Bladder control

[Different Socks]

Ok, so it's a bad title for a post, but it got your attention!

I use a camelbak bag like many of you out there. The one I have has the wide mouth on it. How do you keep it clean on the trail? How do you keep the "black stuff" from accumulating on the inside and tube?

[Egads]

Sugar free is mold free

[MikenSalem]

You have to scrub it out. Then purify water in it and it kills everything else too. I use "Aquamira". Make sure it's dry before you put it up. Egad's right if you use sugars in it like Gatorade be quick on getting it rinsed out and killed off. Also the pills work pretty good for freshening the taste too.

[Different Socks]

I primarily use the Walmart brand of Crystal Light. I thought that was sugar free?

[Manwich]

I always put Propel mix in mine. To clean it, I use denture tablets.

[Blissful]

I clean mine on occasion by swishing a few drops of bleach in it. Then taking a bristle brush and cleaning it out. I never put drink mixes in mine - I use a separate bottle for that like a coke bottle. Also, warranties are void if you put drink mixes in it.

[shoe]

I have had mine for 2 years and have never had black stuff growing in mine.
I don't put anything except for water in it though.

[Wise Old Owl]

Back in the days before medicine (antibiotics) one of the first antifungles such as athletes foot, was to soak ones own feet in a small pot of urine. My grandmother told me this when I was a very young boy and I have discovered that in some medical books this to be true, one does not have access to Tinactin or other remedys this really works in a pinch, just like your dads styptic pencil can stop a shaving scratch it's called Urea & and it is something that fixes black bacteria buildup. go ahead and piss in your bladder drain it and flush with fresh water - you will never have black bacteria again........

Now that your title has fooled us -

I can say you are fool too. As I am sure some will read this and can be easily persuaded and yet all the information above is true, except drinking ones urine can be deadly. This is the internet, two wrongs make nothing right.......:-?

[Dicentra]

I had black and red stuff growing in mine - and all that was ever in it was water. Yuck. Ended up throwing the tubing away and replacing just the tube part. I cleaned the other parts with a toothbrush and lots of hot water.

Note: not my usual method of carrying water.

[Spogatz]

I had black and red stuff growing in mine - and all that was ever in it was water. Yuck. Ended up throwing the tubing away and replacing just the tube part.


You know they make a brush to go down the tube. I have only cleaned mine out a couple of times is several years of use.

[Dicentra]

You know they make a brush to go down the tube. I have only cleaned mine out a couple of times is several years of use.

Yeah. I found that out after I tossed it. Oh well...

[Scrapes]

Back in the days before medicine (antibiotics) one of the first antifungles such as athletes foot, was to soak ones own feet in a small pot of urine. My grandmother told me this when I was a very young boy and I have discovered that in some medical books this to be true, one does not have access to Tinactin or other remedys this really works in a pinch, just like your dads styptic pencil can stop a shaving scratch it's called Urea & and it is something that fixes black bacteria buildup. go ahead and piss in your bladder drain it and flush with fresh water - you will never have black bacteria again........

Now that your title has fooled us -

I can say you are fool too. As I am sure some will read this and can be easily persuaded and yet all the information above is true, except drinking ones urine can be deadly. This is the internet, two wrongs make nothing right.......:-?

I had a coworker that used to like to give a "tip of the day", he was an old Navy salt and his favorite tip was "piss on your feet you'll never get atheletes foot, thats what we did in the Navy". Never borrowed socks from the man.

[Jayboflavin04]

I use my platy quite often...bike rides day hikes ect. I only put h20 in mine. Run a little bleach h20 through it accasionally and let air dry. I have heard storing them in the freezer one dry is good also.

[Hooch]

Run a little bleach h20 through it accasionally and let air dry. A little dishwashing detergent and a couple tablespoons of bleach are the perfect combination to clean these out. Rinse very thoroughly and hang it to dry.


I have heard storing them in the freezer one dry is good also.Once your bladder is dry, roll it up, wrap it with a rubber band and stash in the freezer. Bacteria, fungus, etc can't grow in those temps, so your bladder will stay free of all the little nasties that could possibly show up otherwise.

[flemdawg1]

I second Hooch's recommendation.

[Different Socks]

When on multi-month hike(AT, PCT,CDT), how would you clean it with little to no access to bleach?

[Heater]

You should really pack your pee out, yaknow!

[4Bears]

As cheap as bleach is one could do it on a zero day, $1.50 for a gallon of bleach is cheaper than a new bladder and tube, then leave the rest in a hiker box.

[fredmugs]

Here's a thought: Water only in the bladder. Bring a lightweight bottle to mix drinks.