[at-l] Re: Hydration systems

["Cricket" <D_Blick@email.msn.com>]

I have the Gregory Hydrocell and I like that the water seems to stay a
little cooler than the Platypus systems and that the bladders are
replacable.  But having said that, I have had the thing for 5 years and have
only replaced the bladder once, and then I probably didn't need to - I just
did it because I was setting out on my thru attempt and thought it was good
preventive maintenance.

My hiking partner uses the Platypus and I really don't see a great deal of
difference between the two in weight or durability.  She has had her
Platypus for at least as long as I have used my Gregory and they are still
going strong.  Since the Platypus is available almost everywhere, if I were
buying today I would probably go with that system.  I would get a 2-liter
Big-Zip Hoser system and put a SafeWater Anywhere in-line filter into it.
And I'd carry an extra 1-liter Platy for those days when the water sources
are far apart.

Like Doreen said, I feel I stay better hydrated with the systems than I did
when I had to take off my pack or ask a friend to put my bottle away for me.
And I never liked my heavy water bottle hanging from my hip belt or wet rib.
Just personal preference.

And for those with problems with the Platypus bite valve leaking, try
replacing it with the Gregory bite valve. Of course nothing will help any
valve if you set your pack down on top of it  :-)  That's kind of like
leaving the lid off your Nalgene and then kicking it over.

One note of caution - I have had problems with some recently purchased
Platypi.  Seems with increased production quality control is down.  I
returned one that was leaking because of an incomplete corner seam weld and
on another it leaked around the cap end.  I fixed that one with a little
drop of seam grip.  But be sure to test them out in the kitchen before
heading for the trail so you can exchange it if you have problems.

For long-distance hikes I soak the bladder and hose over-night in a sink
full of bleach water about once a month.  This keeps the ickies (algae, I
think) from growing inside the hose.

Cricket

>  Can anyone give me advice on which hydration
>  system to buy? Gutsy



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