Hydration Bladder?

In reply to G8ADD:
Think I’m going to stick to beer.

Much safer than the water :wink:

In reply to G1STQ:

Depends on who makes the beer!

73

Brian GO8ADD

In reply to G8ADD:
Ain’t that very true!

In reply to G1STQ:

Indeed it is true John.

I have spent many many years searching for the perfect pint of Guinness. Now, I’ve had some good ones and some very good ones and some very very good ones but not sure if I have ever actually found the perfect one yet - the search continues…

My old man was a degree qualified biology teacher and warned us to be wary of the dangers of fluke from uncooked meats and unclean water.

Why take the risk if you don’t need too?

Each to their own.

In reply to M0TUB:

Hi Dave!

In your on-going worthy endeavour, don’t expect a good pint at the home of Guinness in the Dublin brewery and the Galaxy Bar. If they can’t provide a good pint what hope have we for the rest of the planet – hi!

Now having said that one of the best pints I ever had was in an Irish Bar on 7th Ave NY – hic! Maybe the brew needs a cross Atlantic cruise to settle it’s alkaloids?

Cheers & good health

Jack (;>)

PS: On the bladder front (well what’s left of it after drinking pints of dodgy Guinness) I have used a Camel for over 10 years now. Still surviving in the front pouch of my 35L SOTA rucksack. More water in the summer less in the winter. Good for wild camping as I use one of my guyed walking poles to suspend it with the tube coming through the flaps for cooking and drinking. Good for keeping the midges at bay. Keep it clean by using babies bottle steriliser fluid. Interestingly there is a in-built filter for reducing grit if filling from a stream etc. Though usually not a problem in fast flowing Scottish streams and rivers (were you should fill-up from). And yes I have encountered filling-up from a steam, continuing up-stream to find a dead sheep beside it. But hi – I’m still here (:>)

In reply to GM4COX:
Interestingly

there is a in-built filter for reducing grit if filling from a stream
etc. Though usually not a problem in fast flowing Scottish streams and
rivers (were you should fill-up from). And yes I have encountered
filling-up from a steam, continuing up-stream to find a dead sheep
beside it. But hi – I’m still here (:>)

Years ago a friend and I were wild camping near the Clachaig Inn (nobody should need telling where that is!) and whilst I boiled my water from the River Coe, my friend drunk it as it came. By the end of the week he was quite poorly with the trots. I showed him where the cowsheds of the farm just up the Coe drained into the river…

Can’t be bothered with this modern hydration stuff - being thirsty is a reason to stop, drink, take in the views and look to see if there are any good photos to be taken!

73

Brian GO8ADD

In reply to G8ADD:

I stubbed my toe going up a flight of stairs in 1976. Ever since then I’ve avoiding the risk of stubbing my toe by always taking the lift. I learnt my lesson!

:wink:

Andy
MM0FMF

In reply to MM0FMF:

I tripped over the sill of a lift, once, so I always take the stairs…

73

Brian GO8ADD

In reply to G8ADD:

In reply to MM0FMF:

I tripped over the sill of a lift, once, so I always take the
stairs…

Well, statistically a very large number of people are injured on stairs every year, and quite a lot in lift related accidents.

On the other hand, very few Free Climbers are injured, so that is obviously the safest way to go up and down buildings ;o)

In reply to G4AZS:

‘On the other hand, very few Free Climbers are injured, so that is obviously the safest way to go up and down buildings ;o)’

but they aren’t drinking the water from the streams are they??..right, nuff of this, where’s that Guinness gone …hic…burp

In reply to MM0FMF:

I stubbed my toe going up a flight of stairs in 1976. Ever since then I’ve
avoiding the risk of stubbing my toe by always taking the lift. I learnt my
lesson!

If you had ever been stuck in the lift of an unoccupied, 14 storey office building on a Sunday morning, you would not be saying that!

Ask Martin Lynch next time you see him!
:-)))

73,
Walt (GO3NYY)

In reply to 2E0YYY:

I’ve been using a Platypus bladder for over a year now on hundreds of miles of hikes and cross-country skiing. It cost me $20, and I have a spare one sitting on hand for when the plastic finally wears out. I also don’t bleach the inside. We have clean water though, so I don’t really have to. Bleaching/cleaning can destroy the plastic really fast.

My biggest gripe is that you’ll want something to velcro it in place with, or magnetic mount (which can collect magnetic particles if you’re in a dusty area), otherwise as bouncing around on your chest, it’ll leave a wet spot as if you’ve been lactating. You can get fancy insulators for winter and summer to prevent freezing/overheating of the water, but I just lift the tube up in the air and let the water drain back out of the tube, has been very effective in cold winter storms.

I’ll probably still be using it come this summer when I finally get my radio built and start hitting W7/CM summits.

Cheers,
AE7IK

In reply to AE7IK:

My biggest gripe is that you’ll want something to velcro it in place
with, or magnetic mount (which can collect magnetic particles if
you’re in a dusty area),

Hi…

Interesting you’ve mentioned the magnetic holder. A friend of mine has one of these and on a recent trip to Knoydart managed to reverse his compass. The compass was hung around his neck and the magnet was on the front of his rucksack strap.

He said “nothing wrong with my compass mate”… and then I said “it’s midday and the sun is in the north then… yeah???”

Ha ha ha… funny moment - but shows what can happen. There could have been dense fog that day hiding the sun and we would have started going completely the wrong way! Scary stuff!

Rob GO7LAS

In reply to G7LAS:

Ha ha ha… funny moment - but shows what can happen. There could
have been dense fog that day hiding the sun and we would have started
going completely the wrong way! Scary stuff!

Hi Rob,

Sun! What’s that?
Mind you after almost five days of uninterrupted sun, no doubt the water companies will be announcing a hose pipe ban this weekend :frowning:

73 Mike
2O0YYY

In reply to 2E0YYY:

It was boiling hot up there that week, the same time England was getting monsoons!

In reply to 2E0YYY:
I also can recommend the Camelbak Omega reservoir hydration systems. It is very very strong. If anyone looking for military grade, MSR guys have pretty good ones here:

A softer version also available:

I have all of these and can tell you that all three are top quality.

73, P

In reply to 2E0YYY:
I really cannot see any advantage of using hydration bladders. Who needs to drink more often than every say 30 minutes? You should stop then, stretch, take the PET bottle out of the backpack and let your heartbeats slow down a bit. And the Sigg bottles? They are the relics of the pre-PET times. PET bottles are KISS stuff, you take as big or as much you need depending on the weather and trip. In many years no PET bottle has ever failed. The only down point is that some “tourists” throw empty PETs in the nature. My XYL has the habit to collect them along the trail as we descend to dump them in the next waste container back in the civilisation.
Last time when I was buying a new rucksack I was unable to find out any without a pocket for the bladder, but no bladder will ever come into it.
My 2 cents.
73 Ruda OK2QA

In reply to OK2QA:

Hi Ruda,

In my case once I start walking up I do not like to stop before I reach the summit. With this hydration system it is not necessary to stop for drinking. Still I need to do typically one or two stops on the way to the summits on Alps. For example to check the map, start APRS tracker or put sun screen.

73, Jaakko OH7BF/F5VGL