View Full Version : Camel Back blatter any good?
gravityman
05-12-2004, 18:19
We've used our MSR blatters for all our backpacking.
They seem to get a pretty bad taste after a while, and then when we bleach them, they really take the bleach taste. The tubes also get pretty funky.
We use camelbaks for mountain biking, and they seem to do pretty well as far as taste and nastiness.
Has anyone used one of these for backpacking? I'm talking about the clear bags. My main concern would be durability and the o-ring leaking when crud from the water source gets in there.
We use Aquamira for water treatment.
Thanks for any input!
Gravity man
I've used both the MSR and Camelback. In fact I still use them both. BOth lasted an entire thruhike, the JMT, and are still going strong. I think the Camelback is actually funkier than the MSR in terms of taste though.
Ramble~On
05-14-2004, 04:12
I've used both and retired the Camel to a box in the basement that old retired backpacking gear goes to die. Funky taste will develop in anything if you don't keep it clean. Why use bleach ? Hot soapy water is all I've ever needed. MSR valve has never leaked on me...Camel has leaked. My opinion...MSR kicks the Camel in the butt.
I have found the "blue plastic" bladders to be worse than the clear ones. I have two Camelbacks, which function well but taste funky, a couple nalgene "cantenes" (the bottle that's a bag with a lid), three Platypus's, and a new Nalgene (clear) hydration bladder.
The clear ones can get kinda funky, but the blue ones are worse. Nalgene makes both blue and clear hydration bladders. The blue one is cheaper (but otherwise identical) and says it's "virtually tasteless" or something like that, and the clear one says "tasteless" without any modifiers.
I take that as marketing spin on the fact that the blue plastic has more taste than the clear. And that has been my experience.
They all seem to get kinda funky after a few years, though. They are so hard to clean. I've read that soaking them with a few alka seltzer tablets works well, though I haven't tried it.
The new Nalgene hydration bladder seems really well designed. I haven't taken it out yet. It's kinda spendy, though. I like it when they have an on/off switch, which the platy's don't have.
gravityman
05-14-2004, 18:41
I've used both and retired the Camel to a box in the basement that old retired backpacking gear goes to die. Funky taste will develop in anything if you don't keep it clean. Why use bleach ? Hot soapy water is all I've ever needed. MSR valve has never leaked on me...Camel has leaked. My opinion...MSR kicks the Camel in the butt.
Interesting... We've had the opposite experience. We have to bite so hard on the MSR bite valve that they develop leaks after a while. Out camelbaks have the shutoff valve and are easier to suck on, so we like those more.
We bleached them because they started tasting like, well, raw bacon is the best analogy. It got rid of the taste, but now they taste like bleach. Maybe we just need new ones...
I'll look at the nalgene style ones too...
Gravity Man
You may also want to look at the platypus big zip bladders. They have a large ziplock opening on the top. When I am finished using mine I open it up and leave it upside down in the dishwasher. Since there are no places for water to get caught up in it all drains out and the bladder will be completly dried out by the next day. I could never get all of the water out of my other bladders..even with a drying rack and I believe this is where the "funk odor" comes from. The hose design on the platy is very easy to clean with a hose brush. I clean mine about once a month with just a small amount of baking soda and water..it is nice to be able to reach inside and scrub out the bladder when you are cleaning it. You have to be careful to make sure the ziplock is really closed before you put it inside your pack. I have never had a leaking problem with mine. I doubt the platy will last as long as the MSR bladder or a camelback but the convience is worth it to me.
MedicineMan
05-20-2004, 22:36
I always liked the MSR dromedary that is black, doubles as a rudimentary shower. For the last many years though I've been carrying a Camel bladder-actually several depending on the pack used...never had a leak except when I forget and put the pack down on the bite valve.
We played with the big zip Platypi when we used an inline gravity filter but left that system after numerous cloggings and the advent of Aqua Mira.
I've heard that bladders (any kind) have saved lives when hikers/climbers etc. have fallen and the bladder took the brunt of the fall and exploded.
La AquaNa is still carrying two Nalgenes..each their own.