|
October 01, 2008
|
 |
Are hydration bladders more trouble than they’re worth?
|
UnBottle 100 (courtesy, CamelBak)
|
I hike with a hydration bladder, but I have a couple of issues with the system.
When hiking with my friends, I quickly run out of water much faster than they do.
Plus, it’s very difficult to gauge how much water remains without pulling out the
bladder and then reloading it. Also, when my pack is full, it requires a lot of
effort to insert the full bladder. Do bladder-style hydration systems exist with
a method to gauge how much water remains?
— Toby
Brussels, Belgium
Do you have a question of your own?
|
|
|
 Sometimes the Gear Guy is completely taken aback by a question. This is one of
those times. If I understand you correctly, the problem is that you can’t gauge
when the bladder is nearing empty. Correct? But your friends with bottles know
when their bottles are empty. Correct as well?
Well, no one makes a gauge that “tells” you when the bladder is empty. You fill
it, you drink, and when you drink enough, it runs dry. If you ran out before your
friends, that may be a good thing. It means you were drinking more (assuming you
all started with equal amounts), thus staying more hydrated. It may also mean you
are constantly sipping when you don’t really need to.
So, here’s a solution: Switch to a bottle.
I like hydration packs, and I use them especially for long mountain-bike treks
when bottles are impractical. But how we became convinced we all need $100
canteens is a little beyond me. I still tend to adhere to regular bottles when
hiking/backpacking, for the following reasons:
Easy to clean.
Easy to fill.
Sociable—you hike for an hour, find a shady spot, and everyone pulls out
their bottles to have a drink and a chat.
Easy to tell when empty.
Can carry the king of juices, pineapple-orange-banana juice (try putting THAT in
a hydration bladder, then cleaning it out).
Cheap!
Plus, I agree with your point about storing them in a pack. It can be a headache
to pull out an empty bladder, and then wiggle a full one back in. That’s even the
case in packs with dedicated slots. Another solution: Get a CamelBak UnBottle
100 ($35) and use its tie-down points to lash it to the outside of the pack.
Sometimes, simpler really is better.
The 2008 Summer
Outside Buyer’s Guide is now online. From riding to trail-running to
camping, get reviews of nearly 400 gear must-haves.
 |
|
|
|
GEAR GUY FEATURES
Check out the bio of Douglas Gantenbein, aka the Gear Guy.
Readers' Mailbag: The Gear Guy digs into some of your more bizarre, obscure (and let’s face it, downright weird) posts from years gone by to see if he can make sense of it all, or if it’s just time to run up the white flag. Previous column: Beat the Cost of Gear.
The Gear Guy reports from the 2005 Outdoor Retailer summer trade fair, with his rundown of ten products to watch in 2006, plus the inside scoop on what shook down at the bi-annual gearapalooza.
|
|
|
|
|
Many of the items reviewed by the Gear Guy can be found at REI.com. Click here to find the internet's biggest selection of outdoor gear and apparel.
|
