Platypus Hose Mold?

[Icicle]

Anyone ever have this problem? During our hike of the West Highland Way in Scotland last summer, I noticed that my hose started turning red. It 'almost' came clear when I bleached the hose. Some is still there...

Is this normal or was the water in Scotland just weird? And in case anyone asks, most of the water we resupplied with was from taps not from any natural water source. (although having said that, I think most of the taps in Scotland are fed directly from the Lochs...)

Also didn't happen to hubby's platypus...

[Hammock Hanger]

Well I can't say what caused the red mold. I did get a lot of black/gray mold in my tube near the end of the hike. Kind of looked hairy... I bought a hose brush which worked great. I filled the hose with a bleach solution, let it sit for about 10 minutes, put the brush thru it and it cleaned up like a charm. Sue/HH

[Groucho]

Anyone ever have this problem? During our hike of the West Highland Way in Scotland last summer, I noticed that my hose started turning red. It 'almost' came clear when I bleached the hose. Some is still there...

Is this normal or was the water in Scotland just weird? And in case anyone asks, most of the water we resupplied with was from taps not from any natural water source. (although having said that, I think most of the taps in Scotland are fed directly from the Lochs...)

Also didn't happen to hubby's platypus...

Might be Serratia marcesens, a bacterium. It is common and is used to trace bacterial transmission in lab experiments. Now, there is some evidence that it can be harmful to some people. The red pigment might be hard to remove or bleach out?

Photo of S. marcesens on petri dish.

[Icicle]

Okay, now I am really grossed out! I think I might just buy a new platypus.

HH where did you get your brush? When I come home for a visit next month I plan to stock up on hiking gear! (home is P'Cola Florida)

[knightjh]

Anyone ever have this problem? During our hike of the West Highland Way in Scotland last summer, I noticed that my hose started turning red. It 'almost' came clear when I bleached the hose. Some is still there...

Is this normal or was the water in Scotland just weird? And in case anyone asks, most of the water we resupplied with was from taps not from any natural water source. (although having said that, I think most of the taps in Scotland are fed directly from the Lochs...)

Also didn't happen to hubby's platypus...

I had some Black "spots" in my tube as well (I had not been hiking in a long time and hadn't used my Plat but the spots were only about 2" from the bite piece so I pulled out my kitchen knife and cut it off (at home)

[tlbj6142]

Take a coat hanger and push several wads of TP through the tube. After you see the gunk on the TP, you want to do it 10 more times.

I see the same red/pink mold just about everywhere water sits all the time. Like on the seals around my dishwaster, inside the mouth piece of an instrument, etc. You can't remove it by soaking. It has to be cleaned with elbow grease.

[BeaverTrapper]

Try Efferdent tablets. You can pick them up at any drug store or supermarket. They are dirt cheap and work great. The leave a bladder clean and fresh smelling. Best CamelBak/Platy tip I have.

[peter_pan]

I use the camelback brush set. but then I use camelback hose on a platipus. Works like a charm. Replacements available virtually everywhere if you want to change out at a n outfitter.cheap no work solution.

[Pencil Pusher]

Hot water and some bleach with the hose attached to the reservoir and bled through to fill the hose. I let that sit for an hour and then raise the reservoir while holding the mouthpiece open to drain the water. No more black spots in the tube. The hot water and bleach trick also works for those occassions when I forget to clean out the Nalgene bottles after a trip, though sometimes the mutating fungus inside just makes me chuck the bottle and buy a new one.

[Brushy Sage]

To keep the apparatus free of mold, I store the platypus and hose in the freezer section of my refrigerator between hikes. I have been doing this for more than a year, with no ill effects on the plastics. Obviously, one doesn't want to give water filters this treatment.

[deeddawg]

I use the camelback brush set. but then I use camelback hose on a platipus. Works like a charm. Replacements available virtually everywhere if you want to change out at a n outfitter.cheap no work solution.

That'd work fine.

Perhaps a bit cheaper is just to buy regular food-grade 1/4" I.D. vinyl hose from any hardware store. Nothing magic about the stuff.

[smokymtnsteve]

To keep the apparatus free of mold, I store the platypus and hose in the freezer section of my refrigerator between hikes. I have been doing this for more than a year, with no ill effects on the plastics. Obviously, one doesn't want to give water filters this treatment.

actually the freezer is the prefered method for the long term storage of a sweet water filter cartridge.

cascade design recommends placing the filter cartridge in a zip-lock and then in the freezer to retard bacterial growth...I always flush mine with a chlorox solution after long storage.

[Brushy Sage]

actually the freezer is the prefered method for the long term storage of a sweet water filter cartridge.

cascade design recommends placing the filter cartridge in a zip-lock and then in the freezer to retard bacterial growth...I always flush mine with a chlorox solution after long storage.

Don't you have to make sure it is dried out before you put it in the freezer?

[smokymtnsteve]

not to my knowledge..frezzing does not harm the sweet water filter...

[Alligator]

I used to have a sweetwater. Freezing never hurt it. Clogged easy without a prefilter though.

[smokymtnsteve]

I use the silt stopper...works really well...

[tlbj6142]

Don't you have to make sure it is dried out before you put it in the freezer?

Well you do need to shake out the excess water (few extra pumps once you finish filtering), but otherwise no.