Thanks OddManOut, Muddywaters and all for the advice re. the air mattress!
@jefals
Get a couple Smart Water bottles. Get one with the flip top squeeze top, and a larger one or 2 as well. The squeeze top can also be used to back-flush your Sawyer Squeeze, thus eliminating the syringe. Cut off the bottom of a soda bottle that is just slightly larger than your SmartWater bottle. You can use it to scoop up water at places with minimal water for your dirty bag or bottle. Some folks prefer Gatorade bottles instead of hydration bags as well.
All the information that you will ever need for your thru hike is on this site. I have only been on here for less than a month, and I have learned an incredible wealth of valuable information. Every facet of a thru hike has been analysed here. Just take your time and look around.
Happy Trails.
“Every path but your own is the path of fate. Keep on your own track, then.” Thoreau.
I have very limited experience in this arena, and I was going to post a separate thread on the issue, but....
On a recent trip, my buddy and I came across what amounts to about a cup or fist sized depression for our water collection. He was carrying a heavy pump, and I was carrying plastic bags, a Platypus bag, and a Sawyer mini. The space was very confined, but the base was solid but porous rock, and the water was clear.
On the good side, once water was extracted from the depression, it would take a few seconds to refill from the ground, but it would refill. Once full, it reached a leveling point, and it would stop there without running over, so it wasn't like I could just wait patiently for the depression to runneth over.
I first tried to scoop up the water with the plastic bag. That pretty much got almost nowhere. I tried using a large leaf to build a trail to my collection bag, but that also did nothing, as the water would have to run uphill in order to flow over the leaf and into the bag. The base was rocky, so I couldn't enlarge the depression or create a trail from it to my bag.
After a few tries, my friend pulled out his pump. The little intake fit into the deepression without a problem. Surprisingly, the pump worked great, and we were able to fill four liters in just a few minutes.
Since that episode, I have switched to an MSR Hyperflow. (I still carry my mini as a backup when going solo.) It works great, and it is much faster than dealing with squeezing with the mini. However, this led to my Great Water Bottle Quandary, as I call it.
One of the other great things that I love about the Hyperflow is that it fits right onto their proprietary water bottle lid, the Quick Connect Adapter. I connect the pump onto the lid, and it is set. I can stand upright while filtering, holding the pump with both hands, and it stays connected to the bottle. I don't have to deal with squatting for prolonged periods while trying to aim the stream (often missing with a fair amount) into my storage bottle, which often tries to tip over if not in an ideal, level location. Using the Mini, it became a real pain to try to squeeze with one hand while holding the bottle with the other.
On the bad side, in order to take full advantage of this MSR system, their lid only fits onto their proprietary Quick Connect Adapter lid, and those only fit onto wide mouth bottles, which meant that I had to switch over to heavier Nalgenes, though I did get the lighter versions that are made from HDPE. Sure, I could just go with the pump and not use the lid (and that may be the best that I can do, in the end), but that would bring me back to aiming into the bottle, and having to worry about my water bottles tipping over, which always seems to happen when they are nearly full.Between the pump, the Nalgenes and the Quick Connect Adapters, this has added more weight to my kit than I would like.
My best compromise would be to have their proprietary connector fitting onto my original bottles with small screw caps, but I am not aware of such an adapter. Jetflow makes an adapter that will go from a wide mouth soft canteen into a Sawyer mini, so I can use that as a backup without having to carry another bag, but the adapter adds a little more weight to the system. It all adds up.
The last alternative would be to just use one of the Quick Connect Adapters onto my canteen bag, and then I can try to carefully pour from there into the lighter bottles.
I love the pump, and I am okay with the added weight of that, but it is the heavier bottles and lids that I'd like to avoid.
That's as far as I have gotten on the issue.
Thanks Vegan Packer for all your great info. As to filling from that depression you mentioned, I'd think that Sawyer syringe would have made that easy. (Someone mentioned that it's really for backflushing, but I think you can use it for both -- assuming you can get clean it between. Or get two syringes).
