Hydration Systems..... What should I know? What do you like?

Marion David Poff

Marion David Poff

Joined
Oct 8, 1998
Messages
5,403
Good Day,

I have been waiting to buy a hydration system, because I figured that prices would come down and various companies would get in the game. I think both have happened.

So, now I am looking at buying a system, what should I know, what should I look for, what do you like?

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Thank you,
Marion David Poff aka Eye mdpoff@hotmail.com

My website, guided links, talonite/cobalt alloy info, etc....
http://www.geocities.com/mdpoff

>>--->Bill Siegle Custom Knives<---<<
-http://www.geocities.com/siegleknives-

"The sun will rise, who knows what the tide will bring." from the movie "CastAway"

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Lao Tzu

"We will either find a way, or make one." Hannibal, 210 B.C.

40K Space Marine Army, For Sale or Trade for Knives or Gear http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum13/HTML/002045.html
 
i have used the camel back hawg for about 4 years now, good safari bag, will carry your ammo, water,binos, and sun screen, big knife, and first aid kit,compass, and some survival gear easily. used it while hunting in africa, easy to carry, stayed out of your way when tracking dangerous game , all in all a good package.

alex
 
Camelbacks are good kit.

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"..it is foolishness and endless trouble to cast a
stone at every dog that barks at you.."
 
You dont need to buy a whole hydration pack if you don't need it. You can buy just the plastic water bag and hose. I have a bag that I can fit in a backpack, fanny pack or large vest pocket. I think mine is a Platypus and it works fine.
 
I've been looking for a Camelbak HAWG, for a reasonable price, for a pretty long time. I just like the small size and fit of the pack along with the hydration system built-in. Where's the most economical place to purchase Camelbak products? Thanks.

Sincerest Regards,
Nobody
 
i bought mine from nashbar they sell to the bicycle crowd, you should look at the cycle shops they are very popular with those folks, brigade quartermaster and u.s. cavalry also have different models some in tactical colors if that is your flavor, also campmor stocks different hydro packs.

alex
 
Give a call to Eagle Industries or check out their web-site. They are now the manufacture of the CamelBack Packs,you can't do any better than that. You can go with another type hydration system but I've looked at some and and all they are is copies(most of the times, bad ones)of the original.

www.Kobrabag.com
 
blackhawk industries also has some nice tactical gear that's incorporated with the camelback system. full line of packs/reservoirs with accessories, very comparable to Eagle's gear.

toast

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"One must practice ceaselessly." -Miyamoto Musashi
 
Are you needing to concern yourself with filtering your water as well as carrying it?

I use an Existream waterbottle system. This is a water bottle with a bacteria and virus filter that can be attached to the spout itself. (The filter can also be removed and stored if you are sure of your water source.) It also includes a filter to remove the iodine taste of the virus filter. I like this model because it filters the water as you use it for drinking instead of using up your filter on all of yoru water. If you are cooking with the water and bringing it to a boil then you need not worry about bacteria and virus anyway...you just need to filter out silt or dirt. I carry a couple of large Lexan containers and my filter bottle backpacking and it seems to work fine.

If you are still concerned about your cooking water you should take a bottle of iodine pills or an eye dropper of bleach to treat larger amounts.

 
I recently tried a Platypus and it was great. Two things I like better in the Platypus versus the Camelback - First, the Platypus is MUCH cheaper. Second, you can pour boiling water into a platypus without any damage to the bladder. If you boil water to purify, do you really want to wait for it to cool before you put it into your hydration pak?

Regarding the canvas pouch and shoulder straps - if you are going to be carring a backpack you do not need the outside of the hydration pak. You can take the bladder and lay it across the top of the stuff-sack portion of your backpack. Then, when you buckle down the top of your pack, the hydration bladder is secure and the weight is right where you want it - over your shoulders. I have 2 two liter Platypus bladders and I put both of them up there. When the first one runs dry, I just switch the caps on the bladders and the hose is then connected to the full one. Works great.

Finally, there is a 4 liter water bag made by Platypus. I use it to get water from a stream or spring when I stop for the night. Then, it is purified before it goes into the 2 liter bladders. I never put purified water into the 4 liter pouch and I never put un-purified water into the 2 liter bladders. This keeps it nice and simple and I never have to remember which water has already been purified.
 
I just bought a Blackhawk Cyclone.
I like it so much that i will never use a backpack other than this one ever again. It has about 2100 ci of space and is tough! It comes with 100 ounce bladder and is made for spec-ops.
They arn't cheap but they are good. Think I paid 150 for mine. You can see them @ tripleaugtdesign.com


-Jeff
 
So to recap....

Camelbak is a good choice because parts are easy to find. Platypus is not bad either.

The bags have no unique value other than the inclusion of design features to fit the bladders and so forth.

I think that I will probably go and check out Playpus and Camelbak, and see who's design features I like better, then buy a bladder to throw in the top of one of my current bags.

Thanks for all your input, I really appreciate it.

