Hydration bags

[wymple]

Anybody got experience with the hydration bags with hoses so I don't die of thirst trying to keep up with the boys this year out on the road? Looking for suggestions, there are are a lot of types.

 

[Charlie G]

Camelbak H2O 001 by gillinghams2007, on Flickr

Camelbak H2O 002 by gillinghams2007, on Flickr

Here is the one I use. My brother gave this to me over 20 years ago and I really didn't use it much until the last 9 years as I started to tour in the pacific northwest. I'm on my second bladder tank as I left it full in the garage over the winter and it froze in the elbow at the bottom of the bladder and leaked next spring. It has a 2 liter capicity, will carry a quart of oil, a few wrenches, my compact down jacket , plus some more emergency gear. I can drink while I'm riding, although it is a bit tricky with a full face helmet. (Steve don't try this!) It is important for me to keep hydrated so I'm constantly sipping on it. The humidy here is often below 25% and you need the water. This is the only one I've used. cg

 

[storm 64]

Heck, if I had one of them I'd have to pull over every 25 miles to pee! Seriously though no matter how you do it, it's important to stay hydrated.

 

[salty_monk]

Camelbaks are basically the benchmark. I use a Mule one. Get one with an "off" switch in the line. The straight ones are easier to get into your helmet while riding than the L shaped ones. The insulated ones help stop you getting a warm first mouthful or have them freeze in winter.

On the bike I use their bum bag (fanny pack) version & it fits in the rain liner stowage pocket in the back of my jacket. This is really good as it sits on the seat behind me rather than weighing on my shoulders....

 

[Guest]

I use them all the time while bicycling, can go through a quart per hour with ease. My motorcycle helmet is snug enough that I doubt that I could use the tube.
Fill the bladder with ice, then top it off with water.

 

[wymple]

OK, now I see options.

 

[bwringer]

Yep, the bite valve can be a tight fit in a street helmet. Dual-sport helmets generally have a lot more room in front of your mouth.

Then again, maybe I've just got a chimp jaw.

I'd want to limit the amount of stuff in the backpack if at all possible; stick to a smaller model without a lot of extra room. A lot of weight in your backpack can really screw up your balance and weight distribution, and isn't very comfortable.

 

[VintageLad]

Source is a great brand. The marines use their stuff. I bought a brand new source hydration bladder on eBay that came with a simple, used military backpack pouch. Haven’t used it on the bike yet, but it worked great for backpacking and some events with my family

 

[aclaytonb]

Camelbak makes smaller units for bicycling and distance running. They are about 1 or 2 liters. There are also straw type systems that fit plastic military 1L canteens for the same purpose. Milsurplus canteens and straw kits are cheap. Been military for 20 yrs and camelbak stuff is indeed the benchmark. If you buy a walmart brand, you'll soon find out why they are so cheap.

Honestly, I'd stay away from military specific gear (except the canteens, simply because they are usually designed for 100+ oz, which is usually overkill for anything short of combat ops. And its way more expensive than civilian gear.

 

[posplayr]

I bought this for AZ MTN biking. It holds 3L of liquid and has a simple hydra pack folding seal bladder (very easy to clean and fill although I just keep bottled water in it). It was heavily discounted because these came out in about 2014. They have a universal fit shoulder strap system that works very well making it very easy to get on and off and sits back in the moddle of yoru back very well so it is hardly noticeable. It is not like you are fighting it is all; it is like it is not even there. Not sure how it woudl work for a MC but the strap system is very adjustable and would work with even a heavy jacket.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BIKING-SKI...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[Guest]

The link leads to 10 liter hydration packs. I wonder if it is a misprint. That's about 20#.
3L would make sense for off-road, where speeds are lower than highway.

I've had several brands of hydration packs. Of those I've tried, Camelbak has been clearly the best. I specifically don't want extra weight on my back except for water. I can't imagine when I would not need to stop for gas or a rest before 2 liters of water would run out, when on highways.

 

[posplayr]

10L pack volume with 3L hydration bladder.

it is safe to assume that means 7L available when bladder is full.

 

[nagami]

subscribed, this seems like a very interesting thread

 

[Downs]

I hate crap hanging on me when I ride so anthing I use gets mounted on the bike. My latest iteration is a 1L nalgene with a straw system coming out of it. It works pretty good but 1L of water goes quick. I've still got my old Marine Corps hydration system. I like to take that and strap it on the back of the bike the hose usually hangs somehwere it's easy to grab. Holds a lot more than that Nalgene.

 

[salty_monk]

This is what I use. My jacket is a "touring" length one, the rain jacket stowage pocket is at back bottom so this rests on the seat behind me (or most of the weight does). I made a re-inforced hole in the mesh of one of the air vents to feed the tube through the front of my jacket.