Anyone move away from Water Bladders?

i have a similar experience as others.

started with nalgenes. went to platys. went to gatorades and soda bottles. now i've got my water system to include 1 of each…

1L nalgene, 1L gatorade bottle, 1 2L platy big zip (no hose attached). i use the nalgene (also for hot water bottle) and gatorade to drink from while on the go, but use the platy to fill up when getting to camp, so i have enough water to last me for dinner and breakfast. i've also hit big stretches with no reliable water source in the summer, so i've sometimes needed to start my day off by carrying 4 liters at a time…

other than the inconvience of having to put it in my pack and dig it out to refill, a pain in the ass to clean, i found it tough to regulate how much water i was drinking when i was a full time platy guy. for some reason it's easier for me to know how much i'm drinking when i just gulp from a 1 liter bottle…

a 3L bladder … doesnt always get filled to the brim … but like others have said drinking hands free is a convenience i find

in addtion usually either a nalgene for anything more than a daytrip to be able to put boiling water inside … or a metal bottle for a daytrip in case i get stuck and need to boil, ill usually clip it to the harness for easy access

This is a site about lightweight backpacking.

Some vessel to hold water is a piece of REQUIRED GEAR. But, Bladders, hoses, bight valves ARE NOT REQUIRED GEAR.

Agreed Mike, cheap and affordable is definitely one aspect of lightweight backpacking. You are definitely the hard nosed UL guru, there's no doubt about that and I love your input as always. We could also extend this line of thought to all areas of gear, yet we don't always do. We shouldn't forget exception and preference when it comes to lightweight backpacking. Boiling water over small hobo/tinder fires using available combustible materials is the lightest solution and a plausible option for many of us yet the majority bring stoves, windscreens and various amounts of meths to do so. Thin CCF pads are also the lightest option, provide moderate amounts of insulation and padding, yet many of us are losing breath inflating insulated pads at days end. Bivys too are often not required, yet are brought along as an added measure of protection when perhaps more diligence and thought can be applied to camp selection and shelter pitch for avoiding splashing under the tarp.

I guess what I'm saying is we're splitting hairs here over an ounce or two (gulp) when the benefits for some in using hoses, bite valves, and hydration bladders outweigh the negatives… with the exception of those unfortunate souls who've had their bladders implode inside their packs.

I've never used a water bladder or hose, nor have I ever used an inflatable sleep pad. I've seen too many leaks and failures in this stuff.

–B.G.–

"This is a site about lightweight backpacking. The very lightest option…"

Heh heh, tell that to the McHale fan boys! :)

I have never had a failure in a sleeping pad but I have in a water bladder just once(3 yr Old Platy). Maybe I have been lucky or set my shelter up in correct area. I don't deny that it does not happen-friends have. Every body has there own style and ways of doing things–There is not a wrong way or correct way when it comes to water consumption. Just drink alot regardless–especially at altitude..

I tried when i did the south part of the cape wrath trail to hike without a water bladder, i choosed a hike ( Scotland in april or may i dont remember ) for wich i shouldnt have too much sun , and i didnt got any it rained 8day/8 24h/24 only stopped for some snow.

But i missed my bladder….

I used to mountain bike a lot before doing more hiking and used a bladder all of the time. So that might be the reason i tend to use one for hiking. However last weekend when i was snowshoeing my hose froze so i wont be using the bladder for a few months.

Ditto, find the 2L bladders to be large and cumbersome.

I still like the regular 1L platys. Although as Mike mentioned, the thin crinkly water bottles are the lightest. My only issue with them is the volume profile since they're rigid, and take up kind of an odd shape compared to my other gear, I find the platy's more conforming to the available space I tend to have. I've also blown the caps off some of the really thin ones with the short caps (nestle water I think?).

Hoses etc, total PITA. I have a 2L Hoser, it wont fit in any of my packs.

I have a couple of hydration bladders, that were given to me as gifts. Tried them a couple of times, and really did not find them convenient. Sometimes I use 1L or 2L platys, but mostly 1L water bottles. Much more convenient for me.

One thing I will point out, is that a bladder and hose kit makes it much more convenient to drink and hike, thus easier to stay hydrated. When I tried the hydration bladders, I drank more water than usual.

Also, I would consider some of them "light."

A 3L Platypus Hoser weighs 4.25 ounces.
Three 1L platys weight 2.7 oz
Three 1L Aquafina bottles weight around 2.4 oz.
A 64oz (~ 2L) Gatorade bottle weighs 3.0oz.
A 2L platy weighs 1.3oz.

So if a hydration bladder works for you, then use it. You will not be banned from BPL :)

my 2l platy and cut down to size hose weights : 2,8oz /80g

if temps below -5°C i dont use the hose but above the freezing is manageable.

I briefly tried bladders but found that I was too lazy and didn't properly keep them clean and sanitary. Now I always use Gatorade bottles.

