I have an Ortlieb 10 litre waterbag which I can recommend. I have used it for many years and have dragged it all over Africa in a truck, through North Africa and Europe bungeed to the back of my bicycle and in my rucksack whilst 'wadi-bashing' on digs I worked on in the mountains of southern Jordan. It has been really robust, been dropped, dragged and never leaked once; and it has the added bonus of having a shower rose adaptor which you can screw on, hang it in a tree and get yourself clean at the end of a day.
Platypus
- Thread starter Biddlesby
- Start date
I have used Platypus hydration systems now for about ten years I have two 2ltr bags. The original is now well bashed byt still water tight but I only use it as an extra if I am staying at a fixed camp now.
The water management comments are interesting as I found myself while walking the wicklow way on the hottest weekend of the year having too come down on the trail to a nearby town to buy more water which was the first time I had run out like that before (finding water is not usually a problem in Ireland). I tanked up by downing a 2ltr bottle and filled the bladder with another two liters and carried an extra 1ltr sports bottle just encase. From now on 3ltrs will be normal water load.
I have never had a problem with leaking bladders other then a dodgy connection on my first one which was replaced by the store.
I do like the NATO bottles two but they are heavy for hiking.
James
The water management comments are interesting as I found myself while walking the wicklow way on the hottest weekend of the year having too come down on the trail to a nearby town to buy more water which was the first time I had run out like that before (finding water is not usually a problem in Ireland). I tanked up by downing a 2ltr bottle and filled the bladder with another two liters and carried an extra 1ltr sports bottle just encase. From now on 3ltrs will be normal water load.
I have never had a problem with leaking bladders other then a dodgy connection on my first one which was replaced by the store.
I do like the NATO bottles two but they are heavy for hiking.
James
I use a 10ltr MSR Dromedarie, its a great bit of kit, I dont often use it with 10 ltr more about 4/5 but its great having the option. 
How do you lot carry all that weight? 5 ltrs of water is 5kgs, my whole kit doesn't weigh that much
Cheers,
Toddy
5 ltrs of water is 5kgs, my whole kit doesn't weigh that much Cheers,
Toddy
Toddy said:How do you lot carry all that weight?
Cheers,
Toddy
With sore shoulders. Seriously, I went out yesterday to walk for a while and camp out overnight, and the bag I knocked together must have weighed 8kg without water.
That's for another thread, though. What I want to ask is whether people get a plasticky taste from the bite valves on their water bladders. My platypus doesn't have one, and it's great, but the cheaper one with the hose is starting to wind me up after only the second use because the valve tastes really plasticky. Is that normal, or am I paying the price of saving a few quid?
You're paying the price for a few quid, methinks.
My bosum pal/fellow bushcraft nut/insane neighbour Alex has a generic water bladder platypus type thing, it started to leak not long after he bought it and the hose gives off a horrible plastic taste when you drink from it.
And that's my two cents!
Adam *slurps coffee*
My bosum pal/fellow bushcraft nut/insane neighbour Alex has a generic water bladder platypus type thing, it started to leak not long after he bought it and the hose gives off a horrible plastic taste when you drink from it.
And that's my two cents!
Adam *slurps coffee*
Toddy said:How do you lot carry all that weight?
Cheers,
Toddy
We hiked North Fork Mt. one time and it's 24 miles long and no water. We carried about a gallon and a half or more of water each on each leg of the trip. Even though we had anticipated this and really cut back on any extra gear but even so that hike was much harder because of the weight of the water.
It was cool at least that there was a dead end road that stopped on the top at a little over 10 miles so we parked an extra car there and got more water and ate 1 meal so that saved us a little there too.
I've yet to be bothered by a plastic taste from MSR Dromedary, Camelbak or Platypus, or have one fail. We always take one Nalgene bottle just in case, and of course we carry ductape.
Water discipline? I don't believe in rationing.
It's better to carry the water in your body than out, and having water on tap through a hydration bladder system with hose is perfect for me. Little sips all the time with minimum effort.
People have been found dead in the desert with water that they were saving. If you are getting desperate enough to have to conserve in bad conditions ie no water around and many miles to go, then it's probably time to camp and build as many stills as you can.
We plan to carry 1.5 gallons a day through Big Bend in winter. You throw out a lot of gear when looking at that kind of weight over mountains, and the food needs to be packed with calories for their weight. Lots of Clif bars will be coming along.
Water discipline? I don't believe in rationing.
It's better to carry the water in your body than out, and having water on tap through a hydration bladder system with hose is perfect for me. Little sips all the time with minimum effort.
People have been found dead in the desert with water that they were saving. If you are getting desperate enough to have to conserve in bad conditions ie no water around and many miles to go, then it's probably time to camp and build as many stills as you can.
We plan to carry 1.5 gallons a day through Big Bend in winter. You throw out a lot of gear when looking at that kind of weight over mountains, and the food needs to be packed with calories for their weight. Lots of Clif bars will be coming along.
