View Full Version : Bladders versus Bottles
keidallmer
07-19-2009, 23:06
Alright, my major concern for on the trail is that my water bladder is going to be crushed by the weight from my pack and explode. Should I bring a bottle or keep the bladder?
Lone Wolf
07-19-2009, 23:08
bottle, no bladder. they all leak and get cruddy
Depends on if you like drinking from a tube. I don't. Not to mention the other hassles and concerns you and LW have mentioned, to which I'll add luke warm water. I like to take a draught of good cold water nearly every time it presents itself. A bladder system isn't very well adapted to doing that well, and in warm weather, the water gets unpleasantly warm fast . . . blah!
Johnny Swank
07-19-2009, 23:19
I've given up on bladders too. Bottles and holsters work for me.
I bring both a liter bottle and a 4 liter bladder with a hydration hose. My bladder has never leaked on me. I carry it at or near the top of my pack.
Panzer
Love the bladder, convenient. The only issue I had once, just once, it leaked in the car heading to the trail head, cause the pack fell over.
Love the bladder, who doesn't love the bladder?
I like both. While I'm walking I prefer the convenience of my MSR Cloudliner drinking system. If water is scarce and I need to travel with a backup, or if I will be cooking or making drinks other than water, I will carry an extra Nalgene bottle or two. If I'm over nighting, I sometimes bring along my Platy water tank too, so I can bring extra water for cooking/cleaning up/bathing. If I am on a multi-day hike and especially if I have my girlfriend with me, I also bring my Sea to Summit Pocket Shower. If there is a water source near my camp and I don't have to carry the water far, I have really enjoyed being able to do a little more hygiene than just a bird bath while outdoors away from facilities.
I think it all just depends on what you find most convenient. I will say however that I do not trust water bladders inside my pack due to fear of leakage (I lash them outside pack). By the same token, I am also a gas stove fan, but won't put the fuel bottle anywhere inside my main pack compartment due to the possibility for leaks. I also never put anything besides just filtered/chlorinated water in my bladders so I can keep them clean.
Here's a list with links of my entire hydration system. I don't usually carry all of it since I'm not currently doing anything long distance, but have all of my bases covered for the various hikes I've been doing lately.
http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Nalgene-Wide-Mouth-Tritan-Bottle-32oz/EQU0030M.html
http://www.gr8gear.com/catalog/Bags/Hydration-Systems/MSR-CloudLiner-25-Liter/
http://www.campsaver.com/ItemMatrix.asp?Pt=&GroupCode=pla0004&MatrixType=2
http://www.travelcountry.com/shop/sea-to-summit/outdoor-accessories/sea-to-summit-pocket-shower.html?RefId=29&RefType=Affiliate
http://www.backcountry.com/outdoorgear/Katadyn-Vario-Dual-Technology-MicroFilter/EXT0059M.html
Chlorine drops:
http://www.organize.com/2-ounce-drop-dispensing-container.html
There are lots of choices out there. Find the best solution for you.
shelterbuilder
07-19-2009, 23:49
I'm sort of "old school", and I like the bottles. Having said that, I'll admit that I have - and use - Platys. But they are for carrying extra water. The bottle is for drinking - every time that I take a drink, I can SEE exactly how much water I have left. With a bladder and tube, who knows (until you run dry:eek:).
Besides, having to get the bottle out of its bag means an extra break! (Yeah, you can see where MY head is at.)
Wise Old Owl
07-20-2009, 00:04
My bladder won't explode - just get a lot older.
medicjimr
07-20-2009, 01:28
I like the convience of the bladders , less stopping to filter water. I have a 3 lt camel back which has it's own removable condura sleeve it protects the bladder and helps to keep contents cool. I also carry an emtpy 2 lt platypus for at camp.
Survivor Dave
07-20-2009, 01:52
bottle, no bladder. they all leak and get cruddy
Agreed. I use 2- 1 liter Mountain Dew bottles. No need for cleaning, just buy another along the way.
