Hydration Systems? Do you use one? If so which?

Hi guys,

I've "upgraded" my HydraStorm hydration system. Dan at Tactical Warehouse ( [email protected]) sorted with out with a black tubecover, bite valve cover and protective "Torrent" bag for my 100oz reservoir in my "Tactician" BlackHawk rucksack.

I needed the tube and bitevalve covers in a hurry and Dan got them to me very fast (and for a great price)
My SureFire Dealer is of course Tim "The Prince" Flanagan. Dan's great customer service means he will be seeing my email for a couple of BlackHawk M6 pouches pretty soon. He's earning himself a Title too...

Guys, do you use CamelBac or Platepus (sp?) or HydraStorm like me?

How do you deal with the tube routing and with keeping the bitevalve clean and out of harms way? I carry and drink from mine all the time. My rucksack is on the floor under my desk at work so I sip water whenever I need it.

Without the black tubecover, I was getting even more strange looks so when I found out that Dan was Dealing in BlackHawk, I had to order the parts I should have got in the first place (form the SS2002)

So what are your opinions on these hydration systems?

Problems? Praise? Advice? Options?

Thanks for any input your can give!

Respectfully,

Al

Al,

I use the Camelback Un bottle as well as a couple of Camel Back bladders that I have modded into a PFD. The Camel back right angle valve has a cover that will slip over the bite valve itself. I think these things are great but agree that you want your *mouth piece* protected from the environment that the pack itself may find itself in. The male/female velcro straps are handy for temporary and moveable securring points for the hose.

Camel back sells an upgrade that has the neoprene black sleeve, a long hose and the right angle bite-valve with cover as a kit. Great stuff!!

- Don

Camelbak RULES!!!!

So what's this bite value cover you two speak of, I've been looking for something like this for ages!

The bite valve dangling around getting dirty is the only problem I have so far.

-YC

Al & YC,

I stand corrected, the upgrade kit I guess comes with the straight valve and then I guess I added the right angle that also has an on/off petcock later. The cover will work on both but it completely covers the straight version. If you look at the left side in photo below, you will see the cover on the bite valve. It isn't completely on in the photo. It is one piece with a base that stays on the hose and then an integral tether that the cap hangs on when the cover is off.



- Don

I've found nothing better than the Camelbak Blowfish. LOVE that thing. I was intimate with it for a solid three weeks in China, and now I use it about every day on my bike. The thing just rocks.

Here's the poop on the cover though: Don has the original verson of the cover that is not made any more. Camelbak offers nothing that will cover the stock angle valve. I have the upgraded insulated tube with the bite valve cover - and I can't use it. The cover is HUGE and will only work on the straight valve. There is nothing to keep it on the angled valve as it is too loose of a fit to stay there without mating with it's base (as it is allowed to do on the straight valve). In Don's pic you can see how the base and the cover can't mate around the angled valve? That's the problem.

I spent an hour talking to their development team last month though, and a low-profile "everyday" cover is in the works. That is the big weak link in my book as well. I hate having the valve dangle around in the elements all day. A cover is mandatory, and I'm surprised it has taken them so long to get around to this.

I also have the unbottle (and that's probably where I'll use the insulated tube and covered valve).

Here's the insulated valve cover from the official site:



For the cover to stay on, it needs to snap over the base that is permanently attached to the tube behind the valve.

Al,

Thank you for your business! I appreciate your support very much!

Dan.

I use the first version of the camelback and love it!!! the bladder cover is a pain to get on when it's full but I can deal with it. I will be looking in to the hydra storm series from blackhawk in the future!. When I go for a light day hike, the straps from the camelback get slipped through the top of my EMS large hip pack to make a more supportive hip pack and a lighter feeling 70oz of water.

I have no need of one, though I can clearly see where they would be very useful.

Ha! I thought the same thing until I bought one. I love the Blowfish as a normal backpack. It just happens to carry 3L of water as well. You'll be amazed at how much you use one once you have one.

Remember the good ol' days when you could run around from sunrise to sunset and seemingly never need a drink? Now I can't go 15 minutes! I swear... we didn't USED to need to hydrate. No suddenly it is mandatory.

Given my situation, in which I am at home for most of any month, I always have ready access to water.