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My old Camelbak bladder has started to leak a bit so I could do with a new bladder.
Who makes the best bladder these days? I could do with it being 3L and the option of an insulated hose would be good, I use it when skiing. If I cant get insulation its not the end of the world, I can put my old insulation on it but I would rather not.
Osprey.
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🙂
Not sure about the best but I got a very cheap and functional one from DHB / Wiggle.
Camelbak make the best. Fact.
The Antidote bladder is around £30 but you can get one AND a pack for that from Decathlon.
They do all sorts of accessories including the insulated hose available everywhere and anywhere.
the osprey one is nice, but does depend on whether you like or get on with the rigid back.
I have tried one or two different types over many years, but I have always come back to Camelbak bladders, you just cant beat them IMO.
Source - faultless performance in my experience and easy to clean etc
Camelback here in a deuter pack
Another Source user here, hard to see how it could be better. Very easy to clean as the whole end opens.
Osprey Raptor is a good pack, 3L and lots of nice touches like the helmet holder and the magnetic holder that clips the hose to the chest strap. I agree though that it does depend in whether you like the rigid back or not.
Source are the best, no question. The ziplock opening to clean inside is genius and the insulated drink tube works really well in both hot and cold conditions.
camelbaks come with a lifetime guarantee don't they? just need to keep proof of purchase.
for what it's worth the new antidote bladders are excellent, the baffle to keep it flatter is great, the included drying arms and the quick disconnect all make a great bladder. Bung mine in the freezer after my ride to kill the nastys. Only had to replace my last one as i "microwaved' it to defrost it when in a bit of a hurry. They don't like that!
3l camelbak antidote in a dakine nomad bag - bombproof!
I'm very happy with the Dakine one I have, sounds like the same ziplock type arrangement as Source. Very easy to clean.
The two ones I've used most recently I can't recommend based on my own experience. The new camelbak with the quick connector leaks about half the time on mine (yes its clicked in properly, it comes down to side load on the connector so if something in the pack pushes on it a bit more than usual it leaks) and the osprey is fine until you load a pack quite full at which point the ridge back is a complete PITA (it forces all the load from the pack into a small contact patch on your back, rather than spreading it out).
Bung mine in the freezer after my ride to kill the nastys
I am intrigued by this. I wash mine out with a bit of fairy after use and then rinse it through. I am curious as to what the benefit of keeping it in the freezer is?
The new-style Camelbak bladders are better than Nalgene ones, in my experience. However I do like the Nalgene magnetic bite valve, so with my bladders I've stuck one onto the end of each Camelbak hose.
I'm happy with my hydrapak one. It has a baffle, turns inside out to stick it in the dishwasher and it has a disconnect-able hose so I can stick an insulated one on when I go snowboarding. I've never tried any of the other but it has a nice list of features in comparison.
My old Camelbak bladder has started to leak a bit so I could do with a new bladder.
If you still have proof of purchase you could try getting a warranty replacement from Camelbak.
Source - if only for the convenience of filling without having to wrestle the bladder out using the UTA adaptor.
the osprey one is nice, but does depend on whether you like or get on with the rigid back.
Ive killed two of them. They've been redesigned for next year. Go figure. Prefer the Source reservoir with a Camelbak bite valve.
I am intrigued by this. I wash mine out with a bit of fairy after use and then rinse it through. I am curious as to what the benefit of keeping it in the freezer is?
Being in the freezer means it is too cold for any bugs to grow. They are still there, just frozen.
matthewlhome - Member
Bung mine in the freezer after my ride to kill the nastys
I am intrigued by this. I wash mine out with a bit of fairy after use and then rinse it through. I am curious as to what the benefit of keeping it in the freezer is?
You still rinse or clean it out. Keeping it in the freezer saves you from having to dry it out.
Which is the best bladder depends on the design of your pack too...Camelback and Osprey packs need the bladders with the screw on top. If your pack opens from the top though, the Source ones are spot on.
Don't you remove your bladder to fill it?
At the moment the Camelbak is looking like the favorite. I just need to find somewhere that is selling one with the insulated tube so I don't have to spend another £15.
I us me Grandads old colostomy bags, very hard wearing and free.