Bladders are $30+ and it's a bit difficult to see how much you have left if you put it inside the pack sleeve. Some folks carry it on the outside of their packs though.
I also carry a Platypus bag for getting into camp H20.
i like bladders, put mine on top of my stuff, only had a problem a couple of times (once my needle poked a hole into it, the other time i didn't have the hose screwed on all the way...
Nasty Dog Virus
07-20-2009, 08:04
(2) 32oz Gatorade bottles....all you'll ever need and lighter than a bladder or nalgenes. Easily replaced in any town...
My 3 liter camelback has never been a problem inside the pack. I do need to clean it every few weeks for sure though and, as mentioned above, one does not know just how much water is left without pulling it out and checking. I take one or two water-gatorade-soda bottles along for the side pockets as my "reserve" and breaktime water & use the camelback for camp.
Sure, what's in the tube becomes warm fast but the rest stays cool as long or longer than the little bottles in my side pockets.
Not an experienced backpacker, but last trip I used a 3 litre MSR bladder as an in-pack bulk resevoir. I've had leak problems with other cheap ones. Then used a handheld Amphipod (http://www.runningwarehouse.com/descpage-AHHBP.html ) to drink from. In the hand-held I put a new slice of lime everyday for an extra twist.
Jayboflavin04
07-20-2009, 09:42
I carry a 2L platy and lay it on top in my pack....no need to fight the hydrations sleeve. I also carry a 2nd 2L platy(empty) for camp and a empty nalgene(drinks and measuring). They platy"s are for h20 only!
gearfreak
07-20-2009, 09:59
I've used a Platypus bladder and drinking tube but prefer to carry a 20oz. Gatorade bottle in each side mesh pocket of my pack. I carry the empty bladder to gather extra water at camp. I don't miss guessing how much water I have left or the 2 plus pounds at the top of my pack. The bottle setup moves that weight down where it should be. :cool:
I too have come to prefer bottles.
bladders are nice for camp but the tube thing with the bite nipple doesn't please me.
I figured out a way to get easy access to my water bottle.
I take a ball bungee (http://www.canopymasters.com/bungee.htm) adjust it for length to fit the bottle I'm using and hang my water bottle from one of my pack traps in the front. I use a Gatorade bottle with a indent in the top of the container that the bungee fits into.
No groping around for an out of sight side pack pocket.
3 Liter camelback bladder and a bottle for mixing up electrolyte mix...never had a problem.
sixhusbands
07-20-2009, 10:12
I use the bladder for both backpacking and long distance running and I have not had any problems. The bladders ( 3litre and 1 litre)are wide mouth for easy filling and I have and insulated tube that I bought for winter hiking. It works fantastic for keeping the tube water cool in the hot summer days. But either way bottle or bladder, you just can not beat a fresh drink right out of the mountain streams
ShelterLeopard
07-20-2009, 10:15
Huge fan of bottles- I carry two nalgenes and two empty poland spring bottles, that I use to carry water I'm going to cook with or drink in camp, so I don't have to go back to a faraway water source.
(I don't trust bladders)
The site of a thousand opinions! And they're all right, go figure. I use a bladder to drink while walking, trying to get the bottles in and out of the pack sleeves are a pain and how many times can you ask for help. Yea I know buy a pack that you can reach your bottles but when its full and on the trail is different then trying it on in the store. I use a nalgene for cook water, a Gatorade type bottle for electrolyte stuff. When I hit streams/water sources its always a good time for a break, I fill the bladder from the nalgene and add treated water to the nalgene. My system.
My main water "thingy" is a 2 L Platy bladder, for Gatorade & other flavored mixes is a 1 L Gatorade bottle & for extra water is an old 2 L Platty. The old platty has started to de-laminate from being left in my very hot car too many times, but it is still water tight. I have used it only 3 times to get to "dry camps" with enough water for the night & get me going in the AM.
I don't yet know how I am carrying the bladder, I have a new pack (ULA Ohm) & still am working this out*. The Gatorade bottle is in my right side pocket & that works well. The spare bladder is rolled up & in my pack's front net pocket, just like in the previous 2 packs.
