Does anyone know of a hydration pack that is designed to hold 2 water bladders of 3L each? Each bladder needs to have the hose and spigot for hydrating on the go.
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Does anyone know of a hydration pack that is designed to hold 2 water bladders of 3L each? Each bladder needs to have the hose and spigot for hydrating on the go.
I dont, but there are plenty of packs that have a sleeve for a 3l bladder, plus side pockets that will each hold 1.5l smart bottles , for a total of 6l. You can get tubes for the smart bottles from amazon. in my Osprey xenith 88, I can get at least 2 smart bottles on each side. so, at least 2.5 on the sides, 3 in back. 8l total -- if I want.
Does that help?
I don't believe I have ever seen any packs that support two 3-liter water bladders, though you can probably have one made to your specifications by a specialized manufacturer. One consideration is to get something along the lines of a Camelbak with an insulated sleeve that has attachment loops which can be secured fairly easily to the outside of most any pack.
You guys are over thinking this. All 3 of my Osprey packs for example, have a loop to support the bladder which is easily large enough to hang 2 bladders(they also have loops on the elastic at the top of the bladder divider which can be lashed to the main bladder loop), I have multiple Camelback 100 oz bladders so I know this works and 2 of the 3 packs have dual hose exits, the 3rd will accomodate two hoses in the single exit. This works great for carrying water and Gatorade so you can choose what to drink.
IF you are intending to fill them(and that begs the question why do you need to carry 2-3 days water for 2 people in one pack?) then you will need to get a stuff sack sized to put the second bladder in to protect it from pack contents as it will need to be in the main compartment. While I have filled them, my usual is to carry about 1L per bladder. Otherwise I have to move stuff outside the pack to have the room as I mostly do 7-10 day no resupply trips so a full pack.
I have also carried a 6L Dromedary in the main compartment this way, plus the 100oz. I found trying to carry the 6L lashed to the outside did not work well as it flops around regardless of how its lashed. Putting it inside stabilized it so the carry was much easier. Why 6L? Because I like to take showers and sometimes I am camping where there is no water source, although most times I end up helping others who did not plan ahead.
Bottom line: get the second bladder and make it work, no need for a special pack.
Osprey Stratos 50, Exos 58 and Levity 60 work fine doing this, even carrying dual bottles in the pockets.
Tip: buy the Camelback quick disconnect kit for the hose, install so its on the hose outside and also get the bottle adapter. Then you can use a smart bottle etc to fill the bladder without removing it or getting into your pack. Hold the bottle and hose up high, squeeze to start the flow then gravity does the rest. Tip #2, as soon as it starts to siphon, loosen the bottle cap.It will let air into the bottle yet wont leak.
Specifically I am thinking about day hikes in desert environments where you have no access to water and need to carry all your water and a few emergency supplies plus maybe some food. I used my 65L backpack but it doesn't have a good way to carry a second bladder. Ideally I want something rather compact for my specific use scenario. It's actually a pretty common scenario here in TX.
I owned a ULA Catalyst. Their largest pack.
There is an internal sleeve that I used to hold a 2 liter Platypus Hoser. The pack has a hole for the hose. Educated guess: The sleeve will hold a 3 liter Platypus.
The two outside pockets on the left and right side of the pack will each hold a 3 liter Nalgene soft canteen with 3 liters of water in each.
Each shoulder strap will hold a 1 liter supermarket water bottle.
So, when I had the pack I had no trouble carrying 10 liters of water.
Correction. My old bones had trouble carrying that much water.
The empty weight of the pack is 3 pounds. I loved the pack. Until my granddaughter talked me out of it.
Good luck!
Wayne
Can't you put bottles in the side pockets? If you can get a 1.5l bottle in each side pocket + your 3l bladder, you have your 6 liters.Quote:
Originally Posted by PennyPincher
Of course I can. I just didn't "want" to. I like things "streamlined." Specifically for "day hikes" I like to be as minimalist as possible. Just personal preference and looking to see if anyone knew of a product that fits my "desires" exactly.Quote:
Originally Posted by jefals
And I have no idea WHY I said it was a 65L backpack as I never have owned a pack that large. I backpack with a 50L Flash by REI.
