What is your preference: 1.) Some type of water bottle
2.) Bladder system

I prefer a water bottle. Bladder systems are nice, however I can never really tell when it is getting empty and run out at the most inopportune times. Also,they can be a bear to refile in a stream.

who says you have to choose.

I like a hydration 'bladder' for the convienence of walking and sipping, and i usually take an empty dasani or other type of water bottle, around the 16 oz. range. I do this so i can mix drinks like tang or propel, and i have a bottle to help fill the hydration bladder if the stream is 'technical'

I carry a 2 or 3 liter bladder (depending on where I'm hiking) and a 16oz Nalgene. I sip out of the bladder when hiking and use the nalgene as a backup if I run out of water. I also drink alot of Gatorade, so it's easier to make it in the Nalgene.

3L bladder.

I usually carry a 2 liter bladder, a powerade for meals, and an extra bottle of water for emergencies.

liter bottles

What is your preference: 1.) Some type of water bottle
2.) Bladder system

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I use a combination of the two. I carry a 1.8 Liter Platy w/drinking tube in my pack and a 20 oz gatorade bottle on my shoulder strap (secured with shock cord). That is for during the day when I'm hiking. If there is a chance that water sources will be scarce I also carry an empty 1 Liter Platy and fill it accordingly.

At night I fill a 4 Liter Platy and use that for dinner, breakfast and my starting water supply the next morning.

'Slogger

Your comments have been very helpful. Thank you !!

1 liter nalgene water bottle. No bladder.
You are supposed to drink water, not carry it.
Drink a lot, carry little. Springs are usually closer than 2 liters away on the AT. Water is very heavy.

3 liter bladder for water

Platy bottle for water/drink-mix

Agreed with other respondents here – I use a 2 litre bladder and a Nalgene as backup/help fill the bladder. I had preferred bottles, but my current pack (Atmos 50) doesn’t really lend itself well to bottles (to difficult to access while wearing it).
</O:p
The good thing about the Atmos is that the bladder can be carried within the mesh backpanel, so it’s actually visible when you take off your pack – don’t have to guesstimate how much you have.

2 Gatorade type bottles.

A Nalgene Cantene for dry camping and/or additional water carrying capacity.

I

What is your preference: 1.) Some type of water bottle
2.) Bladder system

While hiking I have two 20oz soda pop bottles of water flavored with whatever (iced tea, gatorade, powerade, crystal light, etc.). When I get to camp I refill the bottles and also fill my empty 2 liter platypus for making dinner and the following morning's breakfast.

:) T Minus 17.5 months and counting :)

I tried a bladder for a while, went back to bottles. A 1-liter Aqua Fina Bottle and a 1-liter Nalgene Cantene. The bladder is fine for drinking, but I could never keep the hose clean long-term.

Gatorade/Powerade bottles. I usually carry two of them.

For camp water, in case I want to dry camp, or in case the water source is one of those way-down-the-hill ones, I carry a flexible 2-liter pouch, empty and rolled up.

Two liter bladder in backpack because the water stays cooler and easier to sip while hiking.

Also have 32 oz nalgene for measuring while cooking and to keep from having to remove bladder from bag in camp.

Also have small water bottle to make gatorade, lemonade, etc...because they tend to make your bladder/nalgene sticky and taste funny.

Also, side note.....

Make sure you blow air into your bladder when bedding down for the night to release water siphon in tube. I occasionally forget and toss over in my tent to bump the mouthpeice, causing it to siphon out slightly onto my sleeping bag......

Totally sucks, but if you backflow the water, it won't happen.

I use a 2 L bladder, and take along both a 1 L nalgene and a collapsible, nylon water bag. The water bag weighs nothing, lets me get water from a source, take it back to camp and use it as I need (or share with others), thus saving another trip to the spring.

Both. You can make up drink mixes in the bottle (like a soda bottle), which I had for lunch or when I first arrived at camp. Great pick-me-up.

A combination of the two. 3 liter platy for bulk storage and a small 20 oz soda bottle for emergency backup and for when I want something other than plain water.

1L Sigg; almost 20 years old & hasn't ruptured/gotten damaged by fire.

2L bladder with 32 oz. Nalgene bottle for mixed drinks.

Both. My packs have a bladder pouch and a bottle pocket. I use my bladder as my primary until empty.

I'm using a combination at the moment. I've been a bottle-only guy, but got given a 2L camelbak in Hanover during my section hike this season. So far I like it, but it's a pain to refill during the day (due to where it's located in my pack) so I've come to fill the bladder in the morning, then use my bottle to drink from springs along the way during the day. This also allows me to use the bottle for mixing up powdered drinks and such so I don't need to clean the bladder as often.

I'm a bottle drinker, myself. ("Hydration systems" are for plants. ;) ) Last week I used 4 1.5 liter "Volvic" spring water bottles. They're square, so they're convenient and relatively space efficient. I strapped them together in a solid 1x4 block that was the backbone of my pack. Then I used 2 20oz plastic "coke" bottles to carry my day's supply up front. The two 20oz bottles also have the right thread to screw into my Hennessy Hammock tarp water catchment system funnels.

70oz Platypus with drinking tube ( I would take two of these if I were hiking in the current dry conditions in the south)
20 oz Gatorade bottle, it is a pain to eat a meal and drink from a tube.
16 oz nalgene, sugary mixes go here only. It can be boiled if necessary.