Reservoir or Bottles?

[ferdinand the bull]

Platypus 100oz or three platypus softbottle water bottles?

While hiking the At in 10' i carried a reservoir and loved it. I drank substantially more water, It allowed me to carry mass, and it was easy to fill. That all being said I've noticed some of the 'greats' the hikers who have gone further than most drive using bottles rather than reservoirs and also had a friend who swore by them. Is there anything to this? Going with three soft bottles saves a little over 2 ounces, which isn't substantial for the benefit of better hydration.


I'd love to hear WhiteBlaze's opinions.

Thanks a lot, all the best,
David.

[Northern Lights]

I use a reservoir. Only because I never want to run out of water. So I have a 3 litre and I carry a nalgene bottle or gatorade bottle as well. I still ran out of water on my section of the smokies though. So in the end it is whatever you are comfortable with.

[rocketsocks]

I agree, in the long run a couple extre oz. are negligible, some may say "but your carrying that extra oz. for 2,200 miles"...to me it's still just a couple oz.

for me the soft platy's and soft plastic water bottles stay, not sure I'd bring my camel back on a thru tho...to heavy it's all very hair splitting

[Mountain Mike]

Depends on where & when. AT isn't known for long dry stretches & I can plan out water to next point. I also like to know how much I have left. I like a bladder when setting up camp to avoid trips to water source. I also use it as a reserve on long dry places like on PCT. I recently have come to love brita bottle. I use it in daily life. Has carbon filter for taste, lighter than a nalgene & loop to clip to a strap for easy access.

[ferdinand the bull]

I'll be out west so carrying at least up to 3l at times will be needed. I'm really trying to see if there are any benifits to carrying a soft bottle over a reservoir. The 2oz is the trade off for no brainier hydration.

[Hosaphone]

Both. One 1L bottle, and a 3L bladder. If I did desert hiking I'd probably break it up into multiple bladders/bottles for safety.

I like bottles because you can do drink mixes, see how much you have left, and more easily replace them if/when they get gross, plus they come with gatorade/powerade inside them so that's a nice bonus

On the other hand, bladders are great because they take up basically no room when empty. So it works out well for me to just use the 1L bottle 95% of the time, and then use the bladder if I need to tank up for whatever reason. 4L worth of bottles would be really bulky and annoying to deal with.

[atmako]

I carry several,(3) 2 liter platapus bottles(light and take up little space when empty) and a 20 oz.empty coke bottle.I find this combo allows me to carry a small amount of water or camel up should the need arise due to water supply,In addition it allows me to fill up at night for an evening meal and hydration with water for the next morning with enough to start the next day off.I don't mind stopping to get a drink,if you prefer to use a bite tube to drink on the go then you might want to go the reservior route.Note that bite tubes can leak or if your not careful can be pulled loose,in addition to freezing.

[MuddyWaters]

I carry 2 - 1L water bottles. 1.55 oz total
If I need to carry more I bring a 2L platypus.
I dont bring the platy on the AT. Its not needed, 2L capacity is more than plenty most of time.

I use packs with side pockets that hold the water bottles (Ohm & circuit)
I can reach back and remove a water bottle, drink, and replace it while walking.
Some arent limber enough, and dont realize the full value of this setup
Never have to remove pack to fill up either.
And zero chance of water leaking inside pack.

[Rasty]

Two Gatorade bottles (1 usually empty) and a 20 ounce Aquafina bottle attached to my shoulder strap for quick access.

[ferdinand the bull]

I carry 2 - 1L water bottles. 1.55 oz total
If I need to carry more I bring a 2L platypus.
I dont bring the platy on the AT. Its not needed, 2L capacity is more than plenty most of time.

I use packs with side pockets that hold the water bottles (Ohm & circuit)
I can reach back and remove a water bottle, drink, and replace it while walking.
Some arent limber enough, and dont realize the full value of this setup
Never have to remove pack to fill up either.
And zero chance of water leaking inside pack.

The Leaking is a great point, I never had an issue with my Camelbak over the months on the AT but that is for sure a concern that is non existent with bottles. I was carrying a Vapor Trail back then and those water bottle holders were less than easy to grab on the go so using ULA opens up new doors.

I dug the fact that I drank so much water while carrying a bladder but, that doesn't mean I can't do the same with a bottle and good self awareness.

Good call.

To everyone using Gatorade/coke bottles one thing you should be wary of is the bpa and leaching from that low grade plastic. I carried a Gatorade bottle for a few hundred miles on a hike and then someone brought this to my attention, I haven't been able to really use them since.

