Hydration bladder freezing

[Vegan.Hiker]

So I've been out on the trails about 5 times this winter and every single time the my bladder tube and bite valve freeze on me. I keep repeating the problem cause I tell myself that I need to just remember to take a small sips but I always forget and it freezes solid.

I know that Osprey (my bladder is osprey) makes an insulated tube and bite valve for the winter, but before I drop $30 on it, does anyone have any easier solutions to this? I have searched online and some people have said to blow the water out of the tube back into the bladder after each drink, but that it could introduce bacteria into your bladder and make it funky. Others have said to add some vodka to lower the freeze temp but that sounds kinda gross.

Is there a rubber tubing or something I can get from a hardware store or something to wrap around my tube to insulate it? Just checking before I drop the $30 on the insulated osprey tube.

Thanks

 

[Ben]

So I've been out on the trails about 5 times this winter

i don't believe it. pretty sure i've only seen one report.


have you considered using a bottle. they're cheap, and ubiquitous. less likely to develop leaks. i used to use a bladder, but any more i prefer being able to just reach the bottle with out taking my pack off. i've also found i drink more this way because i don't have to suck on a hose to get water.

i've also thought about getting a thermos for winter use.

 

[Artemus]

I use my bladder mostly all winter backcountry skiing. I spent the $30 and that makes some difference.

I can get away with the tube out down to about 25DegF. Below that I blow the water back in and refill it each drink - down to about 20DegF. Below that I stuff the whole hose into the pack and take it out when I need a drink. When I know it is going to be way cold I take a thermos - with something warm.

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

i don't believe it. pretty sure i've only seen one report.

Unfortunately, my region isn't as photogenically blessed as yours, so not all of my hikes are worthy of a report. Early Jan. we had a thaw which dulled the winter lustre into a barren brown bleh and I haven't been too lucky with the weather on the days I've been out either. I did add a few pics to the "winter shots" thread A few days ago. Do you really expect a report every time I venture out for a few hours, or were you joking?

I thought about bottles, but I like the convenience of not having to stop and take my pack off.

 

[Joey]

Do you really expect a report every time I venture out for a few hours, or were you joking?

From you, absolutely!

 

[Artemus]

Fellow Near Vegan, don't listen to these two they are just teasin' I am pretty sure. They are good guys (I think - although who can know about "friends" you only know over the Intertubes?). I am with you on not posting all of my hikes. If I did that I would be posting twice a week and it would be about the same hikes that everyone else did last week Don't worry about the photogenic thing. None of us can shoot like the masters here. They inspire me but I can't match them. It IS fun to read about new places at least for me, so write up; when you want.
-- fellow bladder-tube sucker

 

[Joey]

Just to clarify I was just giving Vegan a hard time. But I do enjoy reading his reports.

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

Thanks @langutah. I know they are both good guys and I wasn't bothered by anything. I just wasn't completely sure if Ben was joking, although I'm pretty sure he was, so I figured I'd ask. I'll throw some stuff into the micro reports thread when I have some time.

So it looks like I should just drop the $30 on the insulated tube.

 

[Ben]

@Vegan.Hiker i was mostly joking, but only because i like every one on here enough to joke with them. i love this community. i'm biased about trip reports though, i'd like to see seventeen reports on every where. and not as much to see great pictures, but to know what's where. that being said, i also went out a week ago and snow shoed around near the mountains and haven't put a report up of it. i even spent a night out. i'm just as guilty. and on the topic of water freezing up, i had to sleep with a bottle in my bag to unfreeze it that night i was out. it had frozen solid by the time i thought of it. when i got up it was still a little slushy.

you mention having to take your pack off to get to your water. i used to have the same problem with the pack that i grew up with, but the pack i have now has pockets on the sides that i can reach while walking, allowing me to pull out a bottle and slide it back in without breaking stride. an Osprey Exos that i have been extremely happy with.

i'll have to go look at your pictures in the snow section now. thanks.

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

the pack i have now has pockets on the sides that i can reach while walking, allowing me to pull out a bottle and slide it back in without breaking stride. an Osprey Exos that i have been extremely happy with.

My packs have the side pockets but I'm not sure if I'm flexible/acrobatic enough to pull that off, but I can't say I've tried. I'll put my pack on and give it a try later.

 

[Ben]

My packs have the side pockets

so did my old pack. but the old pack's mesh pockets opened up high, while my new one has lower openings that also angle forward, making it a lot easier. they're very well thought out pockets : )

 

[IntrepidXJ]

For really cold days I will skip the bladder and bring along a bottle or two. The rest of the time I just blow the water out of the tube back into the bladder and it usually works well. I've never heard about introducing bacteria into the bladder that way, but I'd imagine any bacteria in the tube or mouthpiece would have no problems getting into the bladder without blowing the water back in anyways, so I doubt it's that much of a concern.

 

[scatman]

I have side mesh pockets on my pack too but while the bottles are easy to get out they are hard to get back in, so I started carrying one of my bottles on the chest strap. It works for me.

 

[Nick]

It's taken enough to get used to having my camera on my chest. I'm not sure I could handle a liter of water swinging around up there. Looks really convenient though.

I hate sucking through tubes, but I still usually do it for long hikes. In the winter, I just bring bottles. When it's cold I find I don't need the constant mouth wetting like I do in the heat.

 

[Dwm]

If you are a tightwad try the sock and duct tape trick. It does work. And you can use the sock later for all kinds of things.

 

[Vegan.Hiker]

I'm sure there are some ultralighters who double their spare socks as gloves.

 

[Artemus]

I have side mesh pockets on my pack too but while the bottles are easy to get out they are hard to get back in, so I started carrying one of my bottles on the chest strap. It works for me.

Doesn't it irritate with banging into you as walk?

 

[WasatchWill]

Similar to @scatman, I make my water bottles more accessible by rigging up my bottles on my shoulder straps using some cord loops and locks around the neck of the bottle (non-stretchy cord) and a small caribiner securing the cord loop to my load lifter straps and then stretchy cord and locks are used around the bottom.

 

[scatman]

Doesn't it irritate with banging into you as walk?

That would assume that my pace is fast enough to generate some momentum for the water bottle to swing. With my sloth like movements the bottle stays put on my chest! Actually, when the bottle is down to about a quarter full it does tend to bounce a bit but it doesn't bother me. Placing the bottle on my chest strap serves a couple of purposes for me: the first, it is convenient to get at and second, it reminds me to take a drink more often. As I've gotten older, I've tried to pay close attention to my hydration along the trail; particularly on trips with multiple long or hard days.

 

[Artemus]

As I've gotten older, I've tried to pay close attention to my hydration along the trail; particularly on trips with multiple long or hard days.

On a couple of your Yellowstone Trip Reports you could have absorbed enough water through your skin to suffice!