Hydration packs?

[DonNewcomb]

Does anyone use a hydration pack? You know, the pack with the water bladder and drinking tube. On Saturday, I was in a store with my son (31 years) where they had a good selection of rucksacks with integrated drinking bladders on sale. He pawed through them and bought himself one. Now, he works out in the woods all day long. I can understand his need for this. I looked at them and said, "Do they come with a catheter? If I carried that much water, that easy to get to, I'd either have to be catheterized or stop every 5 minutes to relieve myself?" I discussed it with my brother who said, "Well, we ain't jogging the trails. These days I stop more often to rest than I do to drink."
So, does anyone here use one of these things? If so, why? Are you doing 25 miles a day? They seem popular but I don't understand why.

[Nitsirk]

I have used one for years. I like that I don't have to stop to mess with a drinking bottle to drink. I run the hose of the water bladder so that it hangs over my shoulder. As I'm walking I can take a sip whenever. I don't ever drink a lot of water at once so its nice for me to keep sipping as I go. I find I stay better hydrated this way. Also, you don't have to fill it entirely if you know you will be lots of places that have water. If you are not sure or know water may be scarce then fill it up.

I use the Camelback Unbottle 70. It has a nice big opening which makes it easy to wash. (unlike the older Camelbacks) It also has a nice grip near the opening to make the bladder easier to fill without it flopping around. They have recently redesigned bag it comes in with more options for attaching it to your pack but I am still happy with mine.

I should also say that the bag they come in keep your water a lot cooler than just an uninsulated water bottle.

That's my two cents for you.

[upnorthjeeper]

I've got a couple, really haven't used them much. I do see how they could be of great use depending on your plans/event.

[moss13]

I have a camelback for biking and my hiking pack also has a hydration bag. I think they are great. No more carrying bottles of water around. I like the the fact that when you have a nice pace going you have water when you need it without having to stop on a long hike or bike ride. They also make small ones for runners too which I also have when out for a jog.

[Mandolynn]

I only hike, not backpack, but yes, the hydration packs are great because I don't have to stop to drink. The spigot is right there clipped onto my backpack shoulder strap, always accessible. I have this magnetic doohickey that keeps the spigot secure and keeps it from flopping in the dirt when I do take off my pack, which used to annoy me until I got this attachment. When I carry water that I have to stop to get to, I tend to put off drinking longer than I should, not because I hate to stop (I am all about nature observation, so I am a slow hiker anyway) but because once I get all my stuff on in a comfortable way I hate disassembling "just" to get a drink. So making it more convenient just helps me take better care of myself.

[Keweenaw]

I guess I'm with Don on this one. For biking I can see the advantage as stopping is a bigger deal and using a bottle on the bike can be hazardous. For hiking/backpacking I have a pint-sized Nalgene attached to a pack strap or belt loop with a carabiner and a drink stop only takes about 10 seconds.

Bob

[head2north]

I had the same thought process for decades - "why????" and had used the bottles and
it became a habit and was comfortable in the sense that i was used to it.

Then last year during my Minong Ridge trip i break my stubborness and try the hydration
system. I removed the plastic bottle from pack and placed on the top of my packpack
compartment with line running over shoulder and secured with alligator clip.

I found I drank more frequently as I did not have to "reach" for the bottle on Pack as
Mandolynn said.

I will always use this hydration system in the future unless something better comes along.
And then i will have break my stubborness again as my fellow Scandinavians know were i am comming from.

[Keweenaw]

Yeah, I can see where it would be an issue if you had to take off the pack - that's why I keep the bottle up front where I can grab it without taking the pack off.

Bob

[fonixmunkee]

Hydration packs are awesome if you have the right equipment. That's why I love Granite Gear packs because most of them have a hydration sleeve and a hole in the top to support a large hydration bag. Hands-free water on the trail is a Godsend, and at camp, you can just have one "giant Nalgene" to fill instead of a bunch of small ones.

