NewB hydration question

[New2hyk]

Hi,
I am very new to hiking but is looking to buy atleat a 3L hydration pak/day pak gear with a reasonable price tag. With your experience , what would you go and buy now?
:thanx: in advance.

[big_load]

I could never get the bladder and tube completely dry after hiking and was always concerned that something nasty would be growing in there.

It's easy to dry a Camelbak or Osprey/Nalgene bladder. Just stuff a towel into it and work it around. Platypus Hosers are a little more work.

[Al_HikesAZ]

. . .I could never get the bladder and tube completely dry after hiking and was always concerned that something nasty would be growing in there.

Use the Camelbak fizzy tablets and drain through the hose. Use brushes (or a towel for the main compartment like big_load recommends). Take the bite-valve off and hang the bladder up to dry out. You shouldn't have any problems. Don't put Gatoride or sugary electrolytes in the bladder. Elete electrolyte is designed to be used in a bladder.

All that being said - I still carry a bottle or two to drink when I stop to rest. Sipping is good, but gulping is good too. I like the Osprey Talon 22 because it is easy to get to the bladder and check the remaining fluid. As a trip leader on hot weather hikes, I have been known to force everyone to evaluate their remaining fluids at rest stops.

[WilliamnWendi]

I use only filtered water, never tapwater for drinking. I use a 10 parts water/ 1 part bleach solution for cleaning, then rinse with tap water four times and a final rinse with filtered. I probably should thoroughly dry the bladders but generally I just leave the lids off and air dry. We use them so often that mildew doesn't get a chance to build up.

[Al_HikesAZ]

It doesn't appear that anyone has said it yet. :SB: And these could be other topics. I will mention them here in passing.

Know the signs of dehydation. And know the signs of heat stress. They are often related. Your thinking becomes fuzzy, you make bad decisions and you don't even realize it. A hiking partner can often spot your dehydration & degradation before you can spot it in yourself. Your urine should be "CLEAR and COPIOUS"!!!. If you are not urinating or if your urine is dark you are not hydrating adequately and you are stressing your body. Drink even when you are not thirsty. If you wait until you are thirsty in the desert southwest you are waiting too long.

You need to replace electrolytes in the heat. There is a medical condition called Hyponatremia that looks like heat exhaustion where the hiker has been drinking enough water, but not replacing the salts sweated out in the heat. You can drink electrolytes or you can eat electrolytes - or both. But this is another topic.

[azbackpackr]

I have a hiking pal who almost died from Hyponatremia on the Boucher, had to be airlifted out.

[Al_HikesAZ]

I use only filtered water, never tapwater for drinking.

I try to do that. But I will drink pond scum out of a muddy tinaja if it is the only water available. I'll try to filter it or treat it first, but if I can't I will drink it. If it's a question of dying or surviving and taking antibiotics later, it's a trick question.

Maybe that's why I look so old & ugly for such a young, handsome man.

[WilliamnWendi]

I use only filtered water, never tapwater for drinking.

I try to do that. But I will drink pond scum out of a muddy tinaja if it is the only water available. I'll try to filter it or treat it first, but if I can't I will drink it. If it's a question of dying or surviving and taking antibiotics later, it's a trick question.

Pumpkin, I'll do it Bear Grylls style if it comes down to that! But I'll still use my nalgene bottles for that. Here's a how to video on the Bear Grylls survival...Caution, not suitable for MOST viewershttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U_xmfSwYSw

[kingsnake]

Know the signs of dehydation. And know the signs of heat stress. They are often related. Your thinking becomes fuzzy, you make bad decisions and you don't even realize it.

I do that without being heat stressed.

Drink even when you are not thirsty. If you wait until you are thirsty in the desert southwest you are waiting too long.

