Anyone move away from Water Bladders?

Carry water bottles. Have a bladder, its heavy and leaks. Bottles are ~free. Get them from 2L apple juice with wide mouth. Carry Aquafina 1.5L bottles wide mouth. Mutliple. IF one springs a leak no big deal.

Most of you seem to hike where the streams aren't all that cold. Snowmelt. Don't know about you, but trying to fill up a bladder is SLOW.

IF you ever hike in Fall/Winter/Spring when it freezes, said bladder won't do you much good as its hose freezes and boink goes your water source.

IF there is a stream without a lake above it or a trail above it I just drink directly from the stream. Same with snowmelt if its not near where people camp. Yea, I carry some iodine pills otherwise here in the PNW, there is no need to carry lots of water with you unless you are going on a ridge rock climb. Even then only need 3L of water for drinking cooking overnight and morning.

Bladders = heavy but convenient as they all have to have a protective cordura nylon cover over them, but bottles in a huge number of packs are easily accessible without taking pack off. Large packs for the most part this is not true. Packs by McHale/ULA etc one can easily access their water. If you have a pack with front pockets, put a small water bottle in there if you aren't into taking pictures and like to just hike hike hike the miles away. Personally I go for the pictures as memories. Eh, hem screen saver. Why else do I have a 60" plasma screen? Forget movies, PICTURES!

Drink a Liter/QUart or more at begining of your hike. You will need to take a leak later, but won't be stopping for water breaks and you will feel far better when you are hydrated instead of dehydrated.

I never used bladders until last year. I can tell you though that I'd rather not go without one. My Platy 3.0L bladder weighs 3.7 oz. That's pretty light. A 16 oz. Nalgene weighs that. I bought the 3.0L because I can carry anything up to 3.0L when it is really hot or a long way to water. I like being able to drink whenever I need to. And I like not having to expend energy to get a bottle from a side pocket. I'm not a hi-miler. I just do 5-10 miles a day and I want to do it in reletive comfort. I think bladders are great. I consider them up there with trekking poles. Want those two things anytime I'm on the trail. I also bring one or two Gatorade bottles. They are under two ounces each and can accept a Steripen, which I am going to start using this year. As usual, we all have different needs, and therefore you get differing responses. Good luck

Hi Mark,

Here's a few weights for bottles I have personally weighed, all 1L:

Store Brand Water = 1.05 oz.
Store Brand Water = 1.40 oz. (diff store, flavored water of some type)
Aquafina = 1.50 oz.
Gatorade = 1.90 oz. has wider mouth and can accept a Steripen.

All these are signifantly lighter than a 16 fluid ounce Nalgene, which is 3.5 oz.

Hope this helps. (I thought there was a reason I kept this info.)

In terms of durability, cost, wide-mouth, and weight I've found the Snapple 1L (w/out label) to be very good.

Weight is 1.6oz / 46g per bottle

Can't complain about the $2 cost either.

I've use these for a couple years now in lieu of Platys of other bladders that have not cut the mustard for my usage. I have tried the bladder method (w/tube and w/out) and have gone back to the L/W bottles after much trial and error.

Best of luck in your refinement/personal hunt!

Pulling this thread out of retirement because I haven't yet seen a response similar to what I'm about to post.

Whether or not I use a 2L bladder really depends on the style of backpacking. A lot of times my backpacking serves as a base camp for summits or climbs. When I'm summiting, I usually want to move fast to avoid weather changes, so having a bladder really helps. I also usually need more water capacity and having quick access to water ensures I'm staying hydrated (at least on the way up). If I'm just backpacking, I don't bring along a bladder, and instead just use a couple 2L platys. I use 2L platys because doing bulk treatment at camp is pretty nice.

Typical base camp approach:
1) Fill each with .5L or 1L.
2) Hike to camp, refilling each with .5L or 1L.
3) Arrive at camp.
4) Treat 5L or 6L.
5) Drink 1L with/after dinner.
6) Sleep.
7) Drink 1L with/after breakfast.
8) Leave for summit/climb with 2L or 3L: 1L or 2L in bladder, 1L in platy (summit/treeline break or emergency use).
9) 1L in the second platy is left back at camp so I can have water immediately upon return from summit/climb if things take longer than expected (i.e. weather delays, injuries).

Typical backpacking approach:
1) Fill each with .5L or 1L.
2) Hike to camp, refilling each with .5L or 1L.
3) Arrive at camp.
4) Treat 3L or 4L.
5) Drink 1L with/after dinner.
6) Sleep.
7) Drink 1L with/after breakfast.
8) Leave camp each with .5L or 1L.

I also use bladders in conjunction with a platys for a lot for day hikes/climbs, in the same was as the base camp approach, above.