*I think it will be inside the pack, can't decde if in front, back or on top.
I used the bladder on top of my pack also and I carry 2 bottles as back up, I hate hiking in the summer and running out of water
ShelterLeopard
07-20-2009, 13:10
Though I have to say, once I get hiking faster and farther and with fewer breaks, I may go for the bladder. (As of right now, I like stopping and getting my water bottle out, but when I get in better shape, we'll see)
Berserker
07-20-2009, 13:30
Bladder. I use a 1 liter platy Hoser that sits in the side pocket of my pack. It's the perfect spot. Keeps the weight close to your back, if it leaks it just drains out on the ground (hadn't had one leak yet), it's not sitting up against your back so the water stays cold, and it's easy to pull out to check and refill. I carry an extra 1 liter platy for camp, and situations where I need to carry more than a liter of water.
Used to use a 2 liter Camelback inside my pack. Filled it up at the beginning of the day cause I didn't want to have to pull it out. It worked well but I couldn't get to it to refill it easily, and I was carrying a lot of extra water weight.
Don't like using bottles. It's easier to grab the hose sitting right on my chest than to wrestle a bottle out of one of the pockets on the pack.
It's easier to grab the hose sitting right on my chest than to wrestle a bottle out of one of the pockets on the pack.Not with my pack:
http://images.nittanyweb.com/scs/images/products/21/large/gregory_mt_products_gregory_whitney_backpack_77_97 l_b2040_p9284.jpg
Notice the insulated holder at the bottom right on my hip. There's a bungie-type fastener that goes over the bottle neck that keeps it from falling out too - cool. :cool:
Powerade bottles for me. The flattened side makes them easy to grip.
bullseye
07-20-2009, 18:29
First of all Keidallmer, hello neighbor!:D
If your using a quality bladder you will minimize the likelyhood of it failing. If your really worried carry it on top like others here have suggested. That's how I carry mine.
I like using a hose setup, but stay away from the larger bladders. The main problem I've had with the larger sized bladders inside my pack is I don't check them, and run out of water. I used to carry a 3L MSR dromerdary bag and ran out of water twice in the summer. Now I carry two 1.5L Nalgene Canteens with the MSR hose adapter and have no problems. When bladder 1 runs out I change over and start looking for a refill for the empty bladder. You don't have to fill them both to the top, but you can if you need to. Also, I find I tend to drink more w/ a hose vs a bottle.
I know that more info than you're looking for, but I hope it helps.;)
Some like bladders..some like bottles. Being a KISS kind of guy, I prefer bottles.
(Unless it is boxed wine, then I prefer bladders. Beer bottles are too heavy. :D)
At the end of the day, it is just a personal preference with no right or wrong.
100 oz Camelbak Omega Hydro Tanium with shut off valve and big bite block and a .75L bottle. Go to backpacker.com and watch the video of a full size truck running over the bladder and it is still in perfect shape.
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RITBlake
07-20-2009, 21:37
Two 32 ounce gatorade bottles (one in each hip pocket) while walking works for me. I carry a spare 2L Platy Bag in my pack for use in and around camp.
WILLIAM HAYES
07-20-2009, 21:45
I carry two nalgene bottles I use to carry a bladder but it eventually leaked and in the winter I found the drinking tube had a tendency to freeze up . with nalgene bottles in the winter I use insulated holsters and turn them upside down . in the summer i also l carry an extra 32 oz power aid bottle mainly for extra water to cook with when I stop for the nite.
I use 2 1 liter bottles. I can't stand the plastic taste of those tubes. I hang them from a caribiner off my shoulder straps, then pull my chest strap over the caribiners to keep the bottles from bouncing. This way I don't have to take my pack off to take a drink, I can see how much water I always have and if I decide not to filter, ie: the water is coming out of a spring, I don't even have to take my pack off to get more. See the pattern? I'm basically lazy and don't want to take my pack off. I carry a 1 liter platy with me in case I need extra water to dry camp. It looks funny having those bottles dangling from my straps, but I don't care, it works well for me.
