Bladder or Nalgene Bottle?
Elk
Which do you prefer and why? I've always used a bladder because it's easier to keep myself hydrated and no sloshing but at times the tube gets to be annoying.
I know many of you use the bottle instead and wondered what you thought the advantages were.
In cold weather, I prefer a wide mouth nalgene. Water freezing in the bottle isn't much of a problem. It beats a frozen tube.
And if it's really brisk, filling that nalgene with really hot water, screwing the top on tight and tossing it in the foot of your bag keeps you toasty at night.
I'm a fan of the bladder because everything just sits in place. My only gripe is that it is a pain to refill at the end of the day.
If I come back to camp with an empty bladder and have my bow and gear strapped to the pack, ready for the hike out in the am, the last thing I want to do is un buckle everthing and pull out the bladder to refill.
I'd much rather have a hand pump to plug into the drinking tube and pump my drink of choice back into the bladder without having to remove it.
I use both. Bladder for straight water during the day and a Nalgene for my drink mixes in the morning and evening.
I carry both. 100 oz Camelbak and a Nalgene bottle. Water is heavy so it forces me to drink often to lighten the load, thus keeping hydrated. The Nalgene bottle is back up, when I suck air on the tube I know exactly how much water I have left.
I carry both as my water filter screws on top of the Nalgene bottle and when I need to filter, then I fill both.
Bladder with quick disconnect and hiker pro with same disconnect for filling without having to access the bladder.
Same as no wiser. Have full nalogene in camp. Rather have bladder for actual hunting due to no slosh. And I always run out of water by end of day with 100 oz bladder so a little extra was reason I started carrying
Can't stand taking a bladder out of my pack to refill, or moving stuff in the pack around to refill. I don't care for a frozen hose or the possibility of a bladder breaking. Lately I've been using wide mouth Nalgene's, I bring two along so I always have water for cooking/coffee. This year I will be using Smart Water bottles from the gas station, etc. Much lighter.
Bladder when it's above freezing, Propel bottle when it's below. Like Nick, I keep one or two in camp for coffee and hydrating there. I also like to mix up powdered Poweraid in one, and won't do that in a bladder.
A quart of water, a diet pepsi, and a Sawyer Mini filter is usually all I take.
A quart of water, a diet pepsi, and a Sawyer Mini filter is usually all I take.
I run a bladder and a 1 liter soft platypus..If the 1 liter is empty if just squashes down flat. Plus half empty it does not slosh around.
Bladder for most situations above freezing and a small water bottle for drinking in camp like others here. I've used the sawyer mini and a katadyn hiker pro for filtration. Sawyer mini is great if you like spending your time filtering water. The hiker pro is top notch and efficient. Worth a little more weight in my opinion.
Two wide mouth Nalgenes for me. Not a bladder fan. Powdered Wilderness Athlete drink in one, water in the other.
The nice thing about up here where we've hunted the past year or so is that the need for a filter is about non-existent. Aquamira drops is all I've been using and it sure is nice to not have to pump with the Hiker Pro. I drink a lot of water and pumping can be a pain after the first few times, plus they can freeze up as well, get clogged, etc.
Bladder for all day hunts. Always have a Nalgene at camp. If I know I'm only going out for a few hours, may leave the bladder in camp and clip the Nalgene to my pack.
I used to use a bladder but ditched it. They have so many nooks and crannies they are breeding grounds for bacteria.
Plus as mentioned... tube freezes, pain in the butt to take out of the pack to refill.
One of the last straws for me was when the disconnect didn't work quite right and the entire thing emptied into the bottom of my pack. Wet pack, pants, and no water. Grrr
My filter fits right on top of me easy to clean Nalgene bottles and two are plenty for the day.
I currently run the same as W.Bob. The quick connect is real handy for filling without removing from the pack. Good idea for having the Nalgene bottle at remote camp for food and coffee.
I do the same as Nowiser. I keep a 10 liter Dromedary at camp also.
Used a bag the last 2 years. We had a clean water source so just carried an extra length of hose with filter attached in case I need to filter out of the bag on the go. Thinking drinking through the hose that I do not drink enough. I would drink all day and come back and my 3 liter bag would be half full. Can't tell how much I am drinking since its in the pack. Plus it can be a pain coming back at night and digging through the pack to pull it out to fill. For those reason I am going to go back to bottles this year. Probably a wide mouth gatoraid and 1 or 2 of the light weight collapsible bags that I can stick in my Mystery Ranch botle holder on the belt.
I use a Nalgene bottle. Don't care for bladders.
What Mule said. I use the bottles.
last season I went with a camelback eddy 750ml attached to the front left backpack strap with a platy 1L backup in the pack along with msr tabs
It did freeze up on me a couple days but overall it suits me. refills are easy without digging thru my pack, or even removing it
same as mule, had my bladder dump out soaking my pack a couple times
Two nalgene bottles for me. Tried bladders a couple of times, just doesn't work for me.
