Camelback users

[Bobby Buggs]

Im considering the purchase of one for this season but worry about the thing getting nasty and tasting bad. Please post your experience on these devices and tips on how to keep them from getting gross

[Pat Donnelly]

Listerene to rinse with or so I have heard. I rode one day with mine and did not care for the feel. I always carry a bottle of something.

[Bobby Buggs]

Looking at one of these,

[queequeg]

There is a very simple way to prevent your camelback from getting nastified: stick it in the freezer whenever you are not using it.

I always had problems with the hozes freezing up on me, when I tried riding with a camelbak a few seasons ago. I guess you just have to keep them in your jacket. I'm gonna give that a go this year.

[Tick]

I have ridden with Camelbacks for several years. I make sure to just put WATER in them; no gatorade or anything else. When I'm done using it, I will typically blow the water out of the tube and turn the inner bladder inside out let it dry out. Never used cleaners (other than dish soap occasionally), never had any mold or anything else visible in the bladder. I'm sure someone is going to say that I am doing something wrong not cleaning it out with some kind of cleaner, but you wanted to hear some experiences, and so that's mine. :)

In case you are worried about the tube freeze issue, when I'm on the slopes, I have just blown the water back through the tube into the bladder when I am finished drinking, and almost never have freeze issues, If there's no water in the tube, then there's no water to freeze! Again, I'm sure some anal-rentitive hygiene person will have something to say about that!

[Dave Pushee]

Rule number 1: Put only (clean) water in the Camelbak (well, Vodka might be OK too). Energy drinks are hard to clean out and really WANT to go bad.

My wife says empty and rinse after each use. Rinse with HOT water and be sure to rinse through the hose and bite-valve too. I'm kind of lax about the every use bit - I'll go a few days without cleaning and haven't had problems.

If you have any doubts, mix up a bleach solutioin to rinse with.

After rinsing, air it out as much as possible.

The freezer idea mentioned earlier should work too.

FYI, If you have problems with the tube or valve freezing up, try to drain back the hose after each drink (hold the tube up high and squeeze the bite-valve - water should drain back into resevoir. No water in tube, nor freeze.

[Softcarver]

I have been using a camelback for years now. I keep it on the inside of my jacket and tuck the tube inside when I'm not drinking. I also have a insulated tube cover to keep it from freezing. The only thing that ever freezes on me is the mouthpeice which I can usually bite to free up. I normally just rinse it out and hang it up to dry. Once in a while I use a little baking soda in hot water to clean it. Just make sure the water is not too hot as I tried using almost boiling water one time and as soon as I closed the lid to shake it up the bag burst at the seam. FYI don't use any chemicals as I did that once and the taste never went away. I never even use soap. They are caoted with a microbial coating anyway so they are usually good unless you let them sit over the summer full of water. I usually buy a new bladder every season anyway to make sure it's clean. I will never ride without one as it keeps me hydrated and feeling fresher all day long while my buddies are panting on the side of the trail.

[Seraph]

just use water, drain it out after every use, blow out the tube, paper towel in the bladder, hang dry. Every few times, dip the mouth piece in some vodka/alcohol to keep it clean.

The new winter insulated camelbaks are great, haven't had a problem with the water freezing.

[bartron]

I bought a Camelback Snowbowl in 2001 and it's great. It's made for winter. When you look at it, about the only thing that appears to be winter-specific (more accurately, cold-weather specific :) ) is the neoprene wrapping on the tube and the thick rubber cap that encapsulates the mouthpiece.

I wear it over my fleece and under my shell. I've never had it freeze on me.

I did try putting orange juice once, but some of it got into the corners of the mouthpiece and was really hard to get out and eventually turned black. I did manage to get it out. Other than that, I've only used water or Gatorade in it.

Hope that helps.

--

[Dave ESPI]

Distilled vinegar. 20% solution in water works fine for cleaning it.

Don't put "Reverse Osmossis" (pure drinking water) in it. It will attack the rubbers and make them slimy.

I had one, and used it, but found that they would make a big mess when punctured, or seams would leak when I forgot it was in my backpack and well....

rode a bit rough and tumble style......

Now I just use a cheap 5.00 plastic surplus store US military canteen with screw on lid.

[tufty]

Now I just use a cheap 5.00 plastic surplus store US military canteen with screw on lid.

I used to have a camelback, never really liked it, although the instant and permanent on tap rehydration thing is a really good idea (see also post in the ibuprofen discussion). It always tasted of plastic, never could get used to that.

Nowadays I have a litre stainless thermos in the rucksack. Probably not a great idea if I crash out hard, but on the other hand, I always have hot coffee available, and I can usually leave the bag with the lifties anyway (that's the great thing about being "in the biz", although I'll generally hold onto people's bags if they ask when I'm working, whoever they are.).

