View Full Version : platypus
pawlinghiker
12-08-2013, 22:38
I was wondering how you guys dry out your soft water bottles ?
I just hung mine upside down but it still seems damp ...
Hang upside down with a paper towel rolled up and stuffed inside the hole. It helps prop open the inside and absorbs some moisture.
Wise Old Owl
12-08-2013, 23:06
cheap ass kit at Walmart complete with brushes and adjustable hanger to keep it open and dry.. worth every penny.
you could try a hair dryer, but I never get mine completely dry either. Just keep them clean, disinfect the interior for long storage with some kind of cleanser tablets and rinse them out well.
dale1627
12-09-2013, 01:04
I never dry mine. I clean it good, shake as much water out as possible and put it in the freezer until the next use.
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I hang my 2.4 L Platys rightside up with the cap off fully enlarged/inflated - not all rolled up like I store them in my pack while hiking or after they dried out after a hike. After a hike, and even about every two wks on trail, I rinse my platys out with cap full of unscented bleach or H2O2 mixed in with the Platy full w/ H20. I make sure to clean the cap and all male/female threads. Likewise, I do the same with other water bottles and cookware(pot, cup, pot lid, wind screen, cozy, spork, etc. Between these cleanings, while on trail, I occasionally rinse all the same with some fully disinfected w/ Aqua Mira H20. I'll also regularly disinfect my cut off tooth brush, etc. I'm always careful about what I put in my mouth while hiking including my fingers or scratching or picking at my skin(scratches, cuts, pimples, scabs, blisters, etc) or rubbing my eyes(mucus membranes) w/disinfected fingers as well. Good trail hygiene, without getting super anal about it like Felix Unger, can pay BIG dividends like not getting sidelined or sent home on a long distance hike.
pawlinghiker
12-09-2013, 01:21
I assume that freezing it empty is fine for the plastic ?
I am using one as a hot water bottle at night ( love it ) I think I will keep it separate from my drinking ones..
Great great product ....
I would personally go with the stuffing a paper towel inside to keep it open and absorbing some of the moisture and humidity. The freezer method sounds like a good idea but it's just an opinion, however, keep in mind that freezing temps only slow down the growth of bacteria, the process doesn't eliminate it. And freezing tends to dry things out and plastic does contain moisture and may become brittle after a time of the freezing and unfreezing process. But then again, I don't know, it's just a theory. But you may strike it down if you wish. Just don't threaten me with a good time.
good question. personally i don't put full strength anything in my Platys other than full strength pure trail water(little AM in there though). I also am not in the habit of putting boiling water or letting my Platys freeze solid if I can, harshly throwing them around, sitting on them, dropping them on the ground, and am ever mindful of them on the outside of my pack. ALL, especially when close to being full. I'm not in the habit of filling them up to the very tippy top either. I usually leave a couple of inches of air at the very top NOT FULLY stressing the seams! I've had two 2.4 Platys fail w/ small pin prick holes on desert hikes(easily duct taped until I could better fix them) and one the seam around the hard cap insert failed in 20K + trail miles of using Platys. So much for being so fragile!
If you want more exact usage advice I would go directly to the Cascade Designs site which is the company that I think now owns the rights to/ makes Platypus Reservoirs.
HeartFire
12-09-2013, 06:24
I've been storing mine in the freezer between hikes for over 6 yrs. Never had a problem with it.
rocketsocks
12-09-2013, 08:07
cheap ass kit at Walmart complete with brushes and adjustable hanger to keep it open and dry.. worth every penny.
This^
the brushes is what I was after, and the hanger thing that came with it was a bonus in my book, it's just so easy...and cheap.
Drybones
12-09-2013, 09:55
I don't. If I used it to drink from I'd store it in the freezer and purify it occassionally with bleach.
rocketsocks
12-09-2013, 10:00
I like that freezer trick.
I hang mine upside-down on the clothesline for as many dry days as it takes. Generally several, as the clothesline is mostly in the shade.
theinfamousj
12-09-2013, 13:43
At home, I fill it with water and toss in a denture tab. After giving it 24 hours of denture soak, I stick my incredibly long handled wooden cooking spoon in a cup and prop the platy upside down over the spoon's handle (works a treat to keep the bag open). Then I forget about it for a week. When I remember, it is dry.
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da fungo
12-09-2013, 15:39
If you really want to get the inside dry, you can do what I do occasionally:
Get a cheap ass aquarium pump from Wal-Mart, and a length of polyethylene tubing. (DO NOT get a pump and tubing that's been used in a fish tank!) Put the tubing into the mouth of the platy; plug the pump in; and let it run overnight. Works best if you do it in a relatively dry location.
MuddyWaters
12-09-2013, 18:55
A lot of paranoia about a tiny fraction of a gram of moisture here.
Drybones
12-09-2013, 19:03
A lot of paranoia about a tiny fraction of a gram of moisture here.
That's what I was thinking, but then I rarely treat water either.
levibarry
12-09-2013, 19:18
Only have water in mine but still clean them after a hike. Use about 2 tbs. bleach and about 1/2 fill with water. Rinse good and then leave off cap and let air dry on there side.
bessiebreeze
12-09-2013, 22:51
Rinse them out well, then hang them upside down over the air conditioner or heater vent in one of your rooms. This takes a few days usually, but gets them completely dry. If you pack them away with moisture in them, it seems like you will have mold problems.
slbirdnerd
12-10-2013, 13:42
When I get home I fill mine with some water (1/3 full maybe), add a tiny bit of bleach, put the lid on, shake it up, empty, rinse, repeat until you're satisfied it's not bleachy. Mine are bottles, not bags (Platy and the Sawyer Squeeze bags) so you can get them to stay open and stand up. I just leave them sit on the kitchen counter until they are pretty much dry.
Kc Fiedler
12-15-2013, 20:12
I usually just put some water in it, a little dish soap, and shake it up. Then rinse it out, puff it open by blowing on it and then prop it upside down on a towel to dry with the lid off. Takes about two days to dry, but it's bone dry and I've never had any problems after years of using platy bottles. No need to rub, scrub, or buy anything.