 Hydration tube The one issue I've always had with the design is that it is tricky to get at all the bladder to ensure it is clean and dry and on Friday this caught up with me in a big way. Half a mile up the track to Dodd I had my first sip of water. Five seconds later I was leaning against a tree being very "ill". The previous time I'd used the Camelbak I had cleaned it very thoroughly but obviously not rinsed out all the Milton solution. Bleach flavoured water is not pleasant, and throwing up even less so. I tried again with a very tentative little sip but there was no way the contents of my Camelbak were drinkable so I knew it was impossible to continue the walk. Soon I will be buying a plain drinks bladder that is easier to clean and dry. Any suggestions - should I stay with Camelbak or try Platypus or one of the others?" John Paterson's response"I use Milton fluid and I DO rinse out well afterwards. If I don't get the chance to dry it out then I pop it in the fridge to keep the bugs at bay. I also use non sugar based squash. Robinsons fruit and barley with no added sugar is virtually sugar free and a dilute solution makes a very enjoyable on hill drink." John's tips: Thermos do mini ice packs which will fit IN the opening of a 2 litre camelbak bladder. In sub zero temperatures, after taking a sip from your tube, blow the fluid back into the bladder to stop the tube and the valve freezing. Sherran says"My husband has a Camelbak drinks bladder, but doesn't use it anymore as he said the water always tasted funny. I always washed it out thoroughly and kept it in a dark place, but it still didn't seem to make any difference. He now uses a Platypus, the same as I do. Angela (Angie) and I always say we won't leave home without it (when we are walking that is) we even take them on short walks. You can buy the cleaning kit for them, it's a tiny brush that you can feed along the pipe, and it's surprising how much dirt comes out. I always keep ours in the freezer." Stuart Willis stated"I have a Platypus and as you said, love being able to sip whenever I want throughout the day. Before I got it I used to get really dehydrated on walks - had terrible headaches by the time I had finished which really hampered enjoyment of my post-walk pint!  Regarding cleaning, I just was the bottle part in the washing up, using a bottle brush to get into the bottle. A good rinse and then leaving it to dry before keeping it in a dark cupboard seems to have kept it clean and the water tasting ok. I have made a cleaning tool for the pipe using picture framing thread and a bit of absorbent cloth. It takes some pulling through but does get it clean - I am sure that the official cleaning kit would be much easier to use!. It only gets done periodically, because as Sherran said, I now keep it in the freezer, blowing the water out of it as soon as I get home from a walk and putting it straight in the deep freeze." Roger and Ann proposed the water carrying options- A good old bottle - difficult to use, easy to see water level.
- Platypus - a simple plastic water bottle with tube but no bite valve (at that time). We found this much better to use but several leaks due to old bottles or faulty srew tops did cause us the occasional leak. Life was more enjoyable, we notice less dehydration headaches, but you couldn't tell how much you had left.
- Camelback - moved to that because of bite valve and better quality and softer plastic bottles that last longer.
- North Face - There is now a great North Face hydration system, like the Camelback with a big opening but with a detachable tube which fits to the bottom of the bottle. This makes packing and unpacking the bottle through the little rucksack opening easier and allows the bottle to be hung the right way up.
We only ever use PLAIN WATER in our bottles which makes the cleaning much less of a problem. A good rinse, ensuring you rinse any spit out of the tube and hang it up to air on a coathook next to the Gortex is all the special treatment it gets. We have bought a Camelbak tube cleaning brush and have used it successfully when the tube looks a bit suspect but we have never disinfected ours nor kept them in a fridge or freezer. Perhaps it's because we only use water in them that we don't seem to suffer the problems others speak of. Roger's tips: Make drinking every drop easy by loading the bottle upside down in your pack. Take a small, separate plastic hipflask of water if you want a reserve tank in case of unexpected complete water loss or use. |
