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  • #1

    Hydration Packs

    I havr been thinking that I want to start hiking. Arizona has so many trails and it is such good exercise it seems like a waste not to do it. And then yesterday I was talking to a buddy of mine about my recient camping trip and the conversation turned to hiking. He said the he ofyen hikes the nearby Superstition Mountains and invited me to go with him.

    So, long story short I need to gear up for hiking. Shoes I think I can handle (but I will still take any advice anyone has to offer about that) but what I am curious about is a hydration pack. My friend mentioned that he uses one and it seems like a no brainer for me to get one but I don't know anything about them. Can anyone suggest features that are must haves? What about size? We are just talking about 3-4 hour hikes at most. Would the smallest pack be enough or should I get a slightly larger one that can carry more gear? Is a 2L bladder big enough or should I look for the 3L?

    I figure that at some point in the future I will be going on longer hikes. Like all day but not overnight. Would it be a good idea to get a separate pack for those trips or just a larger one that will work for both?


    Lots of questions for something that seems so simple. Or am I in fact over complicating this?

    Thanks in advance.
    “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
    – E. B. White
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  • #2
    Re: Hydration Packs

    No camelback products. They are waging a shutdown war against off road vehicles. They want all of Moab declared off limits to everything except hikers and mountain bikers.
    Nights camped in 2019: 24
    Nights camped in 2018: 24

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    • #3
      Re: Hydration Packs

      I would say larger is better
      Water is a valueable resource out there
      While the extra 1 ltr of water is weight
      The size/weight difference in the bladder will not matter
      Unless your one to count ounces of weight
      Feature to look out for
      Mouthpiece should have a closeable cap
      The squeeze type nozzles tend to leak
      I have a camelback bladder and can lose half my water when bladder is squeezed by stuff in my pack
      Also instead of buying a pack just for the bladder
      Just buy the the bladder you can put in just about any backpack

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      • #4
        Re: Hydration Packs

        Originally posted by terasec View Post
        I have a camelback bladder and can lose half my water when bladder is squeezed by stuff in my pack
        That is exactly the reason I always bungeed the hydration pack to the outside of my pack and, as long as I kept the bite valve somewhat higher than the bladder, I never had a problem with it leaking.

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        • #5
          Re: Hydration Packs

          I was thinking that larger would be better because you can always fill it half full but you can't put 3L in a 2L bag. The only concern I had with that is weight. A bigger bladder means a bigger and therefore heavier bag.

          Good to know about the bite valve.
          “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
          – E. B. White

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Hydration Packs

            Another feature i like
            My bladder comes with a hook incorporated into the cap
            Lets me hang it on a tree and easily use it for cooking washing drinking etc
            Usefull when camping

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            • #7
              Re: Hydration Packs

              Bladders are OK for day hikes. Some packs (like tactical rucks) have bladders built in. If you get serious about hiking you will not appreciate the weight of a hydration bladder.
              2018: Any way the wind blows; doesn't really matter to me....Too Meee....

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              • #8
                Re: Hydration Packs

                Originally posted by Irate Mormon View Post
                Bladders are OK for day hikes. Some packs (like tactical rucks) have bladders built in. If you get serious about hiking you will not appreciate the weight of a hydration bladder.
                Why not?
                “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                – E. B. White

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Hydration Packs

                  I dont mind the Camelpaks. Though like Terasec mentioned, if you have the squeeze nozzle the water can come out if the bladder is squashed. I have a CamelBak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack which is made for mountain bikers but I use it all the time for my day hikes. I love it because it has an open/close cap instead of the squeeze nozzle, fits about 3L I think and has spare space to take a few snacks/phone/accessories. If you are only doing 3-4 hour hikes 3L is going to be more than enough water and you can always partially fill it if you don't want to carry that much.

                  I did a 3 hour hike with my wife on the weekend to a great swimming hole at the base of a waterfall over here in Australia. We filled the water, put lunch in, 2 microfibre small towels and her point and shoot camera. Easy to carry and had everything we needed in it for our day trip.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Hydration Packs

                    Originally posted by James. View Post
                    Why not?
                    Considering you're looking at 3-4 hour hikes, I wouldn't worry about the weight too much - especially if there's water to fill up on at your destination. If you were trying 15 mile a day treks, then water weight gets to be a problem.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Hydration Packs

                      What I mean is, for longer hikes (especially if you really start liking it and want to do through-hikes, the bladder itself is really more weight than is really necessary. I do have some Platypus bottles, but what really does the trick on trips of a just a couple of days is the liter water bottles you can buy at the dollar store for 50 cents or so (hey, they even include the water!). A well designed pack has a pocket that you can reach from the front, which is designed to hold stuff like - a water bottle. The dollar store bottles weigh only slightly more than a Playtpus and they're suprisingly durable. In fact, I haven't had one spring a leak yet, even after being used daily for an entire summer. Two bottles is what I normally take - YMMV. Nothing wrong with hydration bladders - I know lots of folks like them. I just prefer lighter and simpler. If I were hiking without a pack and I just needed to take some water, then yeah, I would do a bladder instead of carrying bottles in my hands or pockets.
                      2018: Any way the wind blows; doesn't really matter to me....Too Meee....

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Hydration Packs

                        Ah...thanks for the clairification.
                        “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                        – E. B. White

                        Comment

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