Hydration pack

[OakLeaf]

Bladders can get pretty nasty if you never clean them; leave water in them long term, or keep other than water (sports drinks etc) in them.

That's why I really really like the large zip opening of the Platypus bladders. It's just not an issue with them (unless I accidentally forget to remove the bladder from the pack and leave it for weeks ).

And it's my one ding on my Nathan running vest - I can see that the lightweight, very flexible bladder is part of the functionality, but it's REALLY hard to dry, especially with the small opening. A SMALL head silicone scraper will go into the opening to brace the sides apart, and I can thread a string or whatever through the holes at the top to hang it (it won't dry well in a horizontal position). That's the only way I've found to dry it in less than four days, and I still have to keep checking on it because the slightest breeze or nudge will cause the scraper to turn from the perpendicular. Jamming a flour sack dish towel into it and shaking it around to get the excess water out, before I hang it to dry, helps a lot.

Drink tubes still need to be cleaned, which is a PITA, but much easier with the long flexible brush Camelbak sells, and I don't do it every time (maybe I should ).