taste of the water from the MSR dromedary

[Lou]

Well, I got a dromedary and have been using it solidly for about a month and love it, APART from the fact that the water from it tastes rubbery and leaves a horrid taste in the mouth. I am wondering if anyone knows if after time this taste will disappear or will I always have to put up with my lovely mountain spring water being tainted by PVC? Is there anything I can treat it with to get rid of that taste?

 

[greensurfingbear]

I have same problem with my camelbak. kinda just got used to it lol

 

[Shewie]

It'll disappear eventually, I picked one up on here secondhand and there's no after taste

 

[mrmike]

You could try giving it a wash out with baking soda a few times. Cant do any harm.

 

[Teepee]

Keep some whiskey in the bladder, it'll make everything taste golden, even the PVC.

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

Mrs DHD refused to drink any water from mine for ages because of that taste. I did two rounds of Milton fluid - the stuff you use to dininfect babies bottles - and once I'd rinsed away the taste of the Milton (!) it seemed to be OK. I also dried the bag out by bending a wire coathanger in half and inserting in the opening to hold the bag open, then left it to air on the wasing line for some hours. Seemed to do the trick.

 

[Lou]

I just thought I would resurrect this thread again. I am still having problems with my MSR dromedary. I just don't use it that often as the water still tastes of rubber. I found this comment on a thread on backpacking light however and I am gonna give it a go. I will let you know what happens. I haven't got any Dr . Bronners but I have some Savon de Marseilles here, which is just a basic soap for laundry etc. so I am gonna try with that.

"The bag also had some serious taste problems at first. Several rinses failed to get rid of the plastic taste, and treating with baking soda didn't help. The solution was to fill it, add a few drops of Dr. Bronner's soap and let it sit out in the hot sun for a day. After a few rinses to get rid of the soap the plastic taste was gone for good."

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi...t=Hydration - Water Storage Containers&cid=54

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

I have the MSR Dromedary and so for after two years no problem but I bought one of the Ortleib water bags and after three months it all went pear shaped and started to smell. I gave it a good clean out with Milton which works on everything else but wouldn't shift the smell. It has now gone in the bin.

 

[Lou]

I have the MSR Dromedary and so for after two years no problem but I bought one of the Ortleib water bags and after three months it all went pear shaped and started to smell. I gave it a good clean out with Milton which works on everything else but wouldn't shift the smell. It has now gone in the bin.

Oh, that's a shame about the ortlieb but did yr MSR not COME brand new with the bad taste? it's not microbes, just the rubber, I read somewhere that they are worth having as they are pretty heavy duty and bomb proof, nice wide neck and lots of attachments etc. but you gotta like the water that's coming out of them for it to work, surely? I do like the whisky idea though

 

[Reverend Graham]

I leave a small amount of water in mine and put the bladder and hose in the freezer if I'm not using it, stops the bugs.

Rev G

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

I bought mine new and couldn't smell anything at all. I know its recomended that all new vessels are washed before use but I never have. I have just looked and smelled my Camelbak bladder and that smells but doesn't taste odd. The MSR I have just drained and that's fine too.

 

[mountainm]

Maybe leave to soak in warm water and lemon juice. I clean the microwave by wicrowaving a bowl of lemons chopped up in water and it leaves it nice and fresh - same principle might apply?

 

[Lou]

Gonna try the soap thing first, then the lemons, I will let you know. Perhaps it is also just a case of using it to get rid of the taste.

 

[almac]

so what were the results?
i'm curious because I have the same problem...

 

[petrochemicals]

With a water hydration bladder I got the same sort of thing. I used 6 chlorine tablets left to soak overnight in a full bladder followed by 6 neutralising tablets, and a repeat cycle, that did the trick!

 

[Lou]

With a water hydration bladder I got the same sort of thing. I used 6 chlorine tablets left to soak overnight in a full bladder followed by 6 neutralising tablets, and a repeat cycle, that did the trick!

Great, thanks PC I am at the moment on the lemon juice treatment after doing the soap thing yesterday, so I will give the chlorine a go if they haven't worked, I take it these are tablets for treating drinking water, not for putting down the toilet

Allmac, I will let you know the results

 

[ozzy1977]

Cant say I had that problem with my camelbak but they may have changed the plactic used since I got mine around 10yrs ago. When not in use I keep it in the freezer this saves having to dry the inside to prevent mould growth, denture cleaning tabs work well to clean them out.