MikenSalem
07-20-2009, 22:50
3 Ltr camel back for the day, a Sawyer bottle with filter for a fast cool slug of water. I use it to top off the bladder with a liter of water at lunch and late afternoon. I don't stay out for weeks so I haven't had any problems with slime growing. Also I use Aquamira in the water so I'm hoping it keeps the bladder clean too. then there's a 20 oz Dew bottle for mixes.
BitBucket
07-20-2009, 23:24
Had a 3 liter Camelbak that popped along the bottom seal....I replaced it with a Platy but really now only use the bladder as a storage device...bottle's are cheap and the way to go throughout the day..
I've got a quick disconnect adapter on the bladder so I can fill it directly from my filter w/o removing it from the pack and can refill the bottles on the go in between stops....much easier to deal with....
i like a bladder and 2 bottles. mostly i drink from the bottles and leave the bladder empty. however i fill all up upon arriving to camp and then i've got enough water for dinner, the evening, breakfast and my early morning chug.
also i've hit dry stretches where it's been needed to have more than a bottle or 2. i wouldn't want to cross the cumberland valley right now on 2 bottles of water. i also heard water is scarce in northern PA
I switched to a stainless steel bottle from plastic Nalgenes and bladders. I still use bladders on occasion, but you shouldn't put anything but water into them or the taste will be nearly impossible to remove. Also - rinse them with a mild bleach and water solution (actually, soak them overnight) after returning from a short trip.
You can boil water in a stainles bottle - can't do that in a bladder (unless you're Les Stroud - I saw him do that once on Survivorman, but it took him a loooooong time and I bet the water tasted awful!
Last weekend I boiled water in my water bottle and rehydrated noodles and oatmeal in a cup - no cookset.
Berryj121
07-23-2009, 10:23
I carry a 50 oz bladder, and then 1.5 liter cheap bottled water, usually 2-3. I have a seperate part in my pack for the bladder, and I keep anything I want to stay dry in a huge ziplock storage bacg, see link
http://www.ziploc.com/?p=b8
I just refill the bladder with water from the bottles. I tend to drink alot so the weight isn't an issue for me. I have never had them bust but if the did, the ziplock bag protects the things I want dry.
I use bottles for several reasons. I know a lotta people say they never had a bladder leak but I have seen it more than once. Also I like to see what water I have left so I can conserve what I have and not run out when I really need it. Lastly the cost and maintenance of the bladder. My Aquafina bottles are like a buck and a half and can replace them when I need a new one. I dont have to worry about cleaning when I get home and no mold issues to deal with. Like a lotta others, I can grab my bottles while I hike, I usually dont even need to stop walking to get them out. I also strap my headlight to the bottom of the bottle in camp to make a nice lantern.
fredmugs
07-23-2009, 12:21
I've had a bladder go bad on me so I always bring a nalgene bottle as well. I keep about 12 ounces in it as a backup to when/if the bladder goes dry. Plus it's easier to drink from during long breaks or at the end of the day.
Berserker
07-23-2009, 14:12
Not with my pack:
http://images.nittanyweb.com/scs/images/products/21/large/gregory_mt_products_gregory_whitney_backpack_77_97 l_b2040_p9284.jpg
Notice the insulated holder at the bottom right on my hip. There's a bungie-type fastener that goes over the bottle neck that keeps it from falling out too - cool. :cool:
:eek: I don't know what Gregory pack that is, but it looks big and heavy. I enjoy the simplicity of having a pack that is just one compartment to throw everything in at once, and it's a lot lighter. To each his own...or HYOH...however you want to put it. Oh yeah, and the end of the hose is about 9" from my mouth. So still a little more simple than the bottle in the holster, which you have to pull out and then take the lid off of (or pop open the top) to drink from...not to argue...I'm just sayin'...:D
On a side note, I weighed some Nalgene bottles. A 16 oz wide mouth weighs 3.21 oz, and a 32 oz wide mouth weighs a whopping 6.35 oz. In contrast, a 1 liter platy bottle with a cap weighs 0.92 oz. So basically you could carry 6 one liter platys for the weight of one 32 oz Nalgene. The soda/Gatorade bottles are a much better choice from a weight standpoint for bottle users (20 oz Gatorade bottle is 1.52 oz, and 32 oz Gatorade bottle is 1.80 oz).
