[at-l] Hydration systems?

[spiriteagle99@hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Chuck Kichline
>I'm thinking I should have a "hydration system" that might be more
>modern and lighter than a couple of bottles.
>How big is big enough?  How big is TOO big?
>I'm interested in the MSR system because it has the screw cap that
>would fit on the bottom of my filter, and should make things easier.
>But, their "sipping" tube looks like a real afterthought.  Do these
>work successfully?
>Is there any maker that is obviously superior?
>Three years from now, will everybody just laugh about "those stupid
>water bags"?


Chuck -
There are people who love them and a few who hate them, but most of us are 
either too lazy or apathetic to care.  I'm kinda serious there - I thought 
about it on the CDT in Montana cause our hiking partner had one and loved 
it.  But I was too cheap to spring for it in the middle of a thruhike so we 
went another 2500+ miles without it.  Thought about it again before starting 
the PCT - and then again somewhere before the Sierras - and then again in 
northern California.  Each time, I looked at the price and decided I wasn't 
willing to pay (relatively) big bucks for something that was heavier than 
what I was using.  The convenience isn't worth that much to me - and I think 
the difference in hydration would be minimal cause I'm not willing to carry 
any more water than we normally do - and we usually finish what water we're 
carrying just as we get to the next water source.  But that's me.

What we used consistently for the two hikes was two 20 oz soda bottles (1 oz 
each), an REI 10 qt water bag (4 oz), two 1 pint bottles hung on the pack 
and sometimes either a 96 oz Nalgene canteen or a couple 2 liter Platypus.  
That was for 2 people through the deserts in Wyoming, New Mexico and 
California (and Montana).  You don't generally need that much on the AT.

That's my viewpoint - and a lot of people won't agree.  Some of the 
hydration systems are probably fairly good (rugged/reliable) - some of the 
Armed Forces units have been using them and I haven't heard any complaints 
yet. But I'd imagine that someone on the list has some recent experience 
with more than one system - there are a LOT of gear weenies here.

Good luck,
Jim


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