Heed in Camelbak?

[Catrin]

Any good reason not to put Heed in my Camelbak? I am thinking that as mildly flavored as it is that it shouldn't leave any lasting flavor behind if I clean it really well - but wondered what experience others have had with this. I've read of people putting Nunn in their 'bak...

[Veronica]

Nothing goes in my Camelbak except water. I don't trust that I can actually clean all of its nooks and crannies.

Veronica

[Catrin]

I should have said that it lives in my freezer when actually not in use... your point is well taken though.

[OakLeaf]

Heed is notorious for leaving traces of flavor. But if you don't mind the flavor of Heed, there's no reason to mind the traces of it.

I'm with V. I'm confident that I could clean my equipment - I have one of the long brushes that's really invaluable for cleaning the drink tube; bite valves can be cleaned with denture tablets; the inside of the bladder gets cleaned with a damp dishrag and some baking soda, closed up and shaken vigorously. I'm confident that I can clean it. How soon after a run I do clean it is another question. :rolleyes:

I will put Endurolytes, Emergen-C or Nuun in my packs (you have to be careful with Nuun though, because of the effervescence, and make sure you don't seal the closure until it's finished fizzing) - but nothing that could serve as a medium for mold or bacteria growth.

[Veronica]

I'm not very good at cleaning things. Thom, bless his heart, cleans my bottle that gets my recovery drink in it after every use. It's made with milk and could get quite nasty.

I am an awesome cook, good at doing the mundane stuff... laundry, loading the dishwasher, the kitty box, emptying the garbage... but serious cleaning... that's his responsibility. I think it's 'cause he was a Marine.

I also keep the reservoir in the freezer.


Veronica

[pumpkinpony]

I put stuff in mine. NUNN lately. Sometimes gatorade mix. If I have anything besides plain water in it, it gets a denture tablet when I get home and a good rinse. I used the same bladder for 5 years doing that without a problem or funky odors. It finally sprung a leak, but I doubt that was related to putting flavored drinks in it. :) I figure 5 years with the same plastic bladder is long enough...

[lattae]

I put Heed in my camelbak about 2 years ago and ended up replacing the bladder because of mold growth. I never ever put anything in the camelbak but plain water. I put Heed in my polar bottles and take along a ziploc bag of extra heed to add to the bottle as needed. I can't remember if I didn't clean out the bladder till the next day or what but had mold growth pretty quick.

[tulip]

Mold in Camelbak is not a good thing. Not sure that freezing would prevent mold. Personally, I stick with water in the Camelbak and other stuff (NUUN for me these days) in my water bottles. With NUUN, you can simply bring the tablets with you and refill your water bottle from the Camelbak.

[Catrin]

hmmm, so it probably isn't a good idea, though Nunn sound like a good idea.

I am just planning for longer rides and deciding what to do with hydration. My current 'bac is good for 4 hours on the bike max. There are no stores most of the places where I ride for refilling water, and right now I am still not drinking from the water bottle on the bike - of course there is nothing wrong with stopping to drink from my Heed or Accelerade bottle (for >3 hours I have one of each).

Eventually will need to learn how to do that, but am not pushing it yet. I have found that if I don't push moving on the bike that eventually I catch myself just doing it naturally - THEN I start practicing the movement. It might take longer this way but it seems to be working for me.

My Camelbak is 50 ounces, and I think I need to eventually add a larger one for the long country rides - just trying to decide between the 75 and 100 ounce version. I don't notice the weight of the 50 ounce.

Am considering this 75 ounce or (http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recreation/spring-summer-hydration-packs/2010-magic.aspx) this 100 ounce version (http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recreation/spring-summer-hydration-packs/2010-luxe.aspx).

[OakLeaf]

Basically it comes down to how good you are about cleaning your stuff. If you're the kind of person you can count on to clean it as soon as you get back from a ride, then there's no reason not to put whatever you want in it. Chocolate pudding, ice cream. ;)

Mold can be cleaned out, but it takes some attention. I would invest in one of the long brushes in any case. Unless you use an air compressor to dry your drink tube, it's going to get specks of mold now and then, just because it takes so long to dry. That's when you need that brush. Same with the bite valve - again, it takes so long to dry that it WILL get mold unless you run it through the denture tablets now and then.

[lph]

there's no reason not to put whatever you want in it. Chocolate pudding, ice cream. ;)

I like your thinking :D


I want one of those bladders with the humongous opening you can stick a whole hand into, they look easy to clean.

[Catrin]

:o How could I have forgotten! I bought one of those cleaning kits when I purchased my Camelbak! My only excuse is that I only had 2 hours sleep last night...

Cool, this gives options - will make sure I pick up some denture tablets before experimenting.

[OakLeaf]

I want one of those bladders with the humongous opening you can stick a whole hand into, they look easy to clean.

That's why I like the Platypus Big Zip (http://cascadedesigns.com/platypus/hands-free-hydration/big-zip-sl/product) line. Easy clean and just as important, quick dry. Unfortunately they don't sell packs any more.

[JennK13]

Back to the HEED, I did a ride the end of May, and HEED was the liquid at the rest stops. Having finished the water in my Camelback and bottle, I filled both up with the HEED. I'm good at cleaning my stuff, but it took a good 3 weeks before I couldn't taste HEED out of my bladder! It just soaked into the bite valve or something, but no amount of washing would make it go away! Water only in there now, for me.

[tulip]

I want one of those bladders with the humongous opening you can stick a whole hand into, they look easy to clean.

Camelbak bladders are hand-friendly (at least for my hand), but the problem is with the hose. I don't see how those can be cleaned thoroughly, even with special tools.