Even before camelbacks came out, we used the "ghetto" solution when backpacking - the liner from a wine box is pretty tough, and squooshes into all sorts of odd little nooks and crannies in a backpack. It's very tempting simply to pull them from the box and shove them in the backpack "as is" as opposed to filling them with water, though - 5 litres of wine over a day tends to make your hiking trails meander a bit more than usual.

Simon

[ursle]

Water only, blow what's in the tube back into the container after you drink on cold days, it fits over or under my coat (under for cold days)

It's the best back proctection possible, when you blow the water back into it, it fills up with air..., it's part of my armour.Hydrate or Die

[bobdea]

into your local home brew shop and pick up either some one step (like oxy clean) or star san

should be all set.

BTW, why would water that has been purified attack the plastic. AFAIK water does not hold a charge or anything so reverse osmosis treated water should not hurt it. how does your camelbak know the difference between the process used on your water unless there's chemical left behind like in chlorinated water? I have never heard of this and in checking I can find no information supporting this.

if anything it would have to be treated the same as distilled water which is actually prefered for use on plastics because hard water and the associated minerals building up are the ones that interfere with seals and make everything get lime scale or turn brown.

[John E]

I put only water in the Camelbak & was never very particular about cleaning it out. I'll drink water from a water bottle on a bike that has been there for over a week & nothing unpleasant happens.

I don't like the hump on my back - especially riding the lift in the AM when the CB is full. So, I've switched to a Platypus from REI with a "holster" & wear it in the front. It only holds a liter but that's usually enough if I don't start out dehydrated.

[bjvircks]

I've been using a 'camelback' type system for years and wouldn't be without it when skiing/riding. Despite several other posts posts I've made about filling with vodka or everclear... I use only tap water. I've had the same bladder/tube for about 11 years. At the start and end of every season I clean it out well with a weak bleach solution. Years ago a bought a Camelback brand cleaning kit that included 2 brushes. The brush I really appreciate is the LONG skinny tube brush.

This may sound a little 'Al Gore'... but it is true. I invented the camelback. Well, not really, but close! Years and years ago when flying hang gliders in the Owens Valley I was getting thirsty on long XC flights. I took an empty 2 liter pop bottle and placed a balloon inside it. Then I band-clamped a plastic tube to the neck of the balloon and passed the free end of the tube thru a hole I had drilled into the bottle cap. Since bite valves hadn't been invented yet I used a tube clamp scrounged from a highschool chem lab. The reason I had the balloon bladder inside the bottle was because the thing needed to fit into the front of my harness where my lower abdomen would place it into constant compression.

added photo from around '83 just before I dropped my water bottle.

[Sinecure]

I gave up on the Camelbak brand a few years ago. I find the blue bladders impart a plastic taste to the water. I've switched to using the Platypus bladders that you can buy at REI. I have a variety of sizes and a couple of tubes with bite valves. Platypus uses food grade plastic that doesn't leak and doesn't impart any flavor to the water. Plus most of them can be stood up on their base so I leave them empty on the window sill to dry out after use - rinse with hot water and soap (sometimes), drain, blow air into it and leave it to dry.

I have a small one that fits in a pocket and just has a sport-bottle top on it, plus some bigger ones that fit in the bladder pocket in my various backpacks. One of my packs it is hard to thread the drink tube through the shoulder strap so that one I just leave the tube on the pack. Other packs are easier to thread/remove so I swap around.

Plus I can carry a spare bladder with a cap on it and just swap when the first one is empty. I find this useful when skiing if we're not carrying a water purifier or there won't be running water available anywhere all day.

If you want to keep the tube from freezing up, just blow a little air back into the tube after you drink from it. This leaves air in the bladder, but you can still drink from it and it won't freeze up. Also, keeping the bladder closer to your body keeps the water a little warmer and less likely to freeze up.

[MUD]

BTW, why would water that has been purified attack the plastic. AFAIK water does not hold a charge or anything so reverse osmosis treated water should not hurt it.

It pulls all the chlorine out and makes it easier for crap to grow in it.....

[bobdea]

really?

so does that apply to any water with few minerals? distilled?

does it actually happen or is it theoretical?

is it actually attacking the plastic it's self or is it attacking the whatever is mixed in to the plastic to keep it from growing stuff. I saw one product that had triclosan in it. did not even know you could use it for food grade plastics.

I guess I'm coming from the other direction though, had short stint cleaning a lab and they were anal about useing distilled water to clean some the nalgene brand plastic ware along with some of the plastic membranes because even though it would all get autoclaved the minerals from well water ruined the stuff.

