WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 23
  1. #1
    Registered User dangerdave's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-20-2014
    Location
    Chillicothe, Ohio
    Age
    60
    Posts
    365

    Default Cleaning Your Bladder

    Long distance hikers who use hydration packs with bladders (i.e., Camelback, Platypus, etc.), how do you clean them (if you do) on the trail?

    Thrill me with your wise and innovative means!
    AKA "DANGER" AT Thru-Hiker Class of 2015

  2. #2
    Registered User
    Join Date
    11-13-2009
    Location
    St. Louis, MO
    Age
    70
    Posts
    2,552

    Default

    Cranberry juice

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    06-10-2005
    Location
    Bedford, MA
    Posts
    12,678

    Default

    No need for cleaning, but it only ever holds filtered water.

  4. #4
    Clueless Weekender
    Join Date
    04-10-2011
    Location
    Niskayuna, New York
    Age
    68
    Posts
    3,879
    Journal Entries
    10

    Default

    I'm a clueless weekender, but I find that Polident tablets work pretty well for cleaning a Camelbak.
    I always know where I am. I'm right here.

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-20-2013
    Location
    Pittsburgh
    Age
    70
    Posts
    963
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    2

    Default

    Haven't been out long enough on the trail to matter. I fill with dilute bleach and drain through hose at home. Hang it up with the bite valve in the opening to keep it open to drain and dry.
    76 HawkMtn w/Rangers
    14 LHHT
    15 Girard/Quebec/LostTurkey/Saylor/Tuscarora/BlackForest
    16 Kennerdell/Cranberry-Otter/DollyS/WRim-NCT
    17 BearR
    18-19,22 AT NOBO 1562.2
    22 Hadrian's Wall
    23 Cotswold Way

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by RangerZ View Post
    Haven't been out long enough on the trail to matter. I fill with dilute bleach and drain through hose at home. Hang it up with the bite valve in the opening to keep it open to drain and dry.
    A sign of aging that I thought this thread was going to be about emergency catheters.

  7. #7
    Registered User dangerdave's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-20-2014
    Location
    Chillicothe, Ohio
    Age
    60
    Posts
    365

    Default

    Well, I have a gravity filter system that has a clean bag and a dirty bag. If I thru-hike the AT next year, will I need to clean either or both? How often and with what?

    <not bad! I expected higher than a 40% smartbutt response >
    AKA "DANGER" AT Thru-Hiker Class of 2015

  8. #8

    Default

    I can understand you want to make your bladder gladder. What I normally see up in New England from thru hikers is that they usually give up on that system when the filter clogs. They don't treat spring water they only treat streams and ponds with something like bleach or aqua drops. The only way I could think of how you could make it work is to have two sets and ship one home to be cleaned while you use the other. I think the filter only last about a month anyhow so that would be good way to always have a fresh filter. I did hear about somebody who back flushed some filter but I don't remember what it was how they did it. I don't know anything about those things because I don't have the patience to use them. I use a steriPEN so I can drink right away. There's nothing worse than having to wait around for you water to be thoroughly treated when you're thirsty. One hiking friend convinced me to leave it at home and go with bleach drops and the whole time I was hiking I kept thinking I was drinking city water. The AT has the best drinking water in the world as far as I'm concerned and I wouldn't known it because it tasted like bleach.

  9. #9

    Default

    A new product, RoguePak clean water cartridge hydration system will be sold at the website the first of the year. http://www.roguepak.com

    It is disposable: 50 oz. 70 oz. 100 oz.
    Last edited by Connie; 12-06-2014 at 12:36.

  10. #10
    Wanna-be hiker trash
    Join Date
    03-05-2010
    Location
    Connecticut
    Age
    42
    Posts
    6,922
    Images
    78

    Default

    I'm fortunate that I can just barely fit my hand inside the opening on my 3L Camelback. When I need to clean it I use a sponge or paper towel and a tiny bit of soap. Then I hang it to dry. If I'm at home I stick a kitchen whisk inside it to make the bag stays open while drying. For the life of me can't figure out how to clean a platypus bag in the field.

