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Hydration Backpacks

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Right, for the last couple of trips I've carried a small 10L backpack filled with goggles, spare hat, chocky, sunblock, extra layer, water bottle etc.

At the EOSB in particular I noticed there were quite a few hydration/camelbak packs about. I already have a bum-bag type camelbak for long runs so I reckon I need a hydro pack that will also hold the above bits & pieces for skiing and make sure I keep swigging the water.

So far, the Camelbak Mule and North Face Hammerhead look like they'd fit the bill.

Any thoughts or experiences folks ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Jerry, I am hoping Santa has put my name on one.
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I've got a Camelbak Ventoux, quite a lot bigger than you're looking at Jerry but the compression straps do a good job of keeping the bulk down in normal use. The one thing I would advise is to get the thermal kit for the water pipe as well, I've got one on my standard camelbak that I'm going to swap across to it.
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I got a Camelbak Snobowl and from playing with it in the house, it doesnt really fit beneath my jacket without looking like a hunchbacked freak. Snobowl is the one with a bladder, hose and backpack to hold it with no room for carrying stuff. But if you're wearing it on the outside of your jacket, it's a touch pointless not to get the slightly bigger versions... but hey, if anyone wants to trade a bigger camelbak for mine, I feel this is the perfect advert Neh Neh
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FenlandSkier, Ah, I know I'd seen your water-only one, was going to ask you if you'd got the thermal thing. think you can get a 4season mule or summat, though you can get 'em seperately I know.
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I use a dakine heli when skiing. I have several hydration compatible backpacks - the mule and the blowfish seem a little small to put in 3 litres of water, 2 spare tops, hats, buffs etc (I also have to carry Mrs NBT's spare geaer of course!), so for some time I used a deuter cross-air with a frame to keep the pack away from my back. It works, but the frame makes it awkward to pack. the dakine heli is nice as it has a nice slim profile yet still has room for everything, and it has ski loops for carrying my skis. I haven;t bothered with the thermal tube kit - just remember to blow the water back into the bag when you've had a sip. I've rarely had it freeze on me when I've remembered to do that
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toiletduckuk wrote:
I got a Camelbak Snobowl and from playing with it in the house, it doesnt really fit beneath my jacket without looking like a hunchbacked freak. Snobowl is the one with a bladder, hose and backpack to hold it with no room for carrying stuff. But if you're wearing it on the outside of your jacket, it's a touch pointless not to get the slightly bigger versions... but hey, if anyone wants to trade a bigger camelbak for mine, I feel this is the perfect advert Neh Neh


I got one of those with a magazine subscription but then decided the same as you, if I'm wearing one of those I may as well have rucksack instead, hence buying the Ventoux.
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Jerry, this placehas a got a few different ones plus the thermal kit and other spares, I bought mine off Ebay though (although that turned out to be a bike shop as well).
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I bough a little camelback (1.5l) and wear it under a jacket so it does not freeze - best thing ever. If i need back pack i can wear this outside the jacket as well as the camelback or instead of.

PS - Fill it with ice tea, makes for a good day skiing. Very Happy
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I ski with the northface megamouth- since I bought a backpack I don't ever go skiing without it. It's the only one i have, but it is great for what i need. It has compression straps so i can cinch it down to a good size, waist and chest straps too.. IMHO it doesn't make sense to buy the tiny bags if it's going on the outside of a jacket.

I keep keys (attached to the internal FOB hook), extra layer, hat, couple clif bars, goggles, cell phone, and whatever random things i'm taking along for the day inside.. plus the hydration bag. The hose always turns to ice though snowHead I'm going to buy an insulating kit for the nalgene bag and hose when i go to whistler. Is that how everyone else fixed that problem?
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Tonic, As I said above, once you've finished sipping just blow a little air backinto the tube until you hear it "pop" as the air reaches the main bag. At that point the tube is empty and thus shouldn't freeze
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I use a simple (cheap)platypus one which is literally just a plastic bag with a hose and a bite valve. I didn't want all the harness and other gubbins that goes with the more expensive ones since I usually have a back pack or harness on anyway for activities where I need it. It's a nice big 3litre one but it still amazes me how quickly I can get through all that water.

Another tip...a friend of mine put orange squash in one once rolling eyes .....very nasty indeed....he never did get the sticky mess out of it.
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hellfiresliding, i agree that the platypus inside a backpack works really well and saves a bit of weight as well when compared with camelpack or similar.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
What wrong with a water bottle...? stops the whole lot emptying all over your pack..
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
I to had a snobowl and found it limited so I now got a Camelbak snoblast which I really like. It has a extendable main compartment which is big enough to put my helmet in along with other bits. but when empty it packs down tight.
I also proved on the PSB that you can strap 2 ski boots & coat to it at the same time and walk in all comfort down the mountain. Smile

I would not go with out nowadays.
snowHead
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've upgraded from a Da Kine heli pack this year, to a Heli Pro, mainly because the heli pack is a little small to carry avalanche gear as well as all my spare kit. One of it's other advantages is that you can thread a camelback tube up the shoulder strap, and there is a little zip up compartment for the mouthpiece, so preventing freezing.
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Another vote for the Camelbak MULE here. I've been using one for years and it's been more than adequate for carrying the spare bits & pieces that my son & I need. We don't ski off-piste though. If we did, I'd be looking for something a lot bigger such as the Heli Pro.

