Hydration sleeve

Often when i use a bladder, it’s not in any sleeve. My gear is in silnylon stuff sacks which may help somewhat in keeping it dry. My sleeping bag is in a waterproof bag – either a trash bag, or a pack liner. Furthermore, sometimes my bag is in my WPB bivy and both are in the waterproof bag. I feel that this is better protection than a hydration sleeve.

As far as your velcro straps, i curious, do you think that they will adequately secure your bladder as the bladder empties? I’m having trouble picturing how they work and envision them as just two parallel straps that run horizontally across an upright bladder, securing it in position. However, when the bladder is only partly full, the velcro would need some elastic to remain taut on a less than full bladder. Does the velcro also have elastic sections?

Sorry, i don’t know of any aftermarket sleeve options. Of course, you could put the bladder in a waterproof trash bag with only the tube/hose exiting the bag.

Paul, I didn’t do a very good job of describing the hydration set up of the pack (TNF Skareb 55). Inside the top opening of the pack there are two vertically oriented velcro straps, aligned so that they would loop through the holes that punched through the top corners of most bladders. There is an additional hole, ostensibly for securing a different type of bladder of which I am not familiar. The bladder would then hang down inside the pack against the framesheet.

I have considered just placing the bladder in a sealed stuff sack and tying it off, then hanging the bladder, as provided, but was hoping for a ‘slicker’ solution.

Thanks for the reply. I understand your pack’s arrangement now. Hope you hit on a good solution.

Most good bladders can withstand a lot of abuse before rupturing or puncturing. As bladders go, CamelBak’s new design (for MY2006) is probably the most puncuture/rupture resistant, but it’s not really ultralight. I use a re-branded Nalgene reservoir (it came in a DaKine pack I use for biking), and it’s tough as nails, plus you can detach the hose and use it as a dromedary bag… and my water filter threads on to the mouth, which is a bonus.

Russell, I just took a look at TNF’s page and your pack is listed as “hydration compatible” but I had to go to the comparison chart to find that — the product description only mentioned a water bottle pocket on the side (I love this stuff with manufacturers). If you go to TNF’s hydration packs, they all use Nalgene bladders, so I went to Nalgene’s page and their bladders all have two holes in the top edge to suspend them from. see http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/category.asp?category=Hydration+Reservoirs .

Platypus made a Cordura cover for their 2 liter bladders to protect them and give a means of lashing them down. I have a couple brand new ones left over from a Campmor closeout if you want one. Email dwambaugh atatat yahoo.com.

I would try something like a turkey roaster bag to encapsulate the bladder. You should use more of the same to protect your sleeping bag and clothing too.

I did have to inspect the pack in the store to make sure it was compatible with a hydration bladder. TNF needs to note this feature on their website.

The more I think about it, the more I am certain that any sleeve holding the bladder isn’t going to do much in the way of protecting a pack’s contents from a leaking or ruptured bladder, unless the sleeve was completely water tight and had some sort of ‘gasket’ around the exit port for the hose. I’ll probably just save the few ounces and hang my existing bladder from the velcro. Thanks for the suggestions, guys.