's packs rather than think that people would litter.

I think they're great and they don't have to be expensive. But then, I'm a gear ho. :o)”

“I used to drink in sips like that. I don't know why I changed. I drink a whole quart right before I start and then I drink a third to a half a bottle at a time. I stop for a snack when I drink. If my mouth is dry I chew a half stick of gum.”

“Most of my hikes are near plentiful water sources, so I prefer fewer bottles and a filter. Just bought the PUR Hiker, which is less than a pound. I know a lot of the bigger "systems" are for dry areas, but it sure sounds painful to carry so much water. I just prefer a 12-16 oz. bike bottle and the filter (so about 2lbs of "water").”

“Backpacking I use a Platypus(10$)with a safewater inline filter spliced in the line. I bring a Nalgene along for gatorade/juice/emer-gen-c(this stuff rocks!), to reconstitute food and to fill the platypus if the stream is just a trickle.

Biking I use a camelback (gift) w/a 3L bag(nice pack), I forget the model.

I picked up a spare inline filter @ EMS in Dedham, MA. $9.95(usually 30$+) on clearance. They had a bunch left, I don't know if their other locations have any, and they didn't have any online.”

“I use a Lowe Alpine water bottle carrier on my hip belt to carry my Nalgene bottle...I don't need to stop to take it out. Those side pockets on the backpack are only good to carry the bottles...you can't take one out, and you can't put it back in after you finish drinking with it....unless you're triple jointed.”

“usually carry a 2l platy unless a freeze at night is expected then a couple gatorade bottles. For running and biking I carry a 70ounce platy in a small pack, i may carry the little platy pack on trips if I am gonna dayhike.”

“.'Those side pockets on the backpack are only good to carry the bottles...you can't take one out, and you can't put it back in after you finish drinking with it....unless you're triple jointed.'
stanlee

I';m happy to learn that I am triple jointed. I use a JanSport Alaska 115 internal frame backpack.”

“i've never been able to reach my water bottle without help....that is one of the reasons i am considering going to a hydration bag....

i find that i don't drink as much water as i know that i should be drinking....

the msr dromedary bags look like they are really well made....i am kinda concerned about leaky bags and bite valves....”

“Some of you may be interested in a
bottle carrier.

I previously used a military surplus, collapsible, 2-quart canteen with a case and shoulder strap. I hung it from the top side of my external bp.”

“The main reason I switched to a hydration system is that I wasn't drinking enough. It was a pain in the arse to try and get the bottles in and out of the pack pockets and I don't like the bottle holders (on the hip belt) bouncing along on my leg or hip. The water bags are simple. I like camelback's version best but use platypus' mostly because they cost so much less. I only have a small camelback.”

“I, too, have trouble getting the water bottles out of the bottle holders on my backpack. As for the hip belt pocket for a nalgene, I've seen those and they look good. Unfortunately, my belt is at the smallest setting so I don't have any strap to hang it on.

MaryPhyl, You might want to go back to taking smaller drinks of water. Your body can absorb water so fast. If you take long drinks, what your body doesn't absorb immediately passes right through, therefore you're not benefiting.

As far as weight goes, I'm a packmule. I can take it. :o)”

“I used two 1 ltr. Plastic bottles in my pack last summer, but I bought a camelback for bicycling. I just used it backpacking on my HalfDome trip. It worked pretty well! I like not having to reach way back into my pack for the water. This also allowed me to take off the outside pockets on my Kelty Flight Pack.

I was worried that with my cammelback not seated with the tube down in my pack, that it wouldn't drain properly. Actually once I sucked all the air out It works fine at any angle.

I agree that you don't really need a hydration system, but it is convienent, and the colapsability is nice compaired to a bulky plastic bottle.”

“I've had no problem with the bite valve on the MSR Dromedary”

“The hose, I mean.”

“The camelback bite piece has a shutoff valve behind it so even if it started leaking, it could be shut off. I've never had a problem with mine and I only use the shutoff valve when I'm not hiking.”

“I found I wasn't drinking enough(too many muscle cramps on strenuous hikes) and bought a 2L platypus hydration system. I ended up drinking a lot more.

Where I hike in So. Cal. we may have to carry 4-6 liters at a time because of dry areas. I have two additional platypus 1.6L bags I can fill if needed and when not in use they pack away much better than nalgene bottles.

I bought an attachment for my PUR hiker that allows me to pump right into the bladders. Works great and is ligher than the other attachments.

I carry a 1 pint plastic water bottle for drinking out of at meal times. I suppose I could use a cup and eliminate that.

Carrying the bladder in my backpack keeps the water colder too!”

