Hydration pack bladder woes

[crazycanuck]

Hi there,

I hope this question makes sense as i'm not 100% sure how to explain it without someone being beside me.

I have an odd problem with my hydration pack bladder and want to find out what on earth i'm doing wrong.

First, I have a hydration pack with http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_d...=1162714588677 and love it but the mouthpiece/valve bit drips. I don't know what i'm doing wrong but where exactly should the mouthpiece be on the backpack? When the hose/mouthpiece is upright it still drips.

Has anyone else had this problem?? It's really really annoying when i'm out on the trails as it just leaks all over me. I can't drink from the hose if it's really close to the clip but if i pull the hose down it starts to drip/leak.

I hope this makes sense to someone.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I've only used CamelBaks, so I can't comment specifically on the MEC product. The only time I've had a leak is when I inadvertantly pressed on the valve when my CamelBak was sitting next to me on the car seat as I was driving to a ride start (as in when I wasn't using it!). But there shouldn't be any leaks regardless of where the hose and mouthpiece lives.

I would recommend changing out the hose/mouthpiece. I know that you can get just these parts for a CamelBak, so I'm assuming the same is true of the MEC product.

--- Denise

[Kitsune06]

OR I'd just say "to heck with it!!!" altogether and buy a camelbak hose/mouthpiece with the inline shutoff valve, and put it on the bladder itself. If the 'male' part is too big, soak the end of the hose in hot water before trying again. It should soften and expand enough to make installation possible. I did that with my Hydrapak (Blackburn) until it died. (the fabric side of the hydrapak bladder slowly started to let water seep through)