life expectancy of hydration system bladders

scratchy

Farkin Activist
Every entrant is the Polaris this year got a bladder (Nalgene from memory). Might make the entry fee a bit sweeter if you are thinking of doing it next year.
 

posty26

Likes Bikes
A couple of good bladder cleaners and to help get that skanky new taste out are bicarb soda and polident tablets (your nanna might use these on her dentures) soaked overnight
 

GoingDHfast

Likes Dirt
posty26 said:
A couple of good bladder cleaners and to help get that skanky new taste out are bicarb soda and polident tablets (your nanna might use these on her dentures) soaked overnight
thats the shit i was trying to remember!!

forget whatever it was i said, dont want anyone dying :eek:
 

fat_tyre_nick

Likes Dirt
you better clean it regularly because i got a really bad stomch ache after not washing mine for a couple of months and drinking lots from it. Although the thing that pissed me off was i had the stomach ache on the way home from homebush. :(
 

bradmc

Likes Bikes
I never clean mine, i only put water in it and then store it in the freezer when not in use.

A mate of mine recently bought a hydro pack with a bladder that has a quick release hose.....it is awsome, i think the brand is a Nalgene, although not entirely shore.
 

gragra

Likes Bikes
Teaspoon of napisan if it ever gets skanky - sloshed around with hot water and left for an hour before rinsing VERY thoroughly.

Between fills, it's kept in the fridge - to retard any bacterial growth. Never had any dramas with it. Not sure i'd go for the freezer though. Might play havoc with the plastic? had it for 5yrs.
Camelback Mule.
 

Rossm

Likes Bikes
Resurrecting this old thread -

I'm now on my 4th hydro bladder in 3 years :- boo hissss!

They have all failed at the hose fitting on the bag - it seems to deteriorate & split. 3 have been manufactured by HydroPak but branded by others. The last (and most miserable) was a CamelBack that I bought to see if this was an issue with HydroPack stuff. (The Camel-back was also leaking from the lid & that also got worse over time)

Anyone had success with the Platypus brand??

Any others finding the plastics just seem to give up & split after a year or so? Is this more built in obsolescence??
 

discofrank

Likes Dirt
Never had issues..
Had a brand from rays outdoors 2 years. 1 bladder.
Now have ogio with 3 litres
2 years no worries bar the bite valve breaking.
I do keep mine on the fridge though after every ride. every month or so il give it a wash and dry. then refill and back in fridge.
Ohh mine got a pin prick hole in it from the freezer when i was in maydena last year. fixed it with a tube patch from lenzye. Still not leaking a year on
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
Don't know if you're unlucky but no issues here, 1 camelbak and 1 Chinese military bladder and both are about 5+ years old. Done a few acrobatic flips, thought they would have blown for sure but nope, still good as the day I've bought them. It might pay to wash them with mild cleaning products and not leave them in direct sunlight.
 

Plankosaurus

Spongeplank Dalepantski
Camelback brand, have had a couple of bladders for over 10 years, cleaned many times, nil issues

Ogio brand, got a little rough with one and broke a tab on the closing mechanism, now leaks a little.

Uswe brand, a year and a half old and no leaks, but has gone a gross colour. Tastes fine, but cleaning won't clear the scummy look it has now.



Sent from my G8441 using Tapatalk
 

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
Have multiple Camelbaks going back 15 years. All are fine. Current generations closure system for the lid is a pain though.

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 

Mr Crudley

Glock in your sock
I got all pissy at the Camel back bladders as they used to leak up near the filler.

I have had a few Hydrapak bladders now and am a fan of the open top that you fold over to seal it. They have leaked eventually mainly at the lower valve instead.

You always have one of these leak right when you need it. My last bladder malfunction was at the start of Andos/Oaks and it waterfalled down my butt. This, would have been great but not on a cold day.

I have used official Hydrapak cleaning solutions before but my camelbak coat hanger /drying out thingy works the best. Just make sure no bugs are jumped in and you are good to go with no chemicals.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
I bought this in 2000 so now about 19 years old ha ha. Its my only hydration pack and has been used for both Enduro moto and MTB.
Pain in the ass to clean due to the small cap, but cant argue with its durability lol.
Guess they don't make em like they used to.

I had the same one, only replaced last year as the nylon had finally succumbed to UV and was getting brittle and hard. Was one its second bladder in 18 years, first one went 15 years before developing a small leak.

I've never cleaned mine - water only and leave them with water in them. I tend to tip out the water if its been a few days as it gets a plastic taste.
 

born-again-biker

Is looking for a 16" bar
Any tips for getting rid of a persistent plastic taste?

My bladder is about 5 years old....taste wasn't an issue until recently....
I've only ever washed it out with a bi-carb soda solution every few months.

Has anyone used bleach solution & lived to tell the tale? Will it forever taste/smell like bleach?
 

Nerf Herder

Wheel size expert
Highly recommend the Source bladders ... Kathmandu outsource their bladders from Source as well so you can pickup from them. Disclaimer: sometimes OEM spec isn’t the same as the name brand and I got mine direct from Source so Buyer Beware.

If you aren’t aware of Source. They are an Israeli company. Supply to the Israeli army. Supposed to be Full Bio and Chemical resistant. All that aside, the inner surface of the bladder has what they call ‘glass like’ which effectively means its smooth so bacteria or other micro organisms can’t cling on to the surface and then multiply.

Mines 9 years old and has been purposely abused ... except I only use with water. No electrolytes or supps. But I’ve left it in the car over several weeks and haven’t died. I pretty much just refill the bladder without cleaning or emptying. Plastic hasn’t changed colour like the other bladders I’ve got from Camelbak, osprey, Hydrapak, Salomon (sp) ... no build up in the hoses or mouth pieces.

Bite valve rarely leaks if at all ... which is why I changed from Camelbak. As well as the greenie plastic as per above image ^ ( that ain’t normal ... bladder is blue, water is clear ... how the fuck can it go green without help)

Osprey is the next best valve IMO, but the plastic grew shite pretty much after one weekend, so disappointed.

I have no interests in Source. Best bladder I’ve ever purchased for full price and will likely buy another.

For Born Again ... plastic taste = plastic particles ... if it wasn’t there before it means the bladder is breaking down
Bleach will break down the plastic even further. I hate Chemically tasting shizzle.
 

EZZA 84

Likes Bikes
Ogio brand, got a little rough with one and broke a tab on the closing mechanism, now leaks a little.

Sent from my G8441 using Tapatalk
Exact same thing happened to me, both of those plastic tabs broke off within a year and rendered the bladder completely useless. Emailed Ogio about buying a couple of clips to replace the broken ones and no reply :mad:
 
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