I’m making a christmas list this year for family, and one thing that is fairly high on my list, is a hydration system.
Wanted to see what others here use. I was thinking a small camelback or equivilent that I could wear overtop of my PFD, but in a perfect world I would like something that works with my water filter (msr miniworks) for camping trips.
Anyone know of a hydration system that will just plug right into one of these? What do you use, do you like it, why or why not?
Thanks in advance
I use one
a Kokatat model that attaches to my Kokatat PFD. holds about a liter, and doesn’t bother me balance wise. For canoeing I use a Extrasport PFD, cut lower & looser, and just use Nalgene bottles for drinking.
MSR makes Dromedary bags that will screw onto a Miniworks filter, and they make a hydration accessory for those bladders. No reason you could not pop one into a hydration pack.
Jim
Something to keep in mind!
If you get a Camelback or something similar, be sure it is made specifically for boating or can be integrated into a PFD made for it (Like Jim’s apparently is). I have an Outdoor Products hydration system I got through Campmor that works really well, but is designed for hikers. Thinking I was being real smart, I wore it over my PFD on a 24 mile paddle down Narragansett Bay. That night my underarms were severely chafed, and I couldn’t figure out why until I put that damn pack on the following day for the next leg of the trip. Ouch! So I secured it under the deck rigging in front of me instead, which worked pretty well.
Also, be sure to pick one with a large fill opening, and that has components that are easily disassembled for cleaning and drying between uses. Otherwise it can get pretty skanky.
-Chuck
And four points to affix to PFD
Nothing like being upside down and realizing you can’t quite get that roll going because a filled water bladder is hanging down into the water from your shoulder straps. Nope, when filled they don’t float.
but does water in water sink?
Lots of tempting choices
I like the taste of platypus resiviors best. You can also boil them. I tend to use camelbak valves, stopcocks, and tube insulators and the tube director might be a good thing sometimes.CAmelback cleaning kit works!
Camelback resiviors allow use of ice,
I hav a lotus eft and the platypus pfd packs. both work fine.
After the first time I never worried about the hydration pack and my roll.
not on PFD
– Last Updated: Nov-03-06 5:07 PM EST –
The Kokatat choice mentioned would be good for on a PFD.
But I went a different route with what I use. I use an old CamelBak that I put under the bungees on the deck in front me of. The hose is plenty long to reach my mouth when I want a drink. And the hose tucks nicely under the bungee in front of me when I don't want a drink.
you can add a link into your hydration
system to make it so that it will connect via tubing back to your filter…never have to remove your bladder…makes it much easier to fill and such…
http://www.camelbak.com/index.cfm under sports/recreation then under accessories then: Filter Adapter kit…you install the female piece at teh end of your drinking tube…there is a valve on it to stop flow…and then your bite valve slips on to the male end…also there is another male adapter that you plug into the end of your filter tubing…when you are ready to fill-er-up you quick release the bit valve piece and snap on the filter adapter…much easier!!!
is this what you were looking for???
and ye…attach you hydration pack to your pfd…even if it is a hiking one you can twist the shoulder straps enough *may entail unthreading the shoulder straps…i would have the shoulder straps cross the inside of the pfd…when tightened down with fluid in it it should hang light…
kokatat, extrasport, lotus, astral and probably more all make a pfd specific ones…
It sure wan’t floating
It may have been stirctly speaking neutral - I had gotten the air out. But is was distincly acting as a downward weight when I tried to roll up.
the fluid itslef should be bouyant
i am guessing the the centrifugal force of the capsize probably caused a feeling that it was pulling downwards making the “pocket” sway…
also fresh water is more bouyant than salt water as well (to be technical about all this) i introduce a tiny bit of air back into my bladder after a drink-makes the pocket feel not so floppy on my back…since the bladder is shrinking in size…
Hadnt thought of that
I hadnt thought of that, but I think I like that option.
I want a hydration pack that I can use for kayaking, fishing, hiking, screwing around, and I doubt one is made that is compatible with my pfd…
under the bungie cords sounds like a winner
the lotus designs EFT pack
has shoulder straps…wimpy ones but they do count…