Insulated bladder for touring pack

I use a Patagonia SnowDrifter 30L as my main touring pack and it has the passthroughs/hanging mechanisms for a bladder but I haven't been able to find anything that actually fits with a long enough hose. I have a couple of the Hydrapak ones that came with various biking packs but their hose doesn't reach far enough (and aren't insulated). I bought a salomon one for winter trail running that has the same issue - hose too short.

Does anyone have any recs? I ski in UT so not dealing with the coldest of temps. I'm trying to actually drink water when I tour this year...

I have Osprey packs and bladders, including their insulation kit. The hose that comes with the kit is much longer than the standard hose - probably a bit too long but you can always cut it down. It works well though - nice in summer for keeping things chilled and nice in winter for preventing freezing.

It looks like they also sell the hose and cover separately of the bladder cover if that's all you need. Osprey and Hydrapack reservoirs and fittings are the same in recent years.

Full insulation kit: https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product...4SEAS_507.html

Hose only insulation kit: https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product...SES20_507.html

I drink my own urine because it’s sterile and it tastes good

Do the bladder companies keep hose lengths secret? Those little hydration packs come with shorter hoses because they're small. This one doesn't seem too hard to figure out.

Drink water on the transition or midway up a long skin. Use a bottle or thermos in your pack. I never understood the appeal of hydration packs.


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Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn

Drink water on the transition or midway up a long skin. Use a bottle or thermos in your pack. I never understood the appeal of hydration packs.

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+1 on this. I was a longtime hydration pack user and finally started just using bottles last year, it's so much easier and not worth messing with the pack anymore. Nalgene makes some lightweight bottles that really cut the weight down. Plus with bottles you always know how much youve used, leading to better hydration and no surprises toward the last laps of the tour when you run out of your bladder (or open your pack and find out you only drank .5L of your 2L bladder and will feel like shit after your apres-tour beers/whiskey.)

If OP is set on using one, I've also had good luck with the Osprey ones, they seem to have longer tubes so you can cut it down to size. I've also never had one leak.

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Originally Posted by MagnificentUnicorn

Drink water on the transition or midway up a long skin. Use a bottle or thermos in your pack. I never understood the appeal of hydration packs.

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And if a bladder fails....

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Originally Posted by I've seen black diamonds!

And if a bladder fails....

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There’s that disaster too…


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Camelbak bladders are pretty freaking durable.

Though, nothing will prevent freezing outright. That just means you aren't drinking enough water consistently and/or the ambient temps are just really really frigid. Also, blow the water back into the tube after drinking, cuts down on the tube freezing. Pinch the bite valve to empty remaining water in between sips.

I use both a bladder and water bottles. Drink out of the water bottle during transitions/breaks and use the bladder while ascending or when conditions don't warrant stopping and fiddling with pack, like on a windy summit when you just want to get down.

Bottles vs bladders, the ultimate question...

Never had a bladder fail. Have had bottles unscrew themselves in my pack with shitty results. I know, blame my shitty grip strength not the bottle.

Bladders on day trips, add bottles for overnights. A bladder is a just a soft water bottle that is more convenient to drink out of.

Listen to Jax about blowing water back down the tube. Use a non-barbed mouthpiece, like platypus hyflow - makes it easier to slip off the hose to clear it out when you freeze the tube or mouthpiece. Forget those thin neoprene sleeves. See: https://tinyurl.com/5cd6337x

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Originally Posted by Jax

I use both a bladder and water bottles. Drink out of the water bottle during transitions/breaks and use the bladder while ascending or when conditions don't warrant stopping and fiddling with pack, like on a windy summit when you just want to get down.

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I agree that there is a place for both. I greatly prefer a water bottle, but a bladder holds the weight so much more comfortably.

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Originally Posted by Pinned

I have Osprey packs and bladders, including their insulation kit. The hose that comes with the kit is much longer than the standard hose - probably a bit too long but you can always cut it down. It works well though - nice in summer for keeping things chilled and nice in winter for preventing freezing.

It looks like they also sell the hose and cover separately of the bladder cover if that's all you need. Osprey and Hydrapack reservoirs and fittings are the same in recent years.

Full insulation kit: https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product...4SEAS_507.html

Hose only insulation kit: https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product...SES20_507.html

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Haven’t tried the insulation kit but I’ve been very happy with their bladder systems and would recommend them.

I don’t think I’ve ever noticed 2-3 liters in my touring pack. I like bottles because I know exactly how much water that I’ve consumed and have left. It’s also nice to have a water bottle and a insulated bottle for hot tea. Bladders work for some but they seem like a hassle compared to a bottle. If you want the convenience on the skintrack, the insulated coozies that you can clip to your hip belt are nice. The shoulder strap mounted ones are nice too.


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Don’t know if they make the 1/2 liter ones still but one of these in a pant pocket for access and then a Nalgene bottle in the pack is where I’ve ended up. Light, accessible and simple

https://www.rei.com/product/797975/p...e-cap-17-fl-oz

Osprey insulation system works well. I also use the trail running soft flask from Decathlon or Salomon when I don’t use a backpack.

Re the bladder vs bottle debate, I hear all the arguments for the bottle, but in practice I just never drink anything out of my bottle (maybe my bottle isn't ideal?). I don't really like taking mid skin breaks (on an average day) and often in transition I'm just trying hard to keep warm and don't want another thing to fiddle around with. The allure of a magic tube of water that I can drink at any time seems too great to not at least try... Thanks for the recs on the Osprey stuff, I'm gonna check it out.

As for the bottle drinkers, do you do anything to make your bottle super easy to access? Can you drink while skinning or at least not have to unbuckle anything to access your water? Just trying to think through what I might be missing...

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Originally Posted by sidewaysbeater

Re the bladder vs bottle debate, I hear all the arguments for the bottle, but in practice I just never drink anything out of my bottle (maybe my bottle isn't ideal?). I don't really like taking mid skin breaks (on an average day) and often in transition I'm just trying hard to keep warm and don't want another thing to fiddle around with. The allure of a magic tube of water that I can drink at any time seems too great to not at least try... Thanks for the recs on the Osprey stuff, I'm gonna check it out.

As for the bottle drinkers, do you do anything to make your bottle super easy to access? Can you drink while skinning or at least not have to unbuckle anything to access your water? Just trying to think through what I might be missing...

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Yeah kinda like Tang said, I clip a 500mL to my hip belt and drink that while skinning, then refill at the bottom from the larger bottle/drom in the pack. Helps me track my intake as I'll gulp down a 2L bladder in one lap if I'm not looking. Toss it in a pocket when it's cold.

I’ve never had the length of the hose be an issue with any of my half dozen hydration bladders, but just go to the hardware store and clip off some hose to whatever length you like. JFC

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Originally Posted by plugboots

I’ve never had the length of the hose be an issue with any of my half dozen hydration bladders, but just go to the hardware store and clip off some hose to whatever length you like. JFC

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Well it's not just the hose, all the bladders I have sit/hang very awkwardly in my touring pack (either too wide or too short), even though it's clearly built for one. I can't find any info online about my particular pack and bladders.

I drink probably 2X as much water as most people (winter and summer) and still prefer bottles for winter. I usually skin short enough laps that I just take a good swig when I stop. I do like using an insulated sleeve for the bottle (Nalgene makes one) but you can get away without one.

On the occasions I want something easier to access, I'll either strap the insulated sleeve to the side of my pack (where I can reach it with the pack on, albeit awkwardly) or carry a 0.5L Platypus soft bottle in an inside jacket pocket or pants cargo pocket.

In springtime I switch to bladders. Usually if it's warm enough that I need to drink more regularly to justify the bladder, it's also warm enough to not freeze.

I just blow air into the hose after drinking and zip it back into the shoulder sleeve. I have found the drink valve is most likely spot to freeze up (when I forget to blow air) and tube insulation wouldn't help that much. Use bladder for touring and resort. Resort much more often freeze up.

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Originally Posted by 406

I just blow air into the hose after drinking and zip it back into the shoulder sleeve. I have found the drink valve is most likely spot to freeze up (when I forget to blow air) and tube insulation wouldn't help that much. Use bladder for touring and resort. Resort much more often freeze up.

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Definitely seconded. Gotta just make sure you get the water out of the tube or you're gonna have a bad day.

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Originally Posted by abx656

Definitely seconded. Gotta just make sure you get the water out of the tube or you're gonna have a bad day.

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When your bladder is down to 1/2 cup or so….what proportion of that would you say is your own backwash?

Not to drift to far from insulated bladders, but there was chatter on here or maybe the splitboard forum about not carrying any water with you. The poster's way of going about it was to camel-up before the tour and melt snow as needed during his tours. IIRC, he went solo most of the time, so making the group wait was not an issue. I do not practice this approach, but I always think about it every season.

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Originally Posted by SKIP IN7RO

Not to drift to far from insulated bladders, but there was chatter on here or maybe the splitboard forum about not carrying any water with you. The poster's way of going about it was to camel-up before the tour and melt snow as needed during his tours. IIRC, he went solo most of the time, so making the group wait was not an issue. I do not practice this approach, but I always think about it every season.

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Carrying a stove and fuel and then taking the time to melt and cool enough to drink seems like carrying a water bottle but with a lot of extra steps and time.