To each his own, but I wait until I am done hiking to drink. ;)

[outdoor_lover]

This probably sounds a little silly, but rather than trying to dry the bladder with a towel, I just take the valve off, shake as much of the water out as I can, hang it up and stuff a empty cardboard masking tape roll halfway into the mouth of the bladder to "open" up the bladder, and then just let it air dry. Nothing goes in the bladder except water, I bring bottles of anything else.

[Trishness]

:thanx: so very much for all of your wonderful advice.
I went ahead and placed an order for the backpak that Trish has suggested. I figured, if I don't like the bladder, I will simply remove it.
I love this site .Keeps me motivated to get out there and to keep challenging myself
Thanks again everybody and have a wonderful week.

I think you'll like this pack. It was almost 70% off MSRP and Camelbak makes a good quality pack. As others have mentioned don't put anything but water in the bladder as it could induce bacteria growth. I had to throw out one bladder because I forgot to clean it and the tube turned all black. Now I carry a nalgene or other plastic bottle with vitamin water/gatorade and most recently have been buying coconut water for electrolyte replacement and freezing it the night before I hike. By the time lunch rolls around, it's pretty much defrosted and still icy cold. Stay hydrated~~~

[New2hyk]

thanks Trish. That site said that they give discount when you refer some one. Since you referred me, please LMK what I need to do so that you can get the discount

[Al_HikesAZ]

. . .and most recently have been buying coconut water for electrolyte replacement and freezing it the night before I hike. By the time lunch rolls around, it's pretty much defrosted and still icy cold. Stay hydrated~~~

Be careful freezing an entire bladder. If it is frozen solid in can take 24 hours to thaw - even on a 100+ degree day. I sheepishly admit I learned the hard way. You can put distilled water (or purchased) ice cubes in and then fill with water. This works.

[Trishness]

Al,

Maybe I wasn't clear....I don't put coconut water in my bladder. I buy it separate and freeze it in the container it comes in, then carry it in a ziplock bag for later consumption. I usually just put RO (reverse osmosis) water in my actual bladder and add ice cubes to it. I NEVER freeze the bladder itself.

TT

[Trishness]

OK got the Camelbak Trinity backpack today and it fits pretty nicely once I adjusted it. It's still a little sloppy in the shoulder area but I get that with almost every pack since I'm so petite. It fits WAAY good in the waist, across the bust and is not riding on my lumbar spine. I'll take it out for a test run this weekend and let y'all know. It seems to be really fitted for a woman's figure and feels really comfy.

[janohiker]

I use bottles find they are easier to fill with my filter and I have never liked the taste of the water out of a rubber bag. The other is redundancy having multiple bottles means you don't loose it all if one leaks.

[CannondaleKid]

I only use bottles for very short hikes when I use a small fanny pack, otherwise I use my CamelBak with bladder.

While the first CamelBak I bought many years ago had a slight rubbery taste, I haven't noticed that in at least 10 years. Of course 95% of the time I'm using Gatorade so that might mask any taste.

To me it's kind of funny people mention that because I've always noticed the taste of plastic from the thin-wall water bottles.

Whatever the taste, I'm much more likely to drink what I should when I can sip at any moment instead of pull a bottle out to drink from.

[WilliamnWendi]

While the first CamelBak I bought many years ago had a slight rubbery taste, I haven't noticed that in at least 10 years. Of course 95% of the time I'm using Gatorade so that might mask any taste.

A true rebel

[kevinweitzel75]

I love the idea of bladders. One of the best inventions in a long time. Easy, out of the way, and definitely keeps you hydrated. I admit, i will pull one out every now and again, wash it thoroughly, and fill out with a bottled water and drink it, but i still taste the rubbery plastic. I just cant get used to it.

[big_load]

Platypus bladders use different material, so they don't bother some people like Camelbak. Osprey/Nalgene bladders are different, too, but I haven't used one. I should say, though, that Camelbak doesn't bother me except when I don't rinse it well enough after cleaning.

[outdoor_lover]

I haven't noticed any taste from my Osprey/Nalgene bladder at all. I just got it in December so it's very new, but no taste that I can detect....