Hydration Systems for Hot Weather Riding

[Alun]

I've just recently returned from a mini Dakar trip blasting around the mountains and deserts of Morocco – I say mini Dakar as Cyril Despres was on the same trip the week prior.

For various reasons I ended up using two different hydration systems on the ride; At first I used a stand alone water pouch which I stashed in my day pack. After a few days I switched to using a dedicated camel pack hydration backpack where the pouch and daysack is one and the same thing.

In use there was a big difference between the two systems; when using the separate pouch and day pack the water (in the tube) would be warm at first but then eventually cool fluid would pull through from the bladder which was 'insulated' from the sun in the daysack. By contrast the water from the dedicated camelback system was warm from the tube and even hotter when coming direct from the main bladder/backpack. The effect of drinking this 'hot' water was not good and I started to overheat rapidly – in fact it got quite serious on one blistering afternoon in the dunes I reckon I was on the verge of heat exhaustion.

The difference, of course, is that a bladder stashed in a day pack is out of the direct sunlight where as the water in the camelback was in direct sunlight. Tip – if you're going to hot climates use the bladder and day pack system.

[Adrian]

I love my Plattypus (is that how you spell it!?)
Had it for years and it's been very good to me.
I have recently bought Decathlons own version for my day-sac.
My day-sac is also Decathlons own brand which is very useful because it has a thremal lined pouch on the back which fits the water pouch perfectly.
It hold two litres of water and has a changeable mouthpiece.
It doesn't feel as robust as a Plattypus but it was only around £7 pounds.

Ade

[scouse]

Best system I have found so far is to keep the bladder and the tube in my tank bag. I have tried dedicated bags, day-sacs. and even the pouch pocket on the back of my jacket and it does seem the tank bag option is the best.

BTW +1 for Platypus

[E.T.]

I've just bought a Camelbak, I did have a cheaper one, the quality difference is amazing. However, it wasn't cheap!..

twas this one:



Holds 2L of water, enough space for an extra base layer and some snacks. It also expands out (beyond the point of zipping up) to hold a large load more (designed really to take a cycle helmet and armour (or armor, if you read the US site).

Tough and extremely well made.

[RTW2009]

Camelbak do an "insulated" 3 litre (100 oz) "unbottle" that will fit in any day sack which should in theory keep the water cooler for longer although no claims to that effect on their website.
BTW drinking warm water wouldnt give you heat exhaustion - it must have been f warm!!
http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recreati ... ottle.aspx

[davsato]

when i need to carry anything bigger than a small 250ml sip bottle that i keep in the bar bag, i use 2x 2ltr folding bottles. they start off as flat plastic bags with sports bottle spouts, and look like lemonade bottles when full. they stash anywhere, are pretty tough and lose volume as water gets used. i had a drink tube thingy like a camelbak tube that screwed to it with a bite valve on the end, and kept one in the tankbag, but i lost it somewhere.
i used to just use old pop bottles bungy netted to the back, which are fine for 1 use and are disposeable anyway but i found the plastic they are made of goes brittle if you crease it and starts leaking.

i can get to the barbag and have a slurp of water on the move, but i prefer to stop for five minutes and have a stretch and a proper drink

[scouse]

Problem is with using bottles then chucking them is the pollution aspects. There are millions of PET bottles littering the world's adventure routes.

I buy the cheapo bottles in supermarkets that are often thicker thean the ones used by the "Premium" brands. My last trip I had two 1.5 litre bottles that I filled up on campsites and in resturants along the way. They suplemented my 1.5 litre platypus in the tank bag. I kept them in a daysac attached to my Ortlieb on the back seat which ctually kept them fairly cool.

As it was around 37C during the day it was at body temprature all the time which still works as cooling you down as it still gets turned into sweat.

[McOo]

Does anyone still make jackets with them built in, like the old Belstaff Adventure? Or was that just a bad idea? I'm not sure I can get my imagination around whether it'd work or not..

[scouse]

I thik the new BMW twat suit may have a pouch for one.