life expectancy of hydration system bladders

digger

Likes Dirt
I tried to do the right thing by my camelback on saturday night and clean it out, big mistake. The following morning I embarked on my ride to find that it was no more useful at holding water than a landing net. I'm sure it's only a couple of years old and expected that it would last a bit longer than that. specifically it was a blackburn hydrapack. has anyone else had similar experiences?
 

Regan

Eats Squid
I have had Camelback Rocket for over 4 years now. I clean it out about once a week. I have never had a problem.
 

udi

swiss cheese
I've had a camelbak rogue for 2-3 years, still perfect.

I used to clean it often (used to fill it with orange juice etc so it needed cleaning) but water now so I just refill it that's all I do for it.
 

scratchy

Farkin Activist
Is the Blackburn "Sweating"? Mine did after several years of heavy abuse. If so you can get by a little bit longer sticking it in a plastic bag and then in your backpack, to add a waterproof layer. I used that technique over the hot months with no probs (maybe not in the cooler months though).

You've had it a couple of years? We/I tend to give them a hard life remember there is some friction in there between bladder and bag, so it just might be time for a new bladder.
 

scblack

Leucocholic
I am pretty sure mine's a Blackburn too, and I've had it for 4-5 years and it's going fine. After each ride I rinse it, just with water, and hang the bladder upside down, with a thing that holds it open, and lets the water drain out. Thus it's always dry, and not wet to mould up and stuff.

The hanger is like a rubber clothes hanger, with four sides, and just holds out the bladder to fully drip and dry.

It does sweat a lot too, but I thought that was just condensation - the water level does not seem to fall. Plus it would be my sweat a fair bit too.
 
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CHEWY

Eats Squid
I lost my bladder windsurfing out on Corio bay.. stacked onto my back while going excessively fast, which unbeknowst to me undid my pack and my bladder happily floated off into the sunset :(
How much are new 2L ones??
 

donthucktoflat

Eats Squid
i've had my camelback bladder for a couple of years now and to be honest, i treat the poor thing like shit. i don't clean it and i am constantly swapping it between different bags and stuff. it originally came in a "classic"
 

Inverted

Likes Dirt
Mine is about 5 years old and its in great shape. I do clean it with the stuff my wife use's to clean my sons bottles occasionally, you can find it in the baby's isle in the supermarket. The actual mouth peice is the only thing that gets skanky.
 

spyderman_au

Likes Bikes and Dirt
My 4 year old camel bak seems fine and it get treated like shit. Never cleaned, only rinsed, never dried but I do stick it in the freezer when not in use. empty in winter half full in summer. mmmm cool water half day......
 

sundy

Likes Dirt
Mine is second hand (from a friend) and so it would be more than 5 years old, and it is still going strong. It has never been cleaned and it often gets left half full of water for weeks.

I do only put water in it though, no cordial, etc.
 

Bud Weiser

Likes Dirt
yeah,
a bladder generally lasts me only a year if i am lucky,
they get pushed to their limits,
i take them kayacking, riding, hiking , cadet camps and that sorta stuff
they just die i have never had any holes just leeks in seems and stuff
but they are desighned to last only a limited time anyway and if u use them for to long the water tastes funny,
and they are cheap these days so that even easier !!!
 

ja_har

Likes Dirt
Bladder

Mine is still going strong after 10 years and as far I can remember its been cleaned a grand total of once, I do drain it and hang it upside down.
 

Huck!

Likes Bikes
I've had mine ages and had no problem with it.
I clean it with these tablet thingys that are used to clean out babies botles and thy're great don't even leave a foul taste.
 

digger

Likes Dirt
Thanks guys,

it soundl very much like i've been a lazy shit and not looked after it properly and deserve to have to buy another one. maybe I'll rinse & dry this one after rides instead of leaving gatorade in it for weeks on end until the next ride...oops.

ride on.
 

jamit

Likes Dirt
I have a Hydrapak Overflow the bladder lasted about 3 years, I had a resonable stack and I landed on my back the pack and the bladder was full probably save some skin thanks to the pack. I was ok but the bladder did develop a leak on the next ride which I put down to the bladder being the only thing that was going to give when I landed on my back. New 3lt one cost me about $40.
 

GoingDHfast

Likes Dirt
From my experience (I've had 4) anything other than camelbak and you're lucky to get 50 hours out of them.. I've only ever had one Camelbak break, it split at the weld mark and was a manufacturing defect. I couldnt be bothered chasing up the warranty so I fixed it with glue and a patch and it hasnt leaked since. Also, CamelBak bite valves are second to none, and the construction and design of their bags is great.

I think its a case of pay 30% extra to begin with and get 200% better performance, life and quality. That said, you do need to take a bit of care of them - when its not in use bend an old coat hanger so it fits inside the bag. Hang it up from this and you should stop the growth of bugs. Every few uses get some baking soda or Epsom tablets (I think thats what they are?) and leave the water in there for a couple of days...

I've had bad experiences with Blackburn, Torpedo 7 and Caribee.
 

timmo

Likes Dirt
I've got some of those flexi flask things (2L, pretty tough plastic) and have had no probs with them. They don't have the wide fill point of the camel baks - they just have a standard coke bottle size screw, but they are pretty cheap and tough.

I just use them with a Deuter H2O back pack. I've used them for about 4 yrs or so without problems.
 

Tonkotsu Flavour

Likes Bikes
why to put in freezer? im assuming to slow the prevention of a bio hazard?

the very very first camelbaks used to split on the top seam or around the filler hole, these were the very first ones released and it had no cargo so you just jammed everything in the one compartment along with the bladder.

but now the top seam is quite thick and the filler cap has a nice grip to open/close. and at least you have more than one compartment on the camebaks now.

phantomcycles.com.au has them for around 70 depending on the size you get.
 
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