A man's gotta know his limitations.

"This is a site about lightweight backpacking"

The simplest solution is to carry as little water as possible.

I carry 0.5 liters in a lightweight soda bottle. 1 ounce. plus 1 pound for the water. If I was hardcore I'de use a water bottle – 1/2 ounce, but I prefer the slightly bigger opening of the soda bottle, a luxury item.

I do have a 4 liter Platypus bag that I carry from water source to camp.

I use gator-aid or similar bottles because of the wide mouths. When I drink I like to guzzle. With the gator-aid bottle I can easily get nearly two ounces per swallow.

My two person setup is a 3L bladder with a 1/4 turn shut-off valve instead of the bite valve.

We each carry 1/2 L bottles which are filled from the bladder. We reuse the thin water bottles, since they are light and not critical if they fail. We prefer drinking from bottles.

Water is critical, so I think the method for carrying water should be redundant.

I use a large aLOKSAK for capturing water from a source. These bags are very strong and light. The aLOKSAK is reused in the bear bag.

I use a pump filter. Filling the bladder and bottles is our long break. I will be moving to a gravity filter this season to save some weight.

Geeze, I'm gonna get slammed but here goes: I use the Katydyn bottle/filter combi. In the Sierras or Northwest I rarely fill it more than half-full–don't need to, there's water everywhere.Then, just scoop and drink. Water itself weighs far more than the container. If you filter, don't you pretty much want to fill the container up? With the Katadyn, there's no disadvantage to carrying a partially full water container. Plus, it's just so easy and fool-proof. Yes, the apparatus is heavy, but perhaps this is offset by the small amount of water that you need to carry.

In camp, I use this and a large collapsible lightweight nalgenish thingy I bought on this site I believe.

Like most of you, after much trial and error I finally found what works best for me and it's a combination of methods. I keep a Sawyer SP149 32oz water bottle in my pack's side pocket which holds enough water for a few hours usually. It has the filter built into it and weighs 5 oz. I love the Sawyer because I don't have to worry about chemical treatment time, just drink and go. In the other side pocket I keep a 1L Platy bladder filled with water. When the Sawyer runs out, I pour the Platy into the Sawyer and fold it up. The small mouth of the Platy lets me get water from even the smallest trickles. An aquafina bottle can too, but I like the collapsability(is that a word?) of the Platy. So, the whole system weighs less than 6oz and is very reliable.

Ryan

A bladder (depending on the trip) can be a great multi-use tool. When hiking in cold conditions I fill the bladder with warm water and take it into the sleeping bag with me, then throw a jacket/towel/buff around it and use it as a pillow.

It also makes a great holder for water for cooking when you aren't at a steady water source at camp.

Fill it with cold or hot water and use it as a compress. Even snow if its around.

Fill with warm water, hang from a tree, and you've got one of those little shower bags :)

I'm sure there are a lot more uses that justify the couple oz of weight added (of course a SUL hiker would never take one just because it has a weight). Actually, what if you filled it with Helium and tied it to your pack like a balloon? Then it has a negative weight ;) lol

As for taking it out of the pack to refill it, I never do this while on the trail. I hook the drinking tube up to my filter and pump right into the pack that way, works great.

I love the hands-free-ness of bladder/hose setup but digging a bladder out of my pack to refill is super-annoying. And cleaning is a pain.

I like to use two 1L Aquafina bottles w/ the Evernew drinking tube. I can get replacement bottles anywhere, they refill easily, I can keep them in side pockets, and they are cheap cheap cheap.

Instead of me buying and drinking all the different types, I thought I would be a bit lazy and ask you guys and gals. Of all the brands out there, which company has the lightest 1 Liter water bottle? I've used 32oz Powerade bottles for the season and loved them. Durable as hell and even hold hot water quite well; I take a weight penalty with them though.

What do you use and how much do they weigh?

A well used and worn in 1L Aquafina bottle weighs little and has a wide mouth.

As for taking it out of the pack to refill it, I never do this while on the trail. I hook the drinking tube up to my filter and pump right into the pack that way, works great.

james … what filter do you use if you dont mind me asking … sad to say, ive never thought of that one …

hmmmmm

Lightest might be Deer Park 1 L bottle at 21 grams.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/34201

The Aqua Fina bottles come in either wide (48 grams) or narrow mouth (34 grams).

I use the Katadyn "HEAVY ASS" Pocket filter.

It's heavy, but it's benefits out-shadow the weight for me. It's the heaviest thing I carry, but thats because I don't have to replace the water filter every trip, 10,000 gallons :)

So it's worth the weight to me, and it's bomb-proof

The other benefit is a Platy straw plugs right into the thing without the need for any adapters :)

darn and i was hoping for some unobtanium 1 oz filter …

thanks for the answer … sounds like an awfully good idea to pump the water through the filter and the tube if i can find something light enough