My preferred method is to use one of these Playtpus Hoser bags: http://cascadedesigns.com/platypus/hand ... er/product. I think its the most leak-free bag I've ever used (and I've used a lot, between backpacking, cycling, and skiing). The nozzle is a little crappy at the end of the hose in the fact that it doesn't have a shut-off vavle, but my main concern is the bag leaking in my pack. I had a CamelBak bag before and it just leaked too much.

I then bring a spare one of these push/pull caps: http://cascadedesigns.com/Platypus/Plat ... ap/product that I put on the Hoser bag (above) when I'm in camp. I also bring a smaller Platypus bag: http://cascadedesigns.com/Platypus/Hand ... le/product that I use as an actual drinking Nalgene, so I don't have to haul around the big one.

[kanonen]

Your degree of dehydration depends on how fit you are. Both ends of the spectrum (fitnesswise) tend to sweat a lot. So in general you might not need a catheter on a 4-5 miles hike on a hot day. You also do not want to get dehydrated and more water isn't that bad as it will help with recuperation for next day's hike. I needed to carry 2 liters of water MINIMUM on a 5-7h hike. I drink a liter at least before the hike and another after the hike. I calculated an average of 5 liters daily on our IR trip. Each of us had 3 bottles for a total of 2 liters that were filled before each hike. A standard hydration pack would have 2 liters.

I have a camelback hydration pack that could go into a small 3200 cu backpack, that I use when I go to the beach as it is insulated and it keeps the stuff pretty cold. I also use it for day hikes or short 2-3 days camping trips. But we decided against them for our IR trip. It would have been useful, but since even if we had brought them, we still would have needed to bring bottles too, so for weight issues, we scrapped the hydration packs. They are also difficult to pump water into when using our katadyn water filter.

[Nick]

On my last trip, I took the CamelBack out of my day pack and put it in the top compartment of my Dana Designs pack. It worked well until I noticed my shirt was wet--the shut off valve had a crack it in. So I ended up crimping the tube with a couple of my daughter's hair bands. I also carried a map/ditty/water bottle pouch that attached to the pack and across my chest. Kept a water bottle there, too.

For you older guys (and younger ones, too) who tend to sweat buckets, don't forget to add some form of electrolyte solution to the mix. I got mine in tablet form (like the old Fizzie Tablets) from a local sports shop. That keeps you from literally getting too much hydration and screwing up the electrolyte balance. Happened to me a few years ago. Not a fun experience. I think I heard it referred to one time as "hydration poisoning."

[vitz]

They are also collapsible. I only use mine for extra water storage, and in camp. During long waterless stretches of trail I fill my bladder. When not in use they take little room to store.

[DonNewcomb]

Well, I bought a Platypus Big Zip II hydration bladder and used it on a quick overnight trip. It fits in the top pocket of my pack with the hose running over my left shoulder.

It works pretty well and I don't think I over-consumed the water, but it is harder to keep track of how much you have left. It amazes me that that zipper closure actually does not leak. OTOH, I did have to get used to an occasional drop of water falling from the bite valve onto my left arm. I kept thinking it was starting to rain.

I think I'll make sure my next pack has easy-access low side pockets to carry a small water bottle.

[JonG]

I love my 1.8 liter Platy. It's 5 years old and going strong. I do slip it into a gallon zip lock before I slide it into the sleeve on my back pack just in case of leaks, but so far it hasn't leaked a drop. Drinking out of a hose took a little getting used to, but now I find it very convenient. The weight thing is the primary reason I quit using lexan Nalgene's, on long days, I sometimes carry 3 liters of water. 3 Nalgenes weigh more than a pound, and every ounce I can keep off these aging knees is a good thing. For backup I use a 1 liter Aquafina purified water bottle, it's thick enough to take a drop on the rocks without breaking, but still very light.

[DonNewcomb]

I do like the platypus for weight. This last overnighter my pack was down to 18 lbs, including food and water. This included my Hennessy Hammock, Thermarest, sleeping bag, stove and rain gear. Not quite all ultra-light but working on it. For me, sleeping in a hammock is a 1000% improvement over the ground or a wood floor.