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Post by hikerjer on Jul 6, 2016 13:59:44 GMT -8
Based on your experience, if you have any, which water container would be more durable - a soft plastic collapsible Platypus bottle or an MSR dromedary bag? I'd hate to have one spring a leak in my pack/panniers.
Thanks.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Jul 6, 2016 14:10:20 GMT -8
Platypus bags don't last forever, but they are pretty durable. I usually get about 4 years out of them. They don't fail catastrophically, either, it's usually just a tiny drip. They're light enough that I carry a couple spare empties just in case. Nalgene Cantenes are about the same. I have a Dromlite bag, but it's too new to guess how long it will last. Eventually it will develop a leak due to abrasion or failure at a stress point.
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reuben
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Post by reuben on Jul 6, 2016 14:24:19 GMT -8
I can't really speak to durability, but I like the collapsible Platypuses. Platypi. Platypii. Whatever.
If one sprang a leak I'd bet that a little gorilla tape/leukotape/duct tape would work for a few days until you get back to your car.
And given that they collapse, carrying a spare wouldn't take much space or weight.
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daveg
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Post by daveg on Jul 6, 2016 19:01:01 GMT -8
I can't say much about the durability of Platypus containers. I bought a Platy 2L Bottle a couple of years ago. So far it's doing fine but showing wear.
For years I used Gatorade bottles and a 6L Dromedary bag (not the DromLite). My Dromedary bag is eight or nine years old. I'm estimating I have 200 or so trail days on it; it's seen enough use to wear the MSR logo almost completely off. No leakage and no visible issues. The big downside is that it is heavy compared to Platypus containers.
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almostthere
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Post by almostthere on Jul 6, 2016 19:55:58 GMT -8
EVERYTHING will eventually leak. I use Platys and have had to replace... one. They did it under warranty, it was about seven months old, unlike its brothers and sisters that are all 6-7 years old. I've given tape to people with leaking water bags of all kinds. Since one of my Platypus bladders has ridden around jammed behind a bear can for years and still does okay, I'm fine with that brand.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jul 7, 2016 18:47:09 GMT -8
If one sprang a leak I'd bet that a little gorilla tape/leukotape/duct tape would work for a few days until you get back to your car. It will. I've done it. Duct tape works well. I just had the second bag (out of quite a number in use around our house for many many years) spring a leak, happily while I was on a local training hike. I love how light they are, if you get the plain ones (not the ones with the zip-lock opening). I've never used a Dromedary bag, as they are heavier. We do have some Camelbak bags around that came with various packs. Rather, at this point we have ONE. The other two sprang leaks. But maybe that's not unreasonable--they were in the running packs and saw weekly use for quite a few years. The one that came with my Camelbak pack is sleek and has great functional features and looks very durable, but is too heavy for backpacking. |
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Jul 7, 2016 19:25:56 GMT -8
I have no idea about current tech. I've got several Camelbaks that I've had for many years and never had a failure/leak on any of them.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Jul 7, 2016 19:43:02 GMT -8
EVERYTHING will eventually leak. I've got some Gatorade bottles that are on their 8th season. No signs of wear.  |
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almostthere
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Post by almostthere on Jul 8, 2016 6:11:09 GMT -8
EVERYTHING will eventually leak. I've got some Gatorade bottles that are on their 8th season. No signs of wear. And I have a Platypus that's older, and I place no bets on yours or mine. Nalgenes are tougher than your bottle and they too can break. |
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jul 8, 2016 6:55:39 GMT -8
I can't seem to hang on to any bottle for 3 years, let alone 8. Good thing Powerade is 69¢.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Jul 8, 2016 6:57:31 GMT -8
Nalgenes are tougher than your bottle and they too can break. I've broken a Nalgene. It was around 20 years old when it cracked in a fall from the kitchen counter after washing. My favorite bottles for anything other than mass storage are Gatorade or Vitamin Water. |
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Jul 8, 2016 13:39:57 GMT -8
Based on your experience, if you have any, which water container would be more durable - a soft plastic collapsible Platypus bottle or an MSR dromedary bag? I'd hate to have one spring a leak in my pack/panniers. Thanks. Are you talking about "durability" in terms of expected lifespan, or are you asking about how susceptible they might be to punctures and such ("robustness")? Because I think there's a big difference. Most of the responses are addressing the first but it seems to me you might be asking about the latter. My only experience with the MSR dromedary was one that belonged to someone else. It looked like a tank to me -- and weighed as much, which you may not care about on a bike -- but the water tasted awful, very plastic/rubbery. Blech. |
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Jul 8, 2016 14:32:15 GMT -8
The early Dromedary taste issue was corrected in later models (and there was a product teplacement Iirc as well).
From experience a rigid container is far easier to tape repair than something flexible. I smashed an early Nalgene in an attempt to use it to pound in some tent stakes when I was woken up by a snowstorm along the higher Kern drainage. It was my main water storage and I was later facing going over Whitney.... I used athletic tape on the bottle shards and used my two Sigg covered pots as water buckets. Decent enough but a scare.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2016 18:30:08 GMT -8
My Dromedary bags sit in the back window of the car whiles I am out backpacking. When I get to the car, I hang the bag, flip open the spout and take a warm shower.
I use a 2 liter Camelback and 2 2L Sawyer squeeze bags as my in the backpack cary on may back things.
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Post by dayhiker on Jul 8, 2016 19:40:04 GMT -8
My Dromelite bags have lasted a long time, before 2004, I got them for seakayaking. One did die, I forget how now, and anything will and plastic will even without use. I mainly used it in camp as part of a gravity filter, sometimes I would have to haul water to camp on the last part of the backpack. Even the spigot cap doesn't leak with care, and I used that since I could just jam my water bottle's filter into it without a hose. I forget the weight difference, the platypus uses two bags for better or worse, but I am used to my system.
I would think either would work, assuming the cap stayed on , esp in a pack assuming no sharp objects etc.
I have used squeeze bags on the Grand Canyon, I forget now what I did wrong, and squeezing out enough water all at once for Tang was a pain, make sure you are familiar with how you will use it etc. I would take an extra squeeze bag and maybe use something else if a leak would be life or death, though they are pretty hardy, I forget how people break them, I think they would be ok in the pack.
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