Freezing water tubes?

[Rain Man]

How do you keep a water tube from freezing during a hike?

Easter weekend my wife and I did two day hikes around Erwin, TN. The first day it was around 25 or 27 degrees when we started up from Spivey Gap.

By noon, the water tube on my Camel-Bak bladder had frozen solid even though I was close to sweating. My wife kept sipping her Camel-Bak tube so it wouldn't freeze, and we shared it the rest of the day. Just my tube froze, the water in the bladder was fine. I had run the tube over my shoulder, as I usually do.

We didn't have a problem, but I could imagine it being a serious issue. The second day, it was 19 degrees when I started, so I didn't even take my Camel-Bak and just relied on a plain ol water bottle (some grocery store brand), which I kept in my pack, and it didn't get a single ice crystal in it.

RainMan

.

[Footslogger]

After you take a drink, blow into the tube an push all the water back into the bladder/Platy etc.

'Slogger

[Skidsteer]

After you take a drink, blow into the tube an push all the water back into the bladder/Platy etc.

'Slogger

Threadkiller!

Gosh Footslogger, you could've held out for half a page at least.

[littlelaurel59]

Threadkiller!

Gosh Footslogger, you could've held out for half a page at least.

Just to keep the thread going.....

One could add a solute such as ethanol which would work as antifreeze

[Legal disclaimer: The above comment is intended for illustrative purposes only, and is not a recommendation. The responding party bears no responsiblity should the reader attempt such an action in the middle of winter ]

[Nest]

After you take a drink, blow into the tube an push all the water back into the bladder/Platy etc.

'Slogger

Also works great when it's real hot out. Keeps your water from getting too hot on that first sip. I burned my mouth on water that had been in the tube when it iwas over 100* out. Learned the hard way to keep water out of the tube.

[refreeman]

Use a pack that allows the tube to travel from the reservoir inside the shoulder straps of the backpack. The shoulder strap is insulated to prevent the tube from freezing. Most snow sport backpacks (skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing) have this feature. A few less expensive examples of are: The camelback - Snowblast, The DaKine - Heli Pro, Pro II or Tactic; Osprey make some excellent winter packs with this feature, but they cost more. Also there should be a zipper pocket in the shoulder strap to expose or enclose the tube; so you'd just take it out when you wanted a drink.

[Hikerhead]

Like Footslogger said. But if it does freeze on you, just put the whole bag and tube inside of your coat until it warms up. Happy drinking.

[Earl Grey]

Antifreeze? Itll even make it taste sweeter.

[EWS]

Camelbak sells an neoprene insulator tube, for the tube, for less than $5.

[Slosteppin]

I often use either gatoraid or crystal lite with my water for a half strength solution - this lowers the freezing point some. I also blow the water back down the tube.
When it gets down to about 10 F I've still had the bite valve freeze. Then I just put as much of the tube as I can inside my jacket.

I never had the tube or bite valve freeze when I followed all 3 practices.

Slosteppin

[crackers]

I'll second Slosteppin.

I'm a bit dubious of the relative value of low efficiency insulation for bladder tubes versus doing the basic, easy and cheap preventative techiques outlined by Slosteppin.

I do a fair amount of winter mountaineering, and a trick that's worked for me in the coldest weather I've been in is to duct tape a heat pak to the hose inlet valve area. On one hand when it's in my jacket it feels toasty and warm, on the other hand the water is easier to ingest because it's closer to my body temp.

[Footslogger]

Camelbak sells an neoprene insulator tube, for the tube, for less than $5.

====================================

For what it's worth ...I have/used one of those and it STILL froze. Depends on the conditions of course, but 1/8" of neoprene is not enough to guarantee freedom from freezing.

'Slogger