------------------
Thank you,
Marion David Poff aka Eye mdpoff@hotmail.com

My website, guided links, talonite/cobalt alloy info, etc....
http://www.geocities.com/mdpoff

>>--->Bill Siegle Custom Knives<---<<
-http://www.geocities.com/siegleknives-

"The sun will rise, who knows what the tide will bring." from the movie "CastAway"

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Lao Tzu

"We will either find a way, or make one." Hannibal, 210 B.C.

40K Space Marine Army, For Sale or Trade for Knives or Gear http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum13/HTML/002045.html
 
Thank's for posting the question, Marion. I had zero knowledge and experience prior to the useful answers and suggestions listed here. Fallschrimjager...thank you for the added bonus of the Kobrabag reference. It is like the Burger King Slogan " have it your way." Great idea I intend to investigate further, because I "carry" on a daily basis."
 
A Camelbak and any quality aftermarket hydration system ready pack will do. (I don't have experience with the Platypus, so cannot comment.) You don't need some of the expensive "tactical systems" out there. Though if you have the money and insist on the look, to each his or her own.
 
Camelbak's are awesome hydration systems -- but be careful not to puncture it, or you're out of luck. Good idea to bring along a Nalgene 1-qt container or similar as back-up.

As long as you're careful, though, the camelbak should last you a long time.

Best,

Brian.


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Brian Jones
Co-moderator
Wilderness & Survival Skills Forum

Check out Hood's Woods at:
http://www.survival.com
 
Camelback just got better this year. Now Eagle Industries is making the bags for them. Check out Eagles web-site it has all the different bags,bladders and accessories you could want. All made in the USA.
www.Kobrabag.com
 
It can be important to use the insulation properties of the carrier system no matter whose product you're using. If you just have the bladder in your pack, it will tke on the ambient temp of where you are. But using the pack designed for the bladder(simple or elaborate) will keep your water cool in hot conditions and from freezing in cold weather. Plus it protects the bladder as well. I've had some pretty hard crashes on my Mtn Bike while wearing a Camelbak and it's never been damaged. I've been using Camelbaks for about 10 years, have 3 different sizes, all work very well. I use the Mule for hard core Mtn bike rides (3-5 hours)
and the smaller 70 oz for short trips. Also have a 40oz size for use on road to supplement my water bottles, like when I;m doing a century (100 mi.)
My .02
 
My favorite carry system for a water bladder is the H2Snow made by Osprey. But I don't think the carry system is really very important, if you are going to be wearing a pack, anyway. Sticking the water bladder in any pack will help protect it (though a good water bladder should be sturdy enough to not need much protection). If you pack the water bladder surrounded by your jacket and whatnot (only do this if you are confident of the sturdiness of your bladder), then it will be well insulated.

I think the water bladder itself, along with the hose and the mouthpiece are much more important considerations than the carry system.

Here are some considerations to think about when choosing your water bladder, along with my opinions based on my best knowledge:

Price--Platypus wins handily, as best I know, (though replacement and spare bladders are cheap in the Gregory system, once you've already bought the system) .

Weight--Gregory wins, followed closely by Platypus, followed closely by Blackburn.

Volume--The more the better, as far as I'm concerned. The Blackburn and the Gregory bladders hold the most (a little over 100 ounces), followed by Ultimate.

Durability--Ultimate wins, followed closely by Blackburn, then Camelback. Look for the material it's made out of, how the seams are welded or glued, how wide the welding is, whether there are any weak spots (like the area where the hose attaches to the bladder), whether there are pieces of hard and easily crackable plastic in critical areas.

Ease of Filling Completely and Closing without Water Sloshing Out--Ultimate wins, with its rolltop closure, followed by Blackburn with it's stiff ring and screwtop.

Ease of Cleaning and Drying--Ultimate wins handily because of its huge opening with rolltop closure.

Best Mouthpiece--Blackburn wins handily. There is no other mouthpiece available that truly is easy to open and close with just your mouth, and stays absolutely leakproof when closed. It also has the highest volume flow. Even if you go with some other bladder, you might want to replace the mouthpiece with a Balckburn. All other mouthpieces are inadequate.

Flow Volume--You want it fairly large. This is dependent upon the diameter of the drinking tube and the design of the mouthpiece. There are lots of choices with good flow volume, but there are also lots with poor flow volume, so just find out before you buy.

Other Features--I like the internal baffle in the Ultimate bag, which reduces sloshing. I also like like the stitched on straps on the Ultimate.

I usually use an Ultimate bladder with a Blackburn tip. When I'm carrying a spare bladder, I make it a Blackburn or a Platypus.
 
Camelbak's big advantage is the toughness of the material. The down side to them is that tast that they impart to the water. I condition my Camelbak bladders with warm water and vinegar (50/50). 3 rinses and the tast of vinyl pool liner is gone. The Platy's don't have the tast problem, but they are not as tough.

Regardless of what you get, be sure that you get a good protective cover that will help prevent punctures. The right cover will help keep your water cool also. There are neoprene covers that insulate, there are wicking covers that you wet that use evaporative cooling to help keep the contents cool. I cheat and load 2/3 ice and 1/3 water on hot days. I've used this configuration under impermiable protective clothing in the middle of summer for hours and it helps keep you cool.

Take care
 
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