[Hosaphone]

To everyone using Gatorade/coke bottles one thing you should be wary of is the bpa and leaching from that low grade plastic. I carried a Gatorade bottle for a few hundred miles on a hike and then someone brought this to my attention, I haven't been able to really use them since.

After doing a moderate amount of research, I came to the conclusion that I have better things to worry about than BPA from water bottles. I think the dangers of it are over-hyped. That's just me, though. Read the studies and come to your own conclusions.

[Mountain Mike]

After doing a moderate amount of research, I came to the conclusion that I have better things to worry about than BPA from water bottles. I think the dangers of it are over-hyped. That's just me, though. Read the studies and come to your own conclusions.

Have to agree, but then again I grew up drinking tap water out of a garden hose. Some times even the nasty warm stuff.

[rocketsocks]

After doing a moderate amount of research, I came to the conclusion that I have better things to worry about than BPA from water bottles. I think the dangers of it are over-hyped. That's just me, though. Read the studies and come to your own conclusions.

Totally agree, you can't shield yourself from every thing...something is gonna get cha, I'll waste no more time on that one! I'd be more concerned if the cap fits right...

[tds1195]

I'll typically bring a 2L Camelbak along and either a Gatorade bottle or a 1L platypus (sometimes all 3). I think it really depends on what fits in your pack best and how much water you want to have on you.

[ferdinand the bull]

To each his own, for me bpa, etc are things I care about. A platypus or nalgene is bpa free for those who care, cheap, and easy to pack away.

[leaftye]

Use whatever fits your hiking style better, even if it weighs more.

I personally avoid hydration systems because they allow me to skip breaks. I'm able to hiker further with short hourly breaks.

Each type of water carrier has its own benefits and drawbacks.

Bottles make it easy to determine how much water is left, is easiest to fill, is tough as nails, holds water even if the lid is lost, but is bulky. Hydration systems allow hydrating while walking. Collapsible bottles only add bulk when extra capacity is needed. Evernew bladders and some bottles are compatible with the Sawyer Squeeze filter system.

[jeffmeh]

I do appreciate the bladder and drink tube, but on a thru-hike I would not want the hassle of keeping the tube clean. I would go with disposable bottles (I also think the BPA risks are greatly exaggerated), and a collapsible bladder or two for loading up when needed.

[JAK]

I've been trying for a while to come up with a way of combining my two water flasks as my heatable mug/pots. I did manage to find two 750ml stainless steel flasks with a wide enough mouth to get in with a spoon and towel, but they are too heavy at 5.5oz each plus another 0.75oz for the plastic lids. The idea is that you could use them as water carriers, hot water bottles, and cook pots. If they were aluminum or titanium, and just a little shorter and wider, they might be 2.0 oz each with lid which would be great.

I've thought of making something from a aluminum can, but don't like the BPA linings. Most plastic bottles these days are BPA free but tend to get heavy if they are to be strong enough to use as hot water bottles at near boiling.

So that is the real quest, to have a total system that combines...
1. Carrying Capacity
2. Hot and Cold drinks accessible while on the move
3. Ability to heat over fire
4. Ability to use as Hot Water Bottles
5. Ability to get in with a spoon and to clean
6. Minimum Weight, like 2oz each for about 700ml
7. Rugged or readily available for DIY replacement along trail
8. Ideally combined into two containers, or four nested into two

[leaftye]

To everyone using Gatorade/coke bottles one thing you should be wary of is the bpa and leaching from that low grade plastic. I carried a Gatorade bottle for a few hundred miles on a hike and then someone brought this to my attention, I haven't been able to really use them since.

Have you researched this, or are you relying on information from some random person?

BPA is typically from polycarbonate, which you typically won't find in disposable bottles.

Other types of plastics will leach other chemicals. That strange plastic taste or smell? That's chemicals leeching out of the plastic. Check those out those other types of plastic too. If you don't want these chemicals, you're going to have to use glass, steel or titanium bottles. Water treatment may be a problem since filters are generally made from plastic, and Aqua Mira is in plastic bottles too.

[JAK]

There is no BPA in plastic bottles made of Polyethylene or Polypropylene. There is BPA in the inner linings of aluminum beverage cans and some aluminum water bottles, but amount released depends on heat.

I think I will go with my two x 6.25oz 750ml stainless flask/pots for now, for the functionality. If I find a lighter alternative I will shave off 8oz, but I have something to work with for now so I am working on the best wood/oil/alcohol stove/windscreen for heating and cooking with them.