I use two nalgene bottles. I usually drink both and arrive at camp empty or near empty. One year in a dryer climate I drank both refilled in a stream with my PUR Hiker filter and drank them too.
One thing I have found that helps with the dry mouth while sucking wind at 10-12K is chew some gum. Trident strawberry does it for me.
Both, sometimes both on the same trip, sometimes not. If I'm using a bladder its usually a Dromedary with a quick connect to refill without having to remove it from the pack.
The bottles are usually a Gatorade bottle or two, usually when freezing weather is common.
When it's below freezing you just need to blow the water out of the first 12-16 inches of the hose, problem solved.
I also do it when it's warm out to avoid hot water for the first 2 swallows.
Both for me. I see it as a nice convenience to have both with me during the day, and I'll usually deal with the slight pain in the butt to do so.
I used to only do bottles, but found I drink more, and more often, with a bladder while on the move. Have never found the tube to be an inconvenience. But I use one almost every day from June-October so I guess I'm used to it.
One good thing about a wide-mouth bottle is it can do double-duty as a water container by day and a pee bottle in the tent at night!
Jaquomo, just use the bladder for water, and your buddy's Nalgene in the tent. This will save you 6oz. out of your pack, hiking in and out.
Have used bladders for decades, started using them for mountain biking. Have ditched camelback and now use Ospry bladders in all my packs.
The hiker pro is great for refilling the bladder if you are just using water, but I like adding Powerade zero drops to mine for flavor as I tend to drink much more if flavored. I tried removing the filter but it's intrical with the screw in lid.
The one thing I haven't tried is pre-mixing and pumping the mixed drink through the filter. Does it remove some or most of the flavor? Or does it clog the filter up more and shorten its life span?
I'm usually doing this from a base camp, so I might change my mind some on the flavoring if I was carrying everything.
When my buddy and I spike camp in Colorado, we each have a 100 oz bladder for daily use. We each pack in two Nalgene bottles to keep at camp for drinks at night, and for cooking MH meals
Water is about 1/4 mile from where we camp, so it's nice to have those Nalgene's for misc. use at our camp
When I've truck camped, I use a bladder for daily use. Sometimes might pack a Gatorade with me to drink at lunch time
Bake
Two Nalgene bottles for me. Perfect to use with UV light Steripen.
huntabsarokee brings up a great point. On my goat hunt this year I quizzed my outfitter about this debate, because MOST of the guides I've ever had use bottles and not a bag. In fact in over 40 guided hunts, I don't remember a guide EVER using a bladder.
His observation was this: Guys that use a bladder because they THINK they are drinking more are mistaken. He said 90% of the bladder guys weren't drinking half the water they thought they were. In some cases the guy was dehydrated and he told them to drink and they said they've been drinking all day yet the bladder was 3/4's full at the end of the day.
It is really personal preference but for the life of me can't see the advantages of a water bladder in my pack.
I prefer the bladders, but a Platypus bladder has about a 4 year life before it develops a leak. So, I am now in a 3 year replacement cycle. I like a 100 oz bladder for elk hunting, because you go far, and if you do kill an elk, you never have too much water when packing them out. For smaller animals a 70 oz bladder is fine. YMMV.
I switched over to bottles. I used them on a goat hunt and found that I drank more water with them than using the bladders. Plus like others mentioned easier to fill and don't have to worry about leaking in the pack. I did buy a bottle holder that straps to the waist belt of my pack so I can access easier. Need to find a way to slip in an out with one hand a little easier though.
Bowhunter... never tried the gum but I know one thing for sure: A Jolly Rancher at the bottom of a big elevation gain goes a long way. Most flavors will do but that green apple sure is good!
I keep them in the thigh pocket on my Timberline pants.
Lou... Lou Lou Lou....... what can I say. I'll ever ask to hit your water I guess!
I have a Geigerrig Bladder and filter system on the way. They gave me 40% off on the first order, so it seemed a pretty good deal.
http://www.geigerrig.com/
I just bought the bag with pump and filter. I'll put it in my existing pack.
Carl
I'd do bottles but the sloshing drives me nuts! I used a 1 liter platypus bag one year but I find the bladder is just more convienient... Especially with quick connects...
Thanks Lou. I own a yellow nalgene. I'll never again look at it in the same way.
Both.
Nalgene bottles can double as trash holders, a shovel, mixing bowl, etc. They're great to have along.
I use a Nalgene Bottle...and I pack an empty Gatorade Bottle for the tent...LOU!
Best of Luck, Jeff
A shovel? What kind of holes are you digging, Ike?
I know I drink more with a bladder because I sip continually and it ends up empty. With a bottle I tend to put off drinking until I'm thirsty. Just me. Both have their place.