I hardly use my Camelbak any more because I don't like riding with something on my back. But if I did, it would be water, with Nuun to put in my waterbottles.

[GLC1968]

That's why I like the Platypus Big Zip (http://cascadedesigns.com/platypus/hands-free-hydration/big-zip-sl/product) line. Easy clean and just as important, quick dry. Unfortunately they don't sell packs any more.

But their bladders do fit Camelbak packs just peachy! I just bought one for my day pack and it works in my H's camelbak should I need to borrow it.

I LOVE the huge zip top opening and the valve/tube flows so much better than my camelbak one did! Plus they cost less and are made in the USA. Bonus!

[OakLeaf]

I don't see how those can be cleaned thoroughly, even with special tools.

Have you seen the brushes? They're made for the purpose. You can clean the inside of the drink tube as thoroughly as you clean anything with a brush. Your teeth... your chainrings... ;)



And like I said before, HEED is notorious for leaving traces of flavor. I'm surprised you haven't noticed it in your water bottles. I sure do in mine. But I like the flavor, so I don't mind the traces (and anyway, it's usually more HEED that's going in there, anyway).

[Catrin]

And like I said before, HEED is notorious for leaving traces of flavor. I'm surprised you haven't noticed it in your water bottles. I sure do in mine. But I like the flavor, so I don't mind the traces (and anyway, it's usually more HEED that's going in there, anyway).

Yep - which is interesting as I find HEED quite mild, flavor wise. I really like the strawberry. The flavor sticks around in my water bottles longer than the Cytomax did, which was a surprise.

[kmehrzad]

I hardly use my Camelbak any more because I don't like riding with something on my back. But if I did, it would be water, with Nuun to put in my waterbottles.

Tulip,
I was using Nuun tabs in my water bottles and a good friend pointed out that an ingredient in the tabs, polyethylene glycol, is a product found in antifreeze. That sealed the deal for me ... no more Nuun tabs. I'm now using juice cut with water and adding a touch of sea salt. Maybe you're okay with Nuun, but thought I'd mention this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_glycol

[OakLeaf]

Endurolytes is another option without the flavors, sweeteners and fizzing agents.

Polyethylene glycol isn't the safest thing in the world, I agree, but that it's "found in [low-toxicity "green"] antifreeze" isn't really relevant... so is water. I''m equally concerned about the acesulfame potassium (which is not in antifreeze). I will use Nuun as a "quick fix" - if I do make a homebrew I make sure to include potassium, calcium and magnesium in addition to the sodium - and personally I can't tolerate any fruit or fruit juices during a ride or run. YMMV.

[kmehrzad]

Oakleaf,

What do you use to make your homebrew? Where do you get potassium, calcium and magnesium to add to your brew? Since you can't tolerate any fruit juices during a ride, what do use as your liquid base?

[Dannielle]

I've never used plain water in my camelbak and I've never had any problems. Propel and Crystal light never left a flavor but Gatorade and Cytomax do, to some degree.

I do clean it out as soon as I get home and I have a cleaning kit (the nashbar brand rather than the official camelbak cleaning kit) for it so it's an easy job. Sometimes I fill it with water and add a denture tablet...sometimes I just use a tiny bit of dish soap and the brushes...and rinse really well. I always hang it to dry with the insert that keeps it open.

I guess a taste residue might be weird if you go back to water but if you stick with a flavored drink it's not a big deal.

[OakLeaf]

My homebrew recipe:

1 Cup Sugar
4 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Potassium Chloride (Salt Substitute)
2 Tsp Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

Use 3 Tbsp per liter of water

For calcium and magnesium I just swallow capsules separately, although I know there are liquid forms available.

Mostly I just use HEED and Endurolytes - more expensive but simpler. On longer rides I can get calories from just about anything except fruit. On longer runs I use Hammer Gel and Endurolytes. I tried a lot of natural substitutes for gels (molasses, barley malt syrup, rice syrup, combinations of those), but they were all too high in fructose for my digestive system.

[kmehrzad]

Thanks for the homebrew recipe. One more question:

Use WHAT per 3 TBSP per liter of water? I'm not quite getting that part of the recipe. Thank you.


My homebrew recipe:

1 Cup Sugar
4 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Potassium Chloride (Salt Substitute)
2 Tsp Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

Use 3 Tbsp per liter of water

For calcium and magnesium I just swallow capsules separately, although I know there are liquid forms available.

Mostly I just use HEED and Endurolytes - more expensive but simpler. On longer rides I can get calories from just about anything except fruit. On longer runs I use Hammer Gel and Endurolytes. I tried a lot of natural substitutes for gels (molasses, barley malt syrup, rice syrup, combinations of those), but they were all too high in fructose for my digestive system.

[OakLeaf]

Thanks for the homebrew recipe. One more question:

Use WHAT per 3 TBSP per liter of water? I'm not quite getting that part of the recipe. Thank you.


3 tbsp of the mixture.

[kmehrzad]

3 tbsp of the mixture.

Right! I've got it now. Thank you.

[Catrin]

I have experimented with putting Heed in my 50 oz Camelbak for my rides that are 3.5 hours or longer, taking two water bottles of Accelerade, and powder for both in my seat post bag just in case I need to replenish along the way. That 100 ounces seems to be working for rides of up to 4.5 hours. I suspect that I am still not drinking quite enough, however I feel fine and haven't had any problems with thirst. Of course it matters how hot it is and how many hills there are - hills require more effort AND I find that I drink less in the hills.

The Camelbak doesn't seem to be holding the flavor of the Heed, but I clean it very, very well after the ride. I like the new strawberry flavor.

I still need to get those scales and weigh myself to make sure I am drinking enough...