Nicodemus, my apologies. I did not mean it as a slam against a handicapped individual. The inability to drink water and hang on to a stick at the same time certainly is dibilitating.
I guess I hate to make the newbes think ETS is the place only for the toy collectors. As pointed out earlier, the original post illustrares one problem with the bladder system: one leak and your whole supply can be gone.
Woodsloafer: you've never used a bladder, have you? (And, apparently "handicaps" come in many forms, "dibilitating" or not.)
Redundancy is always smart, so I carry a couple of hydration bladders (usually Platypus brand now). The benefits of the bladders, especially when hiking or biking fast, far outweigh any downside. I stay far better hydrated, and cover lots more ground, when using them. They also save weight.
Winter's the only time when I feel they aren't the best choice for me; if it's cold enough, the tube can freeze up, even when insulated (but it has to be pretty cold).
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