Ok, I'm not real sure what you mean by "streamlined" and "mininalist" in this context, but I THINK I've got it: You're NOT just looking for a good solution for your problem that doesn't involve buying a new pack - you are DEFINITELY looking for a pack designed to carry two 3l bladders. If I've got that right -- sorry. I don’t know of one.Quote:
Originally Posted by PennyPincherOf course I can. I just didn't "want" to. I like things "streamlined." Specifically for "day hikes" I like to be as minimalist as possible. Just personal preference and looking to see if anyone knew of a product that fits my "desires" exactly.Quote:
Originally Posted by jefals
At the risk of rebuke -- High Sierra makes a pack that will hold one 6l bladder. Under $100. Probably under $50.
I don't know about the new model, but with the older generation osprey exos some people liked to hang a bladder between the pack and the trampoline suspension for ease of access. You could do that, and then use the bladder sleeve inside.Quote:
Originally Posted by PennyPincher
Or...just carry two 1.5L smart water bottles. If you insist on drinking from a tube, you can get an Evernew system which will attach to a bottle, even a 2L size.
My wife has an Osprey Daylite.
REI has them. Space for a bladder between the back panel and pack and room in the pack for a second bladder. And two outside mesh pockets that hold 1 liter bottles.
From a weight distribution and water segregation standpoint, 3 x 2 liters or 2 x 2 liters and 2 x 1 liter is theoretically better than 2 x 3 liters. In my old brain.
Wayne
Thanks for all the input.
Two bladders? Geez, I can barely control the single one I was born with! …
Yeah, I'm on the "don't make this harder than it has to be" bandwagon.
My brother-in-law uses bladders and never puts any of them in the sleeves intended for them because it makes them harder to refill at a water stop. He just puts his bladders in the main compartment, on top of his gear, next to his neck and shoulders. It also requires less sucking effort to get the water as carried higher and gravity helps. And yes, he even does this on skis when you would think weight up high would be an issue.
To each their own.
Have fun.
Hey PP (maybe that doesn't sound right - but anyway :),
Some thoughts to consider and discard as appropriate. I live in AZ and have lots of desert hiking experience (multiple AZT hikes for instance) and have done dozens of giant water carries.
When one is doing big water carries (which I count at 5 liters or higher - the biggest I know of anyone doing is 10 liters) the very large increase in pack weight this results in pushes one towards using the lightest gear one can. So using big packs is not the best idea and especially the use of water bladders is carrying extra weight for no good reason. Ditch the bladders and hoses entirely and you will save a lot of weight.
This is what I do. I have a Z-Packs Arc Blast - very light and not the most comfortable with a big water load of course, but you are drinking the water and the weight goes down. It's side pockets can each hold 2 of the 1 1/2 liter Smart water bottles. I hang two 700 ml (one can also hang 1 liter bottles) from light bungee cord from my shoulder straps - this counter balances the pack and makes the pack more comfortable. Thus one has quick access to lots of water without the additional weight involved by using bladders and hoses. Plus the amount of water you have quick access to is more than sufficient to last until one wants a break. At every break one refills the shoulder strap bottles and this improves the comfort of the carry. I use Smart water bottles (or equivalent) as they are very light as well as rugged. They are much lighter than all the commercial bottles made for hiking and one just replaces them buy buying them during resupplies as needed. This also gives you cleaner water bottles over using the same water bottle all the time and far more cleanliness than can ever be achieved using bladders. If you need to go above the 8 liters described above you just put what else you need inside the pack.
Anyway, food for thought.
Wyo
Thank you. It's nice to get a response from someone who has experience. With that said, I was (and probably didn't say this) specifically looking at day hikes in places like Guadalupe where the water sources are protected and unless you are dying, you are not allowed to refill your water. But I do like that you and others are saying to ditch the bladder. When I hike places like the AT I use smart water bottles already, not a bladder. And hey, I would much rather buy a zpacks arc blast and have it available for longer hikes like the AT as I keep going lighter with my overnight gear. The most I have ever carried, with a full backpack, was 6.5L but that was only for a mile or 2 so I could sleep away from a water source and the "crowds" on the southern portion of the AT. I drink and use a lot of water as I freeze dry all my own food and wash up every night before sleeping and again in the morning before hiking.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wyoming
Consider you don't really need the second hose. Just swap the second bladder in when needed. Also, when bladders first were introduced packs didn't have bladder pockets. As mentioned, there are other spots to carry them. One other thing I will mention is bladders come in different widths. You might find one that fits half the pocket. I can slip a one liter alongside a 3 liter in my Exos 46.