:eek: I don't know what Gregory pack that is, but it looks big and heavy.It's the older model Whitney and yes it's 6 lbs or so with 5400 cu in volume. I can get everything I carry inside, rather than have a 1/3 of one's gear strapped to the outside like I see a lot of ULers doing . . . like you say, to each his own.
I prefer carrying two 1-liter plastic water bottles and an empty 1-liter blatter as a back-up in case water starts becoming scarce. Plastic water bottles don't weight that much more than a blatter, they are definitely lighter than hard containers, they can handle more abuse, and you can recycle them instead of having to clean them out like a blatter when you're done with them. Also, using water bottles helps me with water management. It can be all too easy to go through all your water when you use a drinking tube and you can't see your blatter since it's packed away.
spirit4earth
08-18-2009, 19:01
a lot of you are saying that you carry the bladder at the top of your pack. inside? outside? just laying across the top? don't mean to be dense, but what do you mean?
flemdawg1
08-18-2009, 19:27
I carry the bladder on the side, down in the bottle pocket w/ the compression strap coming across the top and threaded thru the cap loop.
I like the Platty bladders. Never had one "explode". Not sure how folks are carrying their bladders that they complain about them getting warm so fast. Mine stays nice and cool buried deep in my pack. I place my sleeping pad against the back of my pack as a frame sheet, the bladder holster hangs over this, surrounded by all my pack contents. Water stays cold for hours. To gauge how much, just slide a hand in during a break, and "heft" the bladder. You'll get pretty good at judging. I usually pull mine out at lunch too, to get a totally accurate measure, can then judge if I need to re-fill before camp or not, based on the day.
The only time my bladder has leaked is when I set the pack down on top of the bite valve - my clumsiness. A simple on/off valve added to the end has solved that dilema.
I have seen one friend's platty leak around the hard plastic that is part of the threads for the cap, but this was a platty with over 1100 miles on it and it was just a slow leak, not catastrophic.
I like the convenience of the platty hydration tube.
Note: Mice will chew the bite valve so protect it in the shelters at night. I learned this lesson X 2!!!!
I used two platys on my recent Wind River hike. First time and probably the last. I don't like the "fiddle factor" of positioning the bladder and the tube and the sucking like a baby to drink. Never seemed to get enough water. I prefer being able to chug and glug when I want to hydrate.
The only thing I see positive about the bladder is being able to collapse as it emptys.
Alright, my major concern for on the trail is that my water bladder is going to be crushed by the weight from my pack and explode. Should I bring a bottle or keep the bladder?
I started carrying a Kleen Kanteen 40 oz. stainless bottle last fall. It makes a superior hot water bottle for cold weather camping when the sleeping bag isn't quite warm enough. Not ultralight, but ultradurable and multipurpose.
Wise Old Owl
08-18-2009, 22:25
Nagalene
Bladders
Gatorade Bottles
From a guy who remembers how to soak a canteen canvas to keep it cool by evaporation.
I hate Nagalene – overrated except in a few areas – pee bottles and soaking beans, and hydrating pasta (Obviously not in the same bottle)
Bladders – Well nothing lasts forever, the last one well over five years and then one day the o ring disappeared. I took a sun shield from the dollar store and made a tight foam & silver bag to keep heat transferring from my bag or the heat of the summer transferring to the water. I super chill the water before filling. I refill from mountain springs and the water stays chilled!
Yup I take empty Gatorade bottles to mix drinks so the funk doesn’t happen in the bladder. Weight’s nothing.