I am definitely going to check out some more pump options. The sawyer is more work than I'd like -- but it's very lightweight and fits in my pocket -- and there's surely something good about that!
Are you using the Mini Sawyer or the larger original size ?? I found the Mini to have too low a flow, took forever to filter a couple of liters of water, and needed to be back flushed constantly. I switched the original squeeze filter and love it. The water flows through the filter mainly by gravity once you give the bag a bit of a squeeze to start the flow. Much easier and much faster and without having to constantly back flush.Originally Posted by jefals
Remote for detachment, narrow for chosen company, winding for leisure, lonely for contemplation, the Trail beckons not merely north and south, but upward to the body, mind, and soul of man.
No need for a spare CamelBak. Just carry a few feet of duct tape. It will patch minor leaks (not gaping holes) long enough to last the rest of your trip or until the next resupply point. CamelBaks are pretty tough - I've never heard of anyone ripping a gaping hole in one.
In general, duct tape is a good thing to bring hiking. It can be used as a "quick fix" for rips and tears in many situations - water container, pack or pack cover, rain gear, tent, shoes/boots, etc. I've even heard of people using it to cover blisters.
On the air mattress, ditch the stuff sack. Roll it up, sit on it to squeeze out the remaining air, then put a rubber band around each end.
Or get a tornado tube from Amazon. Use the top part of a smart water bottle or whatever bottle has the same threads as the Sawyer. I dip the funnel into the water and just let it fill up a Evernew soft bottle.
Not self-inflating -- I have to blow it up. Btw, I did see a youtube once where a guy used a big plastic bag, like a yard-waste bag, and he was able to inflate his air mattress by squeezing the air from the yard waste bag into the air mattress valve. Neat trick, if you want to carry that extra bag.
Many similar ideas regarding getting that thing packed up. I'll be practicing later today...Thanks everyone!
we have a blow up pad as well, and watching this video helped us. We happen to own this pad, but it could be done with any pad I bet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rNx88aL7uE
He makes it really look easy! I never did the first roll before. I spent considerable time with it flat, just pressing down on it trying to get most of the air out, then, folding very carefully and slowly rolling it up, squeezing it tightly as I went... A WHOLE LOT SLOWER than this video! So I'll be practicing !Thanks!
Maybe obvious, but rolling out all of the air from the pad, plugging it, then unrolling and rerolling/ folding the flat pad should make things super easy.
I'm sorry, but after having not one, but two camelback failures, the last thing I would want to do is to keep depending on one, let alone carry a spare. Go for reliability instead. You can rig a tubing/straw/bite valve to fit a standard water bottle cap, if it's that important to you. Or get a bottle holder (or two) that attaches to your shoulder straps. I never understood the desire to keep a potentially leaky water source inside my pack where I'm trying to ensure that my gear stays dry.
I was never excited about water bladders as I suspect over time it is hard to keep them clean and free of mold.
If you get larger sawyer pouches (e.g. 32-oz) you can use them to carry unfiltered water and filter it later and as long as you don't have a spilling accident you should be fine. I actually carry 2 bags since a puncture would be a significant setback. Also, a small 8-oz water bottle will work to fill a pouch - it will be just more time consuming.
Bladders are a waste, can break at any time, have fun being dehydrated or dead cuz you wanted weight savings/convenience of a straw. Plus theyre nearly impossible to dry fully when done. Plus not something youre taking to work. Nalgene is king. Recycled plastic bottles just shy of that (great for lightweight, but not for long term use). Water is the most critical thing you carry, more so in some environments than others. You can manufacture shelter and just about everything else to survive but not water. Why so many people chance their enjoyment or even lives with paper thin plastic is beyond me. Ive yet to hike with a pack that didnt accommodate water bottles on the sides, and its not terribly difficult to stop for 4 seconds, reach back, drink, and put it back and be on my way. If youre so time driven that you cant do this, maybe find a new hobby. The woods might not be for you.