The insulation kit is essential, even if you blow the water back into the bladder. I find the bite-valve tends to freeze up without it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
ive had a camelbak snowdawg for a couple of seasons. great pack - and the neoprene sleeve and the bite cover prevent the water in the tube from freezing (i will be passsin on the top tip about blowing the water back up the tube to my mates though!) ive started looking at getting a bigger pack as i dont think the snowdawg will be big enough to carry avalanche gear and spare kit - and in m searches ive not come across the snodawg so maybe they dont make it any more - which is a shame cos its a great piece of kit
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JT wrote:
What wrong with a water bottle...? stops the whole lot emptying all over your pack..



'cos with a tube hanging near your mouth you can take a sip anytime, without taking your pack off and rummaging around for the water bottle!
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kitenski, agreed, my main reason for going for a hydration pack - I just seldom got round to taking off the pack, opening it, getting the bottle out etc, and by the time you're thirsty, it's too late of course.
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kitenski,

I agree that can be a hassle but against the pack getting soaked from inside - possible- and the freezing up stuff then it is just about evens
for me, so I haven't made the switch. If I did, I'd use water and not some sticky drink in the event and I quite like sticky drinks in my water bottle.... so, decisions, decisions...
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I'll show you my setup in Engelberg, but I have a platypus bag in a inner pocket of my rucksack, so even if it leaks, it's isolated from the main area with my spare layer, shovel, probe etc.

I've only had mine freeze up when I forget to blow the water back into the main reservoir, thus keeping the tube free of water.

I've also had bottles split and leak in rucksacks Evil or Very Mad
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
JT, I've never had a Camelback or Platypus bladder burst on me and I've had a few spills on skis and MTBs whilst carrying them. If they're not filled to the brim, you can drive a truck over these things without bursting them.

I get headaches if I don't keep hydrated and the bite valve being right under my chin reminds me to keep sippin'. I usually carry a small water bottle in my pack too, but it would be too inconvenient to drink from frequently and I'd have to keep stopping to fill it up.
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kitenski, NickB, I was looking at a platypus the other day....but I borught other stuff instead.... I'll give it some more thought as I do get hydrated.
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and if anyone watches little britain - if you offer a friend a drink from your bite valve clipped to your shoulder stap, dont forget to say 'bittie' before they drink! Very Happy
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Never buy a cheaper imitation bladder.....I've had several leak on me Sad
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Elizabeth B, Laughing
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
How's your bladder Linds?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:

How's your bladder Linds?

FenlandSkier, It's working very well thank you Laughing
Ah memories of Elizabeth B, FenlandSkier, walking round 2's Alps looking for a bladder with me Laughing

Warning, Never go shopping with those two rolling eyes
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HUbby has a Decathlon one, which seems to be fine, no leaks so far.
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NickB wrote:
I get headaches if I don't keep hydrated and the bite valve being right under my chin reminds me to keep sippin'.....

Me too. I've got into the habit of having a sip from my hydration pack when I get on every lift.
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Mr Snowy has a camelbak water bladder with insulated pipe. It worked very well until we were out in the back country last year when it was -20oC when it froze solid. Shocked

Meanwhile, I took an plastic water bottle (Vittel bottle or something similar) and stuffed it in a pair of old gloves in my back pack. Although more difficult to get to if we were on the move, it didn't freeze.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I moderate my hangovers with a Platypus in my North Face Megamouth rucksack.

The advantage of the Platypus over some of the other makes is that the bite valve isn't moulded to the hose so that when it freezes solid you can pull it off and stick it in your mouth for a quick defrosting (providing you've not been dipping it anywhere nasty). To empty the hose after a sup simply hold it straight up and squeeze the bite valve and the water drains back into the sac.

Find the Megamouth a perfect size, comfortable to wear and chairlift friendly
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norm, welcome to snowHeads snowHead
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norm wrote:
I moderate my hangovers with a Platypus in my North Face Megamouth rucksack.


Welcome norm, your fit in well Smile
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Snowy, i just bought a new helipro dakine pack and the camelback hose is enclosed in a thin zippable flap on the shoulder strap which they say reduce freezeovers. I used to just carry a bottle of water in a pocket but took a hard fall and bruised some ribs on the bottle and sunglass case in the other pocket so will give teh camel back thingy a go , skiing on saturday in Courcheval and its supposed to be cold so we will see.
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I am thinking of things to add to the Christmas list at the moment, and am thinking of one of these hydration packs. My only worry is that I am still a beginner, hence spend a fair amount of time falling over.... How robust are these packs? and has anyone here actually had one burst on them when skiing when falling over etc?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
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jonnyboy93, welcome to snowHeads...... snowHead

....... cutting it a bit fine with the list .......! The Man in the big red suit is going to be busy...... Laughing

I have used one for a couple of seasons and had one or two right pearlers ....... but stayed dry...... Toofy Grin
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Mine has a seperate pocket for the water bottle so if it did burst (or more likely not got the lid screwed on properly and leaked a bit) the rest of the rucksack would be OK.
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JT, do you have a top loading pack? If so all of your gear inside the pack should be a bag anyway, then there's no way the bladder can soak all your gear... I use those 'rubble sacks' from DIY stores, perfect size and pretty durable... The best thing about having your gear inside another bag is you can pull it out in an instant if you're using the bag for something else, like shopping or swimming...
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