horsecat wrote:Just a couple of points off the top of my head:
• Nalgene plastic is very durable. Great value (they last for years)
• Nothing can break on Nalgene (i.e. mouthpiece on bladders / soft drink bottles can squish)
• Nalgene are easier to clean v bladders
• You can freeze your water in Nalgene prior to a walk thus having cold water on a hot walk
• You can put boiling water in Nalgene. Good for a hot water bottle in the night. Easier when overseas when boiled water is required due to health reasons
• Steri Pen is better in a Nalgene
• Easier to put hydration powders in Nalgene
• Water stays much cooler in Nalgene than soft drink bottles and bladders. I found bladders can warm up from back heat
• Easier and quicker to fill a Nalgene in a river than a bladder
• Nalgene deals with extreme cold much better than other options
• Nalgene aren’t heavy (c.170g? for a 1L)
• Nalgene aren’t that bulky – you carry them with water in them anyway so I’m not too sure about that point of view
• Nalgene are good when doing a short side trip when you only want to take a mini pack
• You don’t need a specialised pack for Nalgene v bladders
• Bottles are better in the night
No doubt some will disagree with some of these points but I'll always use Nalgene (I'm not into trail running etc)
jjoz58 wrote:I think I have the best of both worlds I bought a couple of Nalgene Wide Mouth Cantene off amazon then got a Source Outdoors SNEP Convertube that has adaptors for most common bottles.
blytonian wrote:I have and use both. To the OP, which depends upon the activity and duration.
All of my back packs are hydration bladder 'friendly'.
Bushwalking: Day walks and half day walks, usually just a bladder unless I'm carrying the 32L pack and intending a brew when I might carry both. Overnighters and longer I carry both, with multiple Nalgenes + Steripen, one of which has the Steripen pre-filter fitted.
Cycling: on the roadie usually just bottles, although I have a dedicated slimpack hydration pack which I'll wear if water isn't available en-route on anything over 80km. MTB in the scrub I generally always carry both (narrower 750ml bike bottle), with the bottle/s cage mounted on the frame. Dualie only fits one because of the rear shock, hardtail acommodates two. Usually diluted Gatorade in the bottles and water only in the bladder.
Gliding (aka soaring): bladder/s, usually pre-frozen and containing a diluted (less than recommended dosage per litre) solution of Gatorade/Powerade. Pre-freezing the contents regularly does shorten their servicable life IME, outweighed by benefit and need for this purpose. One or two depending upon the intended duration. Dehydration is a significant issue within that glasshouse canopy.
Advantages of a bladder. Access, stowage & volume. They are easier to use -hands free- on the go which makes them especially vital in gliding and well suited to cycling & bushwalking if you follow a 'frequent sip on the move' preventative dehydration policy. Bushwalking in the particular, they extend water carrying capacity and facilitate instant access to it. With two packet side pocket mounted Nalgenes and a 3L bladder, I have 5 litres available, including the capability to filter and UV sterilise. I really wouldn't like to wear an additional three Nalgenes around my waist or have them hanging off my pack or bulging from bellows pockets. Hydration bladders have been around a long while now, so pretty much all of the different bite valve designs are bullet proof, and the bladder filler and closure designs have evolved to facilitate easy filling and cleaning.
I've used a few different brand bladders including the original Hydrapak brand which came with my Hydrapak hydration packs when they were once half the price of Camelbak product. But they've long since become a profile brand name in the US so that their pricing is the same or higher. They are also more difficult to source replacement bladders other than by mail order in AU making them even more expensive. Camelbak kit is good but you pay for the name and so overpriced IMV, but it is available everywhere. I now use BPA free Source bladders which have proven themselves every bit as good, are very well priced and readily available in AU. They offer two types of closure and multiple sizes.
JohnStrider wrote:Blytonian, there appear to be a few sites that sell BPA free Source bladders. Which one have you used?
Picaro wrote:Don't have any firm conclusions, but just this weekend I was thinking about all the water that heats up in my hydration tube between drinks. I realised most of the time I just rinse my mouth out with the hot stuff,so getting a bit of wastage.
ofuros wrote:Picaro wrote:Don't have any firm conclusions, but just this weekend I was thinking about all the water that heats up in my hydration tube between drinks. I realised most of the time I just rinse my mouth out with the hot stuff,so getting a bit of wastage.
In between drinks, I normally blow the tube water back down the line into the bladder, so your first mouthful
isn't a warm mouthful of water. From memory I think you can buy insulated tubes too....
Stew63 wrote:At halfway points I might down a Coke or 2 but that's all.
Pika wrote:I find my hydration suffers using only the bladder.
Forever taking sips on the move I am always shocked at how little I have actually consumed when I finish for the day.
JohnStrider wrote:I'm in the process of deciding whether I really need a water bladder. I bought a Denali Hydro Ridge 3L from Anaconda in early Jan.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests