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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2024
I have several packs with bladder pockets but I've never bought a bladder until now. I saw this one on sale and decided to bite the bullet. My thinking was that I could wear it when I ride my motorcycle so that I wouldn't have to pull over to grab a drink of water.
The good news is that almost everything about the bladder is fine. The fill hole is huge, which makes the bladder easy to fill. It seems plenty robust, the water I put in it has no weird smells or flavors, and the drinking hose is more than long enough for my pack.
The only minor drawback is the drinking valve at the end of the hose. You have to bite it to get it to flow water, which is good because it keeps the hose from constantly dribbling. However, I find that the valve is erratic-- most of the time it works fine, other times I have to bite it a couple of times or reposition it between my teeth to get water to flow. I'm hoping that either the valve breaks in, or that I get better at activating the valve over time.
But that's a minor nuisance, and the bladder itself works fine. The valve is too long for me to stuff it under my motorcycle helmet and into my mouth unless I flip up the chin guard (I have a hybrid full face/open helmet that allows me to do this), but that's not a problem. If I come to a stop I can flip my helmet open without removing it, take a drink, and snap it shut again in a few seconds. It works a lot better than I thought it would and is very convenient. I can do it one-handed so my other hand can stay on the clutch lever, which is nice.
I find that the 2L size is perfect for me. It holds about the same volume of water as 2 of my Nalgene bottles, or about as much as my Klean Kanteen. That's about half a day's worth of water for me, so I can ride, hike, walk around, or whatever without worrying about refilling. It's also more convenient to pack than my 64 oz. Klean Kanteen because it lays flat and conforms to my back. It's easier to fill the pack around the bladder, and since I don't have to worry about taking it back out to drink, I don't have to constantly rearrange the contents of my bag.
For you hikers and campers, there may be another advantage to an inexpensive bladder like this. A few years ago I saw that someone had added an inline water filter (a Sawyer, I think) to the drinking hose of their bladder. I believe there are adapters available to do this. You cut the hose and install the filter between the cut ends. Then you can fill the bladder with water from streams and lakes without worrying about microorganisms, etc. I haven't done this (and probably won't any time soon), but if I was so inclined, I'd rather do it to a $12 water bladder than something more expensive.
Longevity is still an unknown, but the bag seems quite durable so I'm not worried. I do have to remember to not pack anything sharp near it, but that hasn't been a problem, even with a chronic over-packer like me. Given the convenience that this bladder offers, I'm glad I finally got one.
The good news is that almost everything about the bladder is fine. The fill hole is huge, which makes the bladder easy to fill. It seems plenty robust, the water I put in it has no weird smells or flavors, and the drinking hose is more than long enough for my pack.
The only minor drawback is the drinking valve at the end of the hose. You have to bite it to get it to flow water, which is good because it keeps the hose from constantly dribbling. However, I find that the valve is erratic-- most of the time it works fine, other times I have to bite it a couple of times or reposition it between my teeth to get water to flow. I'm hoping that either the valve breaks in, or that I get better at activating the valve over time.
But that's a minor nuisance, and the bladder itself works fine. The valve is too long for me to stuff it under my motorcycle helmet and into my mouth unless I flip up the chin guard (I have a hybrid full face/open helmet that allows me to do this), but that's not a problem. If I come to a stop I can flip my helmet open without removing it, take a drink, and snap it shut again in a few seconds. It works a lot better than I thought it would and is very convenient. I can do it one-handed so my other hand can stay on the clutch lever, which is nice.
I find that the 2L size is perfect for me. It holds about the same volume of water as 2 of my Nalgene bottles, or about as much as my Klean Kanteen. That's about half a day's worth of water for me, so I can ride, hike, walk around, or whatever without worrying about refilling. It's also more convenient to pack than my 64 oz. Klean Kanteen because it lays flat and conforms to my back. It's easier to fill the pack around the bladder, and since I don't have to worry about taking it back out to drink, I don't have to constantly rearrange the contents of my bag.
For you hikers and campers, there may be another advantage to an inexpensive bladder like this. A few years ago I saw that someone had added an inline water filter (a Sawyer, I think) to the drinking hose of their bladder. I believe there are adapters available to do this. You cut the hose and install the filter between the cut ends. Then you can fill the bladder with water from streams and lakes without worrying about microorganisms, etc. I haven't done this (and probably won't any time soon), but if I was so inclined, I'd rather do it to a $12 water bladder than something more expensive.
Longevity is still an unknown, but the bag seems quite durable so I'm not worried. I do have to remember to not pack anything sharp near it, but that hasn't been a problem, even with a chronic over-packer like me. Given the convenience that this bladder offers, I'm glad I finally got one.