“I use a Camelbak Cloud Walker for day hiking. It holds 2 liters and has enough room for first aid kit, food, rain coat, and a few other things. Weight is about 8lbs loaded with water and supplies.

I like it!!”

“does anyone know if you can put boiling water into a bigmouf nalgein bottle? i was wanting to measure some for a meal i was making but i didn't want to dammage my bottle.”

“Srtat: You can if it is a lexan bottle (smoke or other color other than milky white). A definite advantage of nalgene bottles...”

“Phil - I've had plenty of experience with leg cramps. After the first moderate to strenuous day of hiking, I would always get extreme leg cramps at night. Someone told me to take Gatorade and two Tums each day. I did, and during last fall's five weeks of bp-ing, there were no cramps. Since then I've discovered that not enough salt can contribute to the problem, too. Previously, I thought the problem was just not enough potassium. However, potassiun pills did not solve the problem.”

“Sassafras and Sunshine...the Lowe Alpine I use is hung on the hipbelt, not the strap (I put it right up to the pack). It is held in place by velcro. It doesn't bounce around (at least not for me) unless you're running or jogging.”

“Mine hang on the hipbelt too. It doesn't really bounce, just is there, rubbing and moving around. It works well I just don't like it much. I am going to be using one next weekend with a hydration pack. I'll use the bottle holder for a nalgene of gatorade and H2o in the platy.”

“The CamelBak Mule I had strapped to my pack (no bladder pocket in the pack) when I was in the Badlands was wonderful for sipping in the heat and dryness. If I had had to stop and take out a water bottle, it would have been a real drag. Though the Mule was available to take off if I had needed a superlight daypack, it wasn't the best set up...but I already had it and I had to carry a lot of water in those conditions, including a Dromalite bag. I hate the bite valve for the latter's hose accessory -- way too hard.

I got an CamelBak 70-oz. Unbottle for the Curd-istan trip in March and that worked great. Insulated and four D-rings to attach it to most any set up. Since it was going to be somewhat cold,I added the insulated hose with valve cover, and that worked pretty well, too, though since it got in the 20s the second night, the hose froze, but the water in the bladder didn't. The cover not only insulates the bite valve, but keeps it out of the dirt and stops any chance of leaks.

All in all, I'm really glad to have hydration systems after decades of water bottle use.”

“I like my Camelback. I too, drink too little. If it is at my mouth, I constantly sip to keep my mouth wet.

REI had them really marked down today. I resisted, I am sorry. Camelback Lobo marked down about $20. Mine is a basic, no pack. This one had room for dayhike essentials, too.”

“The Postal Service did a great job of getting the CamelBak Trail Blazer to my daughter -- got there three days before REI said it would, so I had a chance to inspect it when I got to her house Sunday. She had been mtn biking that morning with her other CamelBak (non storage type) and had drank all it held. The Trail Blazer is a daypack model just up from the Cloud Walker, about 1500ci plus mesh side pockets, so it looks really good to go for day hiking. While it comes with a 70 oz. bladder, the pocket looks like it can hold the 100 oz. if needed.

Now that she can get the water in, Dad needs to order her a light rain shell...someone always needs gear.”

“I use a 70 oz camelback in a insulated carrier, and carry a 14 oz lexan nalgene (for Cytomax). In the Sierras, if I don't drink enough, altitude will get to me. The insulated carrier is a little heavy, but I cut the straps off. It keeps my water cold in the summer, and prevents freezing in the winter. I use the insulated sleeve over the hose (blow water out of the hose at night and it won't freeze).

In the winter, boiling water in the lexan nalgene doubles as a hand warmer. Or stick it under the jacket and it keeps you warm.
I don't put anything but water in the bladder (for those who mix stuff in it, how do you guys clean it out?)

I gave up on the Platy system after the second one leaked on me. I use the small ones for staying hydrated when I snowboard. I stick it in the dishwasher and it stays clean.”

“The new CamelBak bladders are really wide-mouthed and easy to access for cleaning, plus the built in handle to hold vertically is nifty.”

“I just rinse it out well and stick em in the freezer between trips.”

“i think ya'll have convinced me. lots of good points i hadn't considered. you bunch of smarty pants you!”

“I use MSR dromedaries for hydration. I usually carry an empty to keep water around camp. The hose kit is $10. Slip it in my side pocket.

I also carry a water bottle to keep flavored water in.

Cleaning the dromedary is easy. Since only use water I just rinse the entire system with a diluted bleach solution, empty, fold it and store. Since it seldom stays rolled up more than a couple weeks I've never had a "critter" problem with it.”