You can totally fill the dirty bag using a lake or river - just scoop with it. Once at a spring I did not see any pipe so spent some time digging out a hollow in the ground where the water was flowing, and kept lowering the bag into it trying to hold it with enough shape to fill up maybe halfway, then filtering that. After getting almost done, some other hikers came by and pointed out that the main part of the spring, with a fast-flowing pipe, was 20 feet farther down the trail. :/
I have a custom hydration setup that I really like, I will detail it:
* I use Platypus everything except the filter itself, which is a standard (not mini) Sawyer.
* Each of our packs has a 3L bladder. In theory we don't have to fill them all the way, but in practice we do and skip more water source stops. YMMV...3L bladders give good flexibility and either way I am sure there are points where we will be glad to have the capacity!
* I also carry 2 2L platypus bags so we can each carry 5L if we really feel a need to, not that I foresee this happening...or as backups should a bladder fail. They weigh next to nothing.
* I cut the hose for each bladder where the tube comes out of the pack, maybe a foot up from the bite valve, and inserted a quick-release valve. The female side, which automatically does not allow water flow when disconnected, is on the bladder side. I used 2 Platypus quick disconnect kits for this.
* I bought a Platypus 2L dirty water bag and an abundance of extra hose. The bag is a lot nicer and more durable than the Sawyer ones.
* I have permanently-attached two pieces of hose to each end of the sawyer filter - each about 6 inches long. A male quick disconnect end is affixed to each end. The one on the dirty side is grey to match the grey connector on the dirty bag, so no question of confusion. This folds up nicely for storage.
* I have two six-inch pieces of hose with a screw-top end which attaches to the 2L water bottles - one has a male quick disconnect, and the other a female.
10
Here's how it all works:
* I collect water in the Platypus 2L dirty water bag. I then connect the sawyer filter assembly to the dirty bag.
* To refill my pack directly, I disconnect the bite valve piece of tubing, and connect the Sawyer filter directly to the bladder hose. I do not take the Platypus bladders out of our packs ever. This works if I have our packs near the stream. I use Hoser bladders as these are simpler and do not have a risk of anything coming open in the pack.
* If the stream is a hike away from camp/shelter, I instead take the 2L Platypus soft bottles, and the 6-inch tube with the female end, and filter into them, so then I only have to hike to the stream carrying the filter and soft bottles in their stuff sack. When I then return to camp, I use the 6-inch tube with a male end, to connect to the bladder hose, and squeeze the filtered water in to my pack.
* If I am thirsty, I suck water straight out of the sawyer via the male end off the clean side that does not stop water flow when disconnected.
* When done, I grab the dirty hose on the sawyer and swing it around in a circle, which forces all water through and out the clean side, making the pack weight of the filter lighter.
* If I need to backflush the filter, I use a soft bottle full of clean water, with the 6-inch hose with a female end connected to the clean end of the sawyer, and give it a good hard squeeze. More effective than the syringe, and keeps me from having to pack it. The 2 2L soft bottles are less bulky and probably weigh the same as the syringe, and are more versatile.
* If I do need water from a difficult source, I use a titanium cup that's part of my cookware setup to scoop it bit by bit into the dirty bag.
* Since any way I set it up, the connected components are leakproof, I don't have to worry about screwing up and making a wet mess. If I am lazy and not in a hurry, I can use the soft bottles to filter in to, hang up the dirty bag from a branch (using it's included strap), and let gravity do it's job, which works just fine with the Sawyer.
* This all packs neatly into a small stuff sack that my tent's original aluminum stakes came in (I use smaller titanium replacements), and fits into the top pouch on my pack along with other things I like to be able to get at relatively quickly but don't mind taking off my pack to get to (trowel, toiletries, insect repellent, etc.).