    A couple other comments:

    If you put nothing but water in your bladder, it will greatly increase time you can let it go between cleanings.

    If you use aqua mira, you are cleaning the bladder to a some extent each time you treat your water since it will also attack any baddies living the bladder.
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  11. #11
    Wanna-be hiker trash
    Join Date
    03-05-2010
    Location
    Connecticut
    Age
    42
    Posts
    6,922
    Images
    78

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by squeezebox View Post
    Cranberry juice
    That almost went over my head. Good one!
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  12. #12
    Registered User soilman's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-29-2010
    Location
    Chillicothe, OH
    Age
    69
    Posts
    600

    Default

    I used a platypus bladder on my AT thru. Would rinse it out with hot water when I got into town. I used a steripen. Never had any issues. Used a sawyer squeeze on my LT thru and only rinsed my bladder out once or twice. I don't think it is much of an issue if all you put into the bladder is H2O.
    More walking, less talking.

  13. #13

    Default

    Did you put the Steripen in the bladder?

    I like müv. I could float the müv in the bladder?

    I replace the hose often, I do not use as a drinking tube.

    I like the gravity-feed water filtration.

    I think Platy has silver ions, now. That helps. But I would use the müv as well.
    Last edited by Connie; 12-06-2014 at 12:40.

  14. #14
    Registered User Wise Old Owl's Avatar
    Join Date
    01-29-2007
    Location
    High up in an old tree
    Posts
    14,444
    Journal Entries
    19
    Images
    17

    Default

    I use dehydrated water.... no cleaning required. But when I do have to clean it... I have a brush and some chlorine shock powder from a pool supply
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

  15. #15

  16. #16
    Registered User Just Bill's Avatar
    Join Date
    07-06-2013
    Location
    Chicago, Il
    Age
    45
    Posts
    3,770

    Default

    It's a decent plan to carry some Aquamira in micro bottles as a backup if you filter- they weigh an ounce filled up.
    With that along simply filling the bladder with water and treating it overnight will do it.
    So will borrowing some bleach from a friendly hostel owner- one drop per quart with an hour of residence time will do it.

    Use only water and likely you'll never have an issue-
    If you get the stickie ickies for some reason- the denture tabs, bottle brush, and other means will do it. But this is more of an at home problem as you will use the bladder everyday and not be likely to let it sit around to rot or mold.
    On trail, if you can find some sand, rock dust, etc- put a 1/4 cup in and fill the bladder halfway and get your upper body workout in whilst shaking away the greens- takes a bit.

    As a super last resort or in an emergency- Bladders also make a great backup treatment system of their own. Fill it, lay it in a sunny spot like a dark rock or even asphalt, and let the UV rays treat your water and sterilize your bladder. Takes six hours, and you'll know it worked when a bunch of small bubbles form. This water and the bladder is safe to drink.

    http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_...reatmdrwat.pdf

  17. #17
    Registered User dangerdave's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-20-2014
    Location
    Chillicothe, Ohio
    Age
    60
    Posts
    365

    Default

    Great tips, Bill, thank you very much
    AKA "DANGER" AT Thru-Hiker Class of 2015

  18. #18

    Default

    Maybe not for on the trail unless you carry uncooked rice with you - but I've found this extremely helpful. You know when you accidentally forget to empty some water out of your bladder with a teeny-tiny screw-top opening on it? And it sits for a while until it smells horrible? Take about 1/2 a cup of uncooked rice, dump it in the bladder with some soap and water. Swish it around for a good 5 minutes and the grains of rice act as little scrub brushes and clean the bladder perfectly.

  19. #19

    Default

    Hydrapak makes a reservoir that turns inside out for easy cleaning.Got mine from REI.
    http://www.rei.com/product/869635/hy...rvoir-2-liters

  20. #20
    Registered User Cadenza's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-11-2012
    Location
    Tellico Plains, TN
    Posts
    291
    Images
    29

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by squeezebox View Post
    Cranberry juice

    This is the best reply/comment of the entire thread.

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •