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As the axiom goes, rehydrate or die!

Water is fundamental to sustained energy output, try downing that carbo powder by the spoonful at altitude , cough, cough i hear you say.

Not long after i started hiking, it would have been about 1993, I decided I had had enough of small water bottles and jury rigged up a rehydration pack out of a plastic bottle and fish tank tubing. The bottle had "Kiddies Corner" emblazoned across it, for all to see however stupid it looked, it did the trick. I had two holes in the top, one for the tube, and the other for a second small tube, cable tied to the main tube to prevent a vacuum forming and preventing any fluid from being delivered. There was no bite valve, so you had to blow back on the fluid to prevent it from siphoning the contents over your leg. Backwash yeech!

The point was that it worked, and i cld fill it with about 2l of water, and thus did not have to keep filling the small bottle, or stop walking to rehydrate, however with the tube near your mouth, you never had to go thirsty.

Eventually in the naughties, bite valves, and a plethora of hiking gear arrived in the country, and with a kayaking bladder and a v. small day pack strapped to my pack, I had a very cheap "Camelback", which were ridiculously expensive then, and still are today.

Other uses, include using the pipe as a tornique, or to garrote your snoring hiking partner, although throwing something at him works just as well, also perhaps as a miniature shower head. Using the tube without the bite valve to create a siphon from very small pools of water, when not much is available and you can barely even get a teaspoon submerged. On a trip along the Bell's Traverse, I used this method when the only water was a trickle into a small saucer sized depression in the ground, and was able to fill up our bags and bottles for the next days section.

So which is it, water bottle or rehydration pack

I think you just answered that question for us

I do carry my bladder with on all hikes I do but most of the time it remains empty unless water is very scarse or needs to be treated for an hour or so using those horrible salty drops.I like a bottle where I can throw a sachet of powder in and take a big gulp.

I find it awkward to carry at times, my backpack like most has a sleeve that it fits in to thats positioned right against my back. To try get it into that sleeve when its full is a mission when the bag is packed. There are other pockets on the outside of the bag that it fits in which I use when I have to but with the weight being on the outside it unballances the bag.or at least in my mind

It it very usefull when sleeping away from a water source, like a cave for example as it lets you fill up with enough water to be comfi for the night and following morning. Whats a good nights sleep in the Berg without a flask of hot tea?

serious tribe - love the bit about the snoring buddy - i normaly just thow something ! but on a more serious note - yes the tubing can be very usefull - have also used it to suck up from small pools where a bottle would not work - also use it as a pillow - lol !

It makes sense to fill it up at night and position it so that when i want a drink, i can just reach over hit the bite valve and hey presto i have water.

Mike the other way i used carry it was to put it at the top of the pack, in the very top compartment, it would fit with about 2.5l in it. I have a different pack now, the top pocket is too small, so it now goes under the top pocket on top of the bag and once the compression straps are synched down, it does not move, is not visible and does not throw the balance of the bag out. I must mention, that i use a mountaineer style pack with no side pockets, i always have.

I usually fill the bag with carb solution so i have rocket fuel on tap as i burn energy very fast. At the camp, i finnish what's left and then fill with clean water for the cooking session. Never been caught out with no clean water yet.

Thanks Serious Tribe, yeah i use the same backpack you do I detest side pockets on a bag, just have one at the very back for wet stuff that it snugs into.

I normally toss it in the top under the hood but have only when heading to camp. I prefere a bottle and the only time iv had to use the bladder whilst hiking was in Namibia and unfortunately I was packed liked a donkey and therefore had to go in the back pocket and annoyed me lol. Just habbits I suppose

The one nice thing about keeping it under the top compartment is your juice probably wont get hot in the summertime?

Hi
What I have found to be very effective to make sure you remain hydrated is to clip a small plastic coffee cup on a carabina on the backpack shoulder strap where it joins the bottom of the backpack.It does not get in the way and does not make a noise.This allows me to quickly detach the cup at any stream and have a qiuck drink. I also keep 1litre in a hyration pack for emergencies ie where the water stops halfwayy up a pass. All my hicking buddies are now using the same system and they love it