Best Water bladder?

[Violent Hippie]

I used an MSR bladder (i think 2 liter) thats red colored about 15 years ago and the hose / bite valve that came with it broke and leaked after little use. I still have the bladder with a simple cap on it to (no tubing or bite valve) and its solid . The camelback 100 oz that came with my mil HAWG has been my primary for 8 years with no problems. The source bladders look nice and I plan to try one.

 

[LostArra]

3 liter Source
Same one for past 7 yrs
Valve did freeze on one 10 degree Wyo hunt
Easy fill
No bad tastes

 

[Matt W.]

Great discussion! I approach water storage as follows.
For my expedition hunts I run a Stone Glacier Sky 7400. In that scenario I use the Stone Glacier Hydro Pocket and carry a 20oz clear Camelbak bottle. In this bottle I mix my MTN Ops Yeti and Wilderness Athletle Hydrate and Recover powders. I then carry two 1L Vapur bottles in the pack with pure water in them. They are light, easy to store and using two of them allows me to move them around where they best fit. Additionally a 1L bottle is easy to hang on the outside of the pack if I need it.

I use the MSR DromLite as my storage bag. This for when we are going somewhere and need either camp water of perhaps will be where water is scare. This system works pretty well for me.

When it comes to base camp style hunts, I go back and forth between between the DromLite (with the tube kit) and a bottle like the one The Alaska Life produces. It basically a Hydro Flask, but at a much better price point. To counter all of this I took a winter wilderness survival class a few years back and the instructor was adamant that every one use a 32oz Nalgene bottle. Filled with hot water this becomes a life saving device, either against your chest or in a sleeping bag. I have a few Nalgene's as well, but really only take them when its cold or I am taking others who might get cold (i.e kids). Pretty much all of my bottles could be filled with hot water and used in that manner, except for the stainless bottle. It does not get that warm on the outside as it is WELL insulated.

Here are some links if you are curious as to what these bottles are:
https://t.co/m8MR2K3fFz - Alaska Life Explorer Bottle
http://amzn.to/1jattVe - Vapur Bottles
http://goo.gl/Tk3vRx - DromLites
http://goo.gl/PYCEg5 - DromLite Hydration / Hose Kit

Article: http://goo.gl/t8exJR

In general, I'm not a big fan of hydration bladder in my pack. I've had the hoses freeze (even the insulated ones) and even had a few leak. Never had a leak with the DromLites. With that said others love them, just throwing out my experience and thoughts. Of the more standard bladders I've used I like the Platypus ones the best.
http://www.cascadedesigns.com/platypus/hydration-systems/big-zip-lp/product
Maybe even enough I might start using them for day hikes and base camp hunts when I know the weather will be above freezing...

 

[DenRuyter]

I used my Military issue 100oz Camelback for the last 10 years, but it always got a plastic taste. I switched to a Source 3L about a little over a year ago and couldn't be happier!!

My MSR MiniWorx fits on it for easy filling. I had the low profile Source bladder without the screw on cap and it was a pain to fill so I just got one with the cap. Haven't used that one as much lately, but I left water in it for almost 2 months when I lost it temporarily and it still tasted fine.

 

[TxTrapper]

I don't know what you guys are doing with your Camelbak's to develop a "dark funk" inside, but 10 years with my current 3L and it's clean inside and I never taste any funky water taste out of it. But I also shake it out with a light bleach solution every year as well. But I'd do that with any bladder.

Same here. Got mine from my son after his tour in the Marines and Im still using it, going on 6 years

 

[Laelkhunter]

^^^ X3 ^^^^ Wash it out after each use, use a little bleach or Camelbak cleaning tabs before storage, and water will be clean and fresh tasting.

 

[sab]

What is your favorite water bladder and why?

The standard Platypus Hoser bladders because they are the lightest I could find (about half the weight of a Camelback), yet they are durable.

What size do you carry?

It depends on the trip and conditions. I have the 1L, 2L, and 3L bladders.

What would fit good in a Kuiu Icon 5200?

I can't answer this one. I'm a Kifaru guy...

Regards,
Scott

 

[AndyB]

What is your favorite water bladder and why?

What size do you carry?

What would fit good in a Kuiu Icon 5200?

Thanks in advance for everyone's comments.

Not used many different makes, just Chinese Branded, 2litre, which fit in the inside/ side pouch on my kuiu 5200. Wanted something a little more robust with more capacity so bought the 3 litre platypus that Kuiu sells. It still fits great on the inside/side pocket, tent balances it out on the other side and keeps the inside of my pack free for other gear. I did change the bite valver to one with a switch, so far so good. I pair that with a 1litre source liquitainer as the squeeze vessel for my sawyer for inline filling.

 

[jmden]

Platypus 3L Hoser (3.8 oz.) and then as many Platypus 2L Platy Bottles (1.3 oz) as necessary.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Apparently I'm the only one running the Eberlestock bladders. I use 2L & 3L bladders...no funk taste. But I rinse em with bleach-water annually at the end of the season and let em dry completely by placing a few ping pong balls in em.

 

[ahlgringo]

I ran an eberlestock 2l for a couple of years until the hose connection to the bladder exploded and soaked all my stuff inside. Msr dromedary now with no issues thus far.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I ran an eberlestock 2l for a couple of years until the hose connection to the bladder exploded and soaked all my stuff inside. Msr dromedary now with no issues thus far.

Are you serious? How the hell did that happen? Whaddaya puttin' in that bladder?

 

[xcutter]

Thanks for all the comments.

This is all good information on water storage.

So do most of you carry another smaller bottle for doing powder drinks? Which one? Energy drink mixes?

 

[Lawnboi]

Bruce I had an eberle bladder, it's just a source bladder made for eberle.

To answer the above question, I always carry a Nalgene now. For drink mixes, filling bladders, as a solid backup, and if water is plentiful I use it as a primary for drinking. On top of that I can fill a Nalgene with boiling water and have a foot warmer for my bag for atleast several hours. It's good to have a backup, I'd hate to see a bladder failure be the reason a hunt is ended or made a lot more difficult.