[MUD]

I think some of the companies are using an additive to the plastic to inhibit microbial growth. I don't know if it's microban, but it is something like it.

If you run the water through a filtering system it will pull out the chlorine and when you put it into your not clean bladder, the microbes go nuts. Doesn't take long to get slimy, get cloudy or show spots. The big problem is that unless you use a 10% bleach solution or something like that, you really can't get them CLEAN.

Kind of like brewing, I think.

The water itself is not attacking the plastic. Even DI water doesn't have an effect on plastics.

[Dave ESPI]

I think some of the companies are using an additive to the plastic to inhibit microbial growth. I don't know if it's microban, but it is something like it.

If you run the water through a filtering system it will pull out the chlorine and when you put it into your not clean bladder, the microbes go nuts. Doesn't take long to get slimy, get cloudy or show spots. The big problem is that unless you use a 10% bleach solution or something like that, you really can't get them CLEAN.

Kind of like brewing, I think.

The water itself is not attacking the plastic. Even DI water doesn't have an effect on plastics.

Thats not entirely true.

RODI water does indeed have an effect on (some) plastics and rubbers. Not all are safe. I've done saltwater reef aquariums for many many years as a maintainace guy and as a live animal transshipper. It can make them brittle and deteriorate them. I have experimented with various containers for safe storage of RODI water and some of the plastics oils and poly resins will leach and the containers need to be "surface strip/cured" before they are safe for potable water storage. Of course noone should drink RODI water as it will seriously F-yer body's minerals and electrolyte ballance up as it strips ions out and gives you that "OMG gotta-go" feeling all day long!

Microbes do indeed proliferate rather rapidly with no inhibitor (clorinated tap water indeed works well) which is also whhy they do not reccomend that "bottled water" containers be re-used as they do not have any protectionn against such if refilled with RO water (many "spring" water companies are just strip-filtered or carbon block TFC/TFA membraine purified) and are not sterile. Once you drink from it and get even a tiny bit of saliva or backwash in the container, it makes a nice culture of microbial dysentary disaster possible.

I will stick with my PVC/PVA canteen ;)

180 degree water for 55 seconds of contact time will kill just about anything. When in doubt, you can always use a QUATS bar sink sanitizer or other food safe sanitizer/ water tablets :)

[MUD]

Thats not entirely true.

RODI water does indeed have an effect on (some) plastics and rubbers. Not all are safe. I've done saltwater reef aquariums for many many years as a maintainace guy and as a live animal transshipper. It can make them brittle and deteriorate them. I have experimented with various containers for safe storage of RODI water and some of the plastics oils and poly resins will leach and the containers need to be "surface strip/cured" before they are safe for potable water storage. Of course noone should drink RODI water as it will seriously F-yer body's minerals and electrolyte ballance up as it strips ions out and gives you that "OMG gotta-go" feeling all day long!

Well, There you go. That's what I get for making a generalization. ;)

[bobdea]

you need 180 for 55 seconds of actual contact time and that's the high end of pastuerisation it does not kill just about anything however it does kill the majority of pathogens, this is why sealed milk still rots but evaporated milk in the can will keep until opened.

this is a issue that sometime people don't realize but pastuerization generally works better than sterilization when you're going for short shelf life. this can be demonstrated in any lab that works with plants in certain mediums or on a massive scale on any mushroom farm. a sterile medium that gets exposed to air rots much faster than one with balanced microflora already inhabiting it.

if you want sterile you're gonna need autoclave temps(230 or more)

[NYcarver]

BOBDEA is right on with the "One Step", I have been using this approach for several years and my camel back has not funny tastes. Mine is used all year for boarding and biking. The key is to clean the system out right after you are finished.

1. Soak it with "One step" or an iodine solution (Brewers Supply)

2. Remove Mouth piece and dry separately

3. Put kitchen wisk in bladder to open and allow for air circulation

4. Hang till dry.

I have a larger pack that I wear on the outside of my shell, on the cold days I drop a handwarmer inside. Sometimes it starts thicking but usually doesn't totally freeze. Just don't go too large or it is pain to sit on the lift chair, can't lean back with the larger baldders.

These also add a little protection for your spine.

[Bobby Buggs]

Thanks for all the insight. So point me in the direction where I can get a Smallish unit that I can wear under my shell. Being new to this whole thing I know Im not going to want some big bulky thing on my back or sticking off my back outside my coat.

What do you have in mind??

[Bobby Buggs]

Thanks for your input. Im looking to get something I can wear inside my jacket thats not very bulky. I dont want it outside my coat. What do you have in mind.