Rainy Day camel pack bladder hack...

[station]

If you're like me you are kind of tired of tasting your bladder. (hehe, moving on) So I was sitting around thinking there has to be another answer to the camel pack bladder. I know you can add some lemon juice, or even buy their lemon flavored additive to try and make your water taste better but I started to realize that's not the only problem. Lets face it. How many times are you about to go on a ride and realize you forgot to wash your bladder, or like me you would keep it in the freezer then spend 15 min trying to defrost the bite valve as you're running late to the trail. How many of you want to enjoy something other than water, without having to spend forever cleaning it afterwards? Why isn't there a way to just screw on your favorite water bottle, drop it in your pack and go?

Fine, maybe you think it's not that much of a problem but it's was raining today and I didn't get out to ride so here's how I wasted my time:

You'll need:
A water bottle (I like Trader Joe's sport top water. It's cheap and tastes good)

12" non toxic FDA approved clear vinyl tubing 3/8" wide. (take your bottle top with you to Home Depot just to make sure you have the right size)

some wide zip ties (7" long seemed to work)

pocket knife / exacto knife

light sand paper / round wrasp

the tube from your old bladder, or go pick one up at the store for $9.00 (just the tube)




Step one: Go ahead and pop the top off of your sport top water bottle. Then pull the red part off.



once the red part is off use your pocket knife to cut the center out. Knives are dangerous so make sure to ask your parents for help.

When you get that part out go ahead and clean up the inside with a small piece of sand paper. If you have a rotary tool then that's even better.



Step 2: Your hole looks ready so lets poke the tubing through. Now the two pieces of tubing should be pretty close in size. This will help to create a seal later. poke the blue tubing through first. You want to slide the slightly smaller blue tube into the slightly larger clear tube. It should be a snug fit. Now you will notice as you pull the now joined tubing back into the bottle cap it snugs right into the hole holding both pieces firmly in place. What you've done is basically created a straw so your bottle can ride upright in your pack.



Step three: Everything is on pretty tight, but when you're heading down Rock-it at 20mph is it going to stay all snug? Maybe, but just to make sure lets go ahead and put a nice tight zip tie on there just for kicks.



Zip it up nice and tight. You could also run a bead of whatever non-toxic glue you feel like using to really keep things together.

Trim off the extra zip tie and you're all set. Screw it in your bottle and you're off. Throw in some EmergenC or whatever else, you don't have to worry about cleaning out your bladder as you can just recycle your bottle in the trash when you are done.



Some points to note:
Your bottle is going to crush as the water is sucked out of it. If this bugs you, you can make a super tiny hole on the bottle cap that will let air in but a tiny bit of water might splash out. But hey, it's at the top so how much is really going to get out? You're sweating so much you aren't going to notice.

Yes, you're still going to have to rinse the tube, but how much easier is that? A little at least?

[bighit8]

Nice Idea, so you can pretty much drink anything you want and just toss the bottle after the ride.

[xhuskr]

interesting idea....would work...but I've had no probs with my bladders...I blow air into it before it goes in the freezer so the bite valve is never frozen......but glad your idea works for you and kudos for thinking "outside the box"

[dstepper]

I have never had any problem with bad taste in my bladders; one is 5 years old and the other about three. I have never felt the need to wash them. I always leave water in them after rides; never put them in the freezer, never put anything but water in them.

Dean

[katonk]

Nice hack.

xhuskr: Have you ever put one of those fruit-flavored-sugar-bomb drink mixes in your bladder? Even if you don't get a bunch of bacteria setting up shop, that nasty leftover flavoring lingers there for a few more fills of water.

Personally I just use one of those freebie water bottles you get from demos and whatnot. If I forget to wash it out, no big deal. It was free.

[Shu]

Originally Posted by station

If you're like me you are kind of tired of tasting your bladder. (hehe, moving on) So I was sitting around thinking there has to be another answer to the camel pack bladder. I know you can add some lemon juice, or even buy their lemon flavored additive to try and make your water taste better but I started to realize that's not the only problem. Lets face it. How many times are you about to go on a ride and realize you forgot to wash your bladder, or like me you would keep it in the freezer then spend 15 min trying to defrost the bite valve as you're running late to the trail. How many of you want to enjoy something other than water, without having to spend forever cleaning it afterwards? Why isn't there a way to just screw on your favorite water bottle, drop it in your pack and go?

