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Post by cweston on Mar 30, 2021 10:42:48 GMT -8
I've been a hydration bladder user for some time now. It's hard to argue with the convenience, *except* when it comes time to filter/refill on the trail. I usually carry a 2-liter reservoir, and on most days I can make it to camp without having to re-filter--or certainly not more than once.
But now that packs have so much better-designed side water bottle pockets that a solo hiker can reach by themselves, I might give water bottles a try again. Seems like, if you're in a place where water is plentiful, you could carry half the water (thus half the weight), and just refill more often at stops. I'm not one for too many long stops when I'm on the move, but it doesn't really take very long to filter a liter of water, after all. In well-watered areas, lunch break will usually be somewhere with access to water anyway.
Anyone gone from carry more water in a hydration reservoir to carrying less in bottles? Was that a good decision for you, or do you find the more frequent filtering a PITA?
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Mar 30, 2021 11:36:27 GMT -8
I find almost everything about bladders a PITA, so I'm probably not the one to answer. But I'll point out that even if you decide you don't like the extra stops, you can still go back to carrying 2 liters like before but keep the many advantages of bottles. :-)
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Mar 30, 2021 12:37:57 GMT -8
I never use bladders. I almost always carry one or two of the slim 1L Smartwater bottles. They fit well in my Circuit's side pockets, and the bottle shape makes it easy to grab. If I need to carry more than 2L, I supplement with basic 2L Platy's. It's convenient that the Smartwater bottle caps and the Platy caps are interchangeable.
For me, the advantages are that I always know how much water I have, don't have to unpack my pack to take the bladder out/in, and don't have to clean it. Also, if I want something flavored for a change, I can just make one bottle of lemonade, iced tea, or whatever. It also means that I'm not relying on a single water container in case of a leak or failure.
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Post by cweston on Mar 30, 2021 12:43:59 GMT -8
I find almost everything about bladders a PITA I'll concede that... •Having to dig it out of your pack to refill it = PITA •Having the bite valve inevitably end up in the dirt in camp = PITA Are there other PsITA that I've missed? With bottles I'd think I'd mainly worry about losing them during gnarly travel.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Mar 30, 2021 12:44:39 GMT -8
I think this might be another question that has be answered in context of where you are hiking. Cool and humid would be a lot different than hot and dry like the desert.
Also is the question whether to give up hydration bladders and/or hike with less water?
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Post by cweston on Mar 30, 2021 12:50:16 GMT -8
Also is the question whether to give up hydration bladders and/or hike with less water? For me, those two things would be a package deal. Bottles = easier to refill than bladder = the ability to carry less (in locations/climates where that would be prudent thing to do). Of course you're right that I could carry less water in a hydration bladder, but I wouldn't, because refilling it on the trail is a PITA.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Mar 30, 2021 13:09:24 GMT -8
On gnarly sections, one could loop a piece of twine around the bottle neck if they were concerned it might fall out of the pocket.
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Post by JRinGeorgia on Mar 30, 2021 13:40:08 GMT -8
One side pocket has a repurposed 0.7L water bottle with squirt top that contains filtered water. Other pocket has a 0.7L SmartWater bottle with Sawyer filter on top, that contains unfiltered water. If I finish the filtered water I can grab the other bottle and drink straight from the filter without having to stop. How much I carry and how often I refill depends on how certain I am of the next water source. I err on the side of carrying too much rather than too little. With a UL kit I'm fine with the extra weight of a 1/2 or full litre extra if I think it's prudent to carry it.
I also carry at least one 2L bladder in my pack that's usually empty, but I plan ahead, by trip and by segment -- if it's a trip where there could be long stretches without water or a need for dry camp I'll bring a 2nd bladder and tank up as needed.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Mar 30, 2021 15:09:29 GMT -8
I find almost everything about bladders a PITA I'll concede that... •Having to dig it out of your pack to refill it = PITA •Having the bite valve inevitably end up in the dirt in camp = PITA Are there other PsITA that I've missed? Drinking through a straw all week gets really old; can't see how much you've drunk or how much you have left; takes up room inside your pack; leaks can drench your gear; failure can leave you with no way to carry water (unless you carry two?); hard to clean; hose/valve can freeze up in cold weather; a hassle to use for cooking; more expensive; and did I mention drinking through a straw all week gets really old?
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Post by tomqvaxy on Mar 30, 2021 22:04:51 GMT -8
re: Smartwater bottles. i remember poland springs were not designed to be reused because of something having to do with bad taste or chemical reaction to the water, but it was almost 20 years ago and i'm a bit foggy on the "why" at this point.
Q: are there no ill effects of refilling/ multiple times use of the SM bottle? no BPA stuff to contend? just use them until they burst?
thanks
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Post by cweston on Mar 31, 2021 4:14:10 GMT -8
Drinking through a straw all week gets really old; can't see how much you've drunk or how much you have left; takes up room inside your pack; leaks can drench your gear; failure can leave you with no way to carry water (unless you carry two?); hard to clean; hose/valve can freeze up in cold weather; a hassle to use for cooking; more expensive; and did I mention drinking through a straw all week gets really old? OK, I confess, I was poking the bear for my own amusement. Thank you for not disappointing The straw thing doesn't bother me. Not knowing how much water you have left--yes, that's annoying. Failure--I've never had it happen, but my son has. I use a gravity filter rig, so I could always repurpose the clean bag as a reservoir. Hard to clean--correct. Hassle for cooking. True. Since I use a gravity filter, I always have that reservoir available for getting cooking water in camp. (I carry a plastic coffee mug that doubles as a measuring device.) I don't really need to be convinced: my current pack doesn't have the right kind of pockets, but I'm looking to get a new pack, and will definitely try bottles when I do. I'll probably try some sort of security leash as zeke suggests, to assuage my fears about losing them in gnarly terrain. And it will probably never happen and I'll stop bothering at a certain point.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Mar 31, 2021 4:33:35 GMT -8
The Camelback I played with had a its own padded pack. I think that that keeping the bladder in the dark contributed to funk growing in the bladder. Are the type of bladder you are talking about like this or just a bag with hose connection?
Also I would think if you are using a gravity filer both your clean and dirty bags could act as reserves and then just go with one bottle for your possible future pack holster. Refill your bottle from the reserve on your breaks. If you lose the bottle somehow just use your clear reservoir to drink from to get by.
I will try to dig up info about this but I had read that plastic bottles have a very thin inner liner layer that will break down with reuse of the bottle so they should be replaced regularly. I believe then it was claimed that there might be leaching of stuff from the plastic into the water.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Mar 31, 2021 7:39:24 GMT -8
I have reused a water bottle hundreds of times, but replace them once a year just out of my own concerns about them becoming cracked or brittle. Haven't had one burst on me yet.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Mar 31, 2021 8:20:44 GMT -8
I've got a couple of Gatorade bottles I've been using since 2008.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Mar 31, 2021 9:10:22 GMT -8
While hiking I use bottles, but carry a bladder for away from water campsite setup where I can avoid bugs and damp. I suppose in drier areas it does offer me the option of carrying more water, but as my only supply accessed through a hose I’d be leery of not having an idea of how much I had left without a lot of digging. On a local bike ride that’s a secondary issue, on a ling backcountry hike I prefer monitoring my water supply more carefully than a bladder seems to allow.
I suppose as I do use electrolyte drinks in pass approaches there’s also a cleaning issue...
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