- Joined
- Jul 23, 2013
- Messages
- 1,665
I've given up on bladders with hoses for a few reasons:
For filtration, I start with a Sawyer Mini. You just can't beat how lightweight and compact it is. I do sometimes carry a few Aqua-Mira tablets in case I come across extra dirty water or where viruses could be suspect, though I've yet to use them. With the Sawyer, I can fit it right onto the Smart bottles, but I prefer to keep my bottles for clean water only and it gets a bit tricky with squeezing and crinkling the bottles to get the water through the filter that way. So, if I'm solo, I'll carry a 1.5 liter Evernew bag for a dirty bag to attach the filter to and squeeze water from.
I've recently begun to use the Mini in a DIY gravity system. I added a bit of cord through some holes I punched into the bottom of the Evernew so I can invert it and hang it from a tree or whatever. I then attach my Platypus hoser hose to the outflow of the filter after removing the bit valve. I can then take the other end of the hose with the threaded cap and attach it to any of my Smart bottles, though I have to leave it a bit loose to allow the pressure to escape. What even works better now is if I take along the original 16 oz bag that came with the Mini and put that on the threaded end of the hose. That thing will fill up in just a minute or two and I can then drink straight from that or pour it on into my bottles. For my most recent trip, yesterday in fact, I actually took a 2 liter Platy, added cordage to it just like my Evernew, and used that as a dirty bag with my original 2 liter Hoser bladder attached on the bottom for my clean bag. Worked flawlessly and had all 2 liters of dirty water filtered through into clean water in the time it took me to take down and pack away our tent and clean up camp a bit...only a few minutes. I then transferred that water into our water bottles for the day. This is a fantastic setup for 2+ people and can be interchanged with 3 liter bags and so on. It does the same job as a Gravityworks or similar commercial gravity system, in probably the same amount of time for half the cost. Yes, adding in the tube and extra bladder/bags to make a gravity driven system adds a few ounces, but the convenience it gives in camp is worth the trade-off and it can all be collapsed, rolled up around the filter, and secured with a bit of elastic so it takes very little extra space in the pack. Sometimes, I'll just toss the roll into a side pocket next to my bottle for easier access. If needed, and that's a big emphasis on needed, I can also fill up a bag or both to take on the go to have extra water if I'm going to have a dry camp in the desert or something.
To make filling up the dirty bags easier, especially from sources like lakes and low flowing streams, I take a simple little Ziploc and cut a tiny corner off and collect/scoop up water with that and then let it stream out of the corner hole into the dirty bag. If the water is from a lake or a silty source, I'll pre-filter by running the stream of water through a bandana as it enters the dirty bag.
Given the other advice given from others above, it is clear that there are tons of options and versatile systems out there each with their own set of pros and cons, much like so many other different systems used in backpacking. I can see why others like to have the hose to make drinking water easier on the go and allows them to keep moving without removing their pack. As already noted, I have reclaimed that same benefit by finding a way to strap and snuggly secure bottles to my shoulder straps. However, when I'm not taking the extra bottles on my straps, I just make sure to take a little rest every hour or so, remove my pack, pull out a bottle and chug back a little water, or alot.
Edit: One other tip: Using the pre-filter method with the bandana and then back flushing the filter with a squeeze or two of clean water from a bottle topped with a cap found on the 20 oz Smart Water bottles after each use of the filter helps to keep the flow rate respectable and adequate with each use.
- I hate how warm/hot the water trapped in the hose gets when the hose is exposed on sunny hikes. Those first few sips are always blah! I suppose I could invest in an insulated hose, but nah.
- The extra effort it takes to rinse them out and and properly dry them after each outing so as to keep them from getting all grimy and nasty. And when you forget or just doin't get to it.... Then you have to scrub them out good with those special tube and bladder brushes and cleanse them with the fizzy tabs.
- They've always put a bit of a plastic/vinyl taste in the water.
- They intrude on the interior space of my pack. Some packs accommodate them better than others though.
- Weight was the least of the factors, but it was a factor, though I'm back to carrying a hose on some trips for a different use, explained below...
For filtration, I start with a Sawyer Mini. You just can't beat how lightweight and compact it is. I do sometimes carry a few Aqua-Mira tablets in case I come across extra dirty water or where viruses could be suspect, though I've yet to use them. With the Sawyer, I can fit it right onto the Smart bottles, but I prefer to keep my bottles for clean water only and it gets a bit tricky with squeezing and crinkling the bottles to get the water through the filter that way. So, if I'm solo, I'll carry a 1.5 liter Evernew bag for a dirty bag to attach the filter to and squeeze water from.
I've recently begun to use the Mini in a DIY gravity system. I added a bit of cord through some holes I punched into the bottom of the Evernew so I can invert it and hang it from a tree or whatever. I then attach my Platypus hoser hose to the outflow of the filter after removing the bit valve. I can then take the other end of the hose with the threaded cap and attach it to any of my Smart bottles, though I have to leave it a bit loose to allow the pressure to escape. What even works better now is if I take along the original 16 oz bag that came with the Mini and put that on the threaded end of the hose. That thing will fill up in just a minute or two and I can then drink straight from that or pour it on into my bottles. For my most recent trip, yesterday in fact, I actually took a 2 liter Platy, added cordage to it just like my Evernew, and used that as a dirty bag with my original 2 liter Hoser bladder attached on the bottom for my clean bag. Worked flawlessly and had all 2 liters of dirty water filtered through into clean water in the time it took me to take down and pack away our tent and clean up camp a bit...only a few minutes. I then transferred that water into our water bottles for the day. This is a fantastic setup for 2+ people and can be interchanged with 3 liter bags and so on. It does the same job as a Gravityworks or similar commercial gravity system, in probably the same amount of time for half the cost. Yes, adding in the tube and extra bladder/bags to make a gravity driven system adds a few ounces, but the convenience it gives in camp is worth the trade-off and it can all be collapsed, rolled up around the filter, and secured with a bit of elastic so it takes very little extra space in the pack. Sometimes, I'll just toss the roll into a side pocket next to my bottle for easier access. If needed, and that's a big emphasis on needed, I can also fill up a bag or both to take on the go to have extra water if I'm going to have a dry camp in the desert or something.
To make filling up the dirty bags easier, especially from sources like lakes and low flowing streams, I take a simple little Ziploc and cut a tiny corner off and collect/scoop up water with that and then let it stream out of the corner hole into the dirty bag. If the water is from a lake or a silty source, I'll pre-filter by running the stream of water through a bandana as it enters the dirty bag.
Given the other advice given from others above, it is clear that there are tons of options and versatile systems out there each with their own set of pros and cons, much like so many other different systems used in backpacking. I can see why others like to have the hose to make drinking water easier on the go and allows them to keep moving without removing their pack. As already noted, I have reclaimed that same benefit by finding a way to strap and snuggly secure bottles to my shoulder straps. However, when I'm not taking the extra bottles on my straps, I just make sure to take a little rest every hour or so, remove my pack, pull out a bottle and chug back a little water, or alot.
Edit: One other tip: Using the pre-filter method with the bandana and then back flushing the filter with a squeeze or two of clean water from a bottle topped with a cap found on the 20 oz Smart Water bottles after each use of the filter helps to keep the flow rate respectable and adequate with each use.
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