Fine, maybe you think it's not that much of a problem but it's was raining today and I didn't get out to ride so here's how I wasted my time:

You'll need:
A water bottle (I like Trader Joe's sport top water. It's cheap and tastes good)

12" non toxic FDA approved clear vinyl tubing 3/8" wide. (take your bottle top with you to Home Depot just to make sure you have the right size)

some wide zip ties (7" long seemed to work)

pocket knife / exacto knife

light sand paper / round wrasp

the tube from your old bladder, or go pick one up at the store for $9.00 (just the tube)




Step one: Go ahead and pop the top off of your sport top water bottle. Then pull the red part off.



once the red part is off use your pocket knife to cut the center out. Knives are dangerous so make sure to ask your parents for help.

When you get that part out go ahead and clean up the inside with a small piece of sand paper. If you have a rotary tool then that's even better.



Step 2: Your hole looks ready so lets poke the tubing through. Now the two pieces of tubing should be pretty close in size. This will help to create a seal later. poke the blue tubing through first. You want to slide the slightly smaller blue tube into the slightly larger clear tube. It should be a snug fit. Now you will notice as you pull the now joined tubing back into the bottle cap it snugs right into the hole holding both pieces firmly in place. What you've done is basically created a straw so your bottle can ride upright in your pack.



Step three: Everything is on pretty tight, but when you're heading down Rock-it at 20mph is it going to stay all snug? Maybe, but just to make sure lets go ahead and put a nice tight zip tie on there just for kicks.



Zip it up nice and tight. You could also run a bead of whatever non-toxic glue you feel like using to really keep things together.

Trim off the extra zip tie and you're all set. Screw it in your bottle and you're off. Throw in some EmergenC or whatever else, you don't have to worry about cleaning out your bladder as you can just recycle your bottle in the trash when you are done.



Some points to note:
Your bottle is going to crush as the water is sucked out of it. If this bugs you, you can make a super tiny hole on the bottle cap that will let air in but a tiny bit of water might splash out. But hey, it's at the top so how much is really going to get out? You're sweating so much you aren't going to notice.

Yes, you're still going to have to rinse the tube, but how much easier is that? A little at least?

This kinda remindes me of Apollo 13 when they were adapting a square filter into a round hole...

You'll need 3' of duct tape(about the length of your arm)....lol

[xhuskr]

Originally Posted by katonk

Nice hack.

xhuskr: Have you ever put one of those fruit-flavored-sugar-bomb drink mixes in your bladder? Even if you don't get a bunch of bacteria setting up shop, that nasty leftover flavoring lingers there for a few more fills of water.

i've been using Gatorade in there for years...had one "infection" from leaving it in the car on an old bladder.......none on my current one. Since I use the same flavor all the time I don't have flavor probs....in a worse case scenario, I can add a bit of bleach to cleanse/purify/sanitize and lots of hot water. been working for me...just do what keeps you riding!

[katonk]

Originally Posted by xhuskr

i've been using Gatorade in there for years...had one "infection" from leaving it in the car on an old bladder.......none on my current one. Since I use the same flavor all the time I don't have flavor probs....in a worse case scenario, I can add a bit of bleach to cleanse/purify/sanitize and lots of hot water. been working for me...just do what keeps you riding!

Mmmm... Bleach...

[foofighter]

great idea and in a pinch would suffice for a quick ride meng!

[Jordansrealm]

Cool idea but for all that effort wouldnt it just be easier to put whatever you want in a bottle in a cage on your frame? Seems so.

[Pain Freak]

I do the same Dean does. Just put water in it and no foul taste at all. I do empty occcasionally though.

[Red Hot Sloth]

Do you mean your actually supposed to clean the bladder? Ooops, it's been awhile, maybe thats why I feel a little funky on my rides lately

[J_Sims]

Originally Posted by dstepper

I have never had any problem with bad taste in my bladders; one is 5 years old and the other about three. I have never felt the need to wash them. I always leave water in them after rides; never put them in the freezer, never put anything but water in them.

Dean

is the man here... I do this exactly and have yet to ever have a challenge. Even left it sitting the month of December(Broken Ankle) and all is good...

[Waldo]

Originally Posted by station

Step 2: Your hole looks ready so lets poke the tubing through.

Thanks for the offer, but I'll just stick to my Camelback.

[Schecky]

Another for the Steppie method. Nothing but water in the bladder, leave it hanging in the garage after rides.
I do occasionally clean it inside, mostly when the pack is getting washed.

[Rob]

I run dishwashing soap and really hot water in it and cycle it a few times. Works fine, never tasted soap. I try to do it every ride, can't hurt.

[station]

Yeah, for some reason the bladder tasted like plastic for the two years I had it. It wasn't just an issue of bacteria, or left over gatorade taste. I always used water, rinsed it out, then dried it, or froze some water in the bottom for extra cold water in the summer months.