Here is the entirety of what is needed for this setup for 2 hikers/packs sharing a single filter setup:
* 2x Platypus Hoser hydration bladders, I use the 3L size. $20 each: http://amzn.com/B001KZGYMW
* Sawyer PointOne Filter - Personal System, 1 pouch. $35: http://amzn.com/B005EHPVQW
* Platypus GravityWorks 2.0L Reservoir Replacement Kit. $20: http://amzn.com/B00AZVMS72
* Platypus GravityWorks 4.0L Hose Kit. $16: http://amzn.com/B004LASYJE (maybe you like the hose clamp that came with this for the clean hose on the filter...I found it unnecessary bulk but YMMV)
* 2x Sawyer Inline Adapters for Screw On Filters. $5 each: http://amzn.com/B008JX0QP4
* 3x Platypus Quick Disconnect Kits. $19 each: http://amzn.com/B001HAFJ3A
* 2x Platypus 2L Platy Bottles. $10 each: http://amzn.com/B000J2KEGY (you can get by with just one)
Total cost: $198. Ouch, I know, but a very streamlined system that keeps me happy and efficient when on the trail. If I knew I would end up spending that much starting out I probably would have not done it, but it happened organically over time as I refined my system bit by bit between various hikes. I am extremely happy with the end result!
This item, as part of your cookware setup, makes a great backup for water storage if you worry about a bladder failure:
http://www.vargooutdoors.com/titaniu...ottle-pot.html
Yeah, I mentioned earlier I had a wierd problem with my 3 Liter cbak. Stuffed inside a crammed backpack, (mainly crammed due to bear cannister), and testing in my backyard, the cbak was leaking. But there wasn't a hole in it, and the lid was closed properly. I unpacked it and took it out, and you could squeeze the bag as hard as you could and not get water to come out. But everytime I put it back inside the pack, repacked it and started walking with it, it leaked. Took it down to REI and those guys couldn't figure it out either. Bought a 2.5 liter Osprey, and it worked fine.
So, I know what you're saying, and there are pros and cons. That cbak is 100 ounces. As long as it DOESN'T leak, it's a pretty convenient way to carry that much water. Hard plastic bottles with that much water, I'd think would be a little unwieldy, and obviously anything less requires more water sources, more stopping and filtering/filling....
And I can put mine in the outside pocket of my pack, just in case. I do also carry a 1 Liter nalgene, and I can, if I choose, hook a couple of additional bottles to shoulder straps.
Raptelan, no way can I wrap my head around all that info you posted about your custom setup!
I tried this setup, walking around in my backyard, with my fully loaded backpack, and this extra one in back. Just walking around the backyard was a little wobbly, and would take some getting used to. But one section I want to do, said that there's 75 miles with no water, so you definitely need something innovative.
I will try to take some pictures or maybe make a YouTube video later. I am really not much into those sorts of things but pictures are worth a thousand words and all.Raptelan, no way can I wrap my head around all that info you posted about your custom setup!
I tried this setup, walking around in my backyard, with my fully loaded backpack, and this extra one in back. Just walking around the backyard was a little wobbly, and would take some getting used to. But one section I want to do, said that there's 75 miles with no water, so you definitely need something innovative.
Last time I was on the AT I saw a couple hiking who had their hydration bladders attached with a caribiner or something to the outside of their packs and it seemed to work just fine. Personally, I like a larger pack that fits everything inside than a smaller one with a bunch of stuff strapped onto the outside of it, but to each their own, either can certainly work!
I also see that a lot of people on the trail don't filter at all, at least at the springs. I reckon springs are probably a pretty safe source but personally I filter everywhere just to be on the safe side. Doesn't take much time or hassle.
Another lesson I learned from shakedown hikes... We initially bought Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite pads. Pretty pricey and honestly didn't find them very comfortable to use. I guess you can get used to anything, but we are used to sleeping on a firm futon at home so a firm surface seemed preferable. Noticed a lot of hikers having Ridgerest or XLite pads strapped to their packs. After our first weekend out, we bought RidgeRest Classic closed cell pads to try out, took both and ended up liking them much better. Returned the NeoAir pads and saved all the money I spent on the hydration setup, hah! The closed cell pads weigh one ounce more each and are very bulky, but yield us a better night sleep and the added bulk is really not any problem. I love that they are rugged and I don't have to worry about puncturing them too. Just goes to show that more expensive is not always better FOR YOU, and despite all the reviews and reading you may do online, you don't really know how well you will like something until you get out there and try it out!
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