We just got our June 2007 issue of Boy's Life and there was an article on hydration systems. A new item caught my eye: SmarTube. It is a lid and tube for a Nalgene bottle. This could solve the issues with the Camelbak's bladder leaking and cleaning. I have had the hose get old and pop off of the bottom of my bladder and drain down my backside. It would also be nice to be able to put the bottle in the dishwasher instead of trying to clean a bladder. SmarTube

Kind of a civilian version of this for GI canteens...

Why is it that I don't get "hydration systems"? Didn't we used to call these "canteens"? I thought I was going high-tech when I went from Boy Scout aluminum to Nalgene.

When I want a drink, I pull my canteen off my belt and guzzle. Why have I never thought, "This is so much effort to bend my arm, I wish I had a plastic tube thingy to suckle water out of"?

What am I missing out on?

Dave

It is just nice to be able to take a sip without having to stop, take off the pack, unzip the pack, find the bottle, drink, and put everything back.

Of course this assumes that you keep the water in your pack. If you keep water on your hip, a camelbak means that you don't have to keep water on your hip.

Just my opinion, but I like it, as long as it isn't cold enough to freeze the water in the tube. Cleaning can be a pain, though. I heard that denture cleaning tablets are supposed to be great for cleaning them, though.

bigmbogo,

I have tried many methods of carrying water. A canteen on my belt pulls down on my pants. I tried a fanny pack. It had the same effect. I tried a water bottle in a pouch slung over my shoulder. I did not like it bouncing against my body and feeling like it was going to slide off my shoulder. A backpack has been best for me. Once I have worn it for a few minutes I forget I am carrying it. The tube is an added convenience. Here in Arizona you need to keep drinking. I like to hike. Some things can get annoying after a few miles in the Arizona heat; high for 6/5/07 is 106F.

Nice find, Craig; thanks for posting it. Years ago Ultimate Direction sold this bottle made of very flexible plastic that had a long drinking tube & bite valve on it. I used it in the Grand Canyon and it wasn't too impressive.

"...cold enough to freeze the water in the tube..."

Being a flatlander from the hot central valley of CA, I try to avoid really cold weather, but even in warm weather I usually blow air into the tube after a drink, that puts the water back into the bladder, preventing drips. Should help with that freezing thing too...

This is one of those "Doh" moments where I wonder why I never thought of that. Thanks.

+1

+2. I learned the hard way after a night hike in a forest in Jersey, when temps were in the low teens. Pretty long, thirsty trip back.

Before I bought one for motorcycling I thought that way too. Since I have it I found that it is more convinient than a canteen. You just take a sip every now and then without having to reach for the canteen, open it, close it and put it back (especially when raffic dictates when you have the time for that action). The ease of taking frequent little sips usually leads to drinking more and staying hydrated instead of drinking when your are thirsty enough to really want a drink. In my case it doubled the water intake during a tour and I was in a much better shape after the tour.

Carrying a tube is smart anyway, even if you're not in Arizona. For exemple if you're in an extreme cold weather environment, wearing a tunnel hood with fur trim and trying to get a fire going, the tube come in handy to blow on it and keep the hood material away from the heat. It's also convenient when you want to drink dirrectly from a home made Yucan type of stove when melting snow. In fact, the wise and knowledgeable survivor always carries about 3 foot of flexible tubing in his pocket.

You know, when you think of it, life is actually tubing.

I went to see the Body Worlds II exhibition by Gunther von Hagens. On one stand there was a whole gastrointestinal tract exhibited, from tongue to rectum. It made me think that we actually are just long worms but with external organs added to the tube. I also participated in a clinical trial on gastric reflux involving the insertion of a nasogastric tube that we had to wear for 24 hours.

After that it seems that adding a few foot length of tubing doesn't look so artificial.

I was a sceptic too.
Then I bought a Platypus bladder.
Now I don't want to go for any hike without it.
Even use on in my car, attached to the passenger front seat, for long travels.
No need to let go of the steering wheel to get to the water bottle, unscrew the cap, have a drink, put the cap back on, put the bottle back at its place.

"...Thanks..."

You are more than welcome. You owe me $100. hahahaha...

I grew up with a GI pistol belt around my middle, with a GI canteen holder (the old kind that hung below the belt on the bent wires) and canteen on my hip. Later graduated to a Nalgene bottle in a cloth holder on my pants belt. Both worked fine, but I started carrying a daypack all the time, and the pack and belt water jug did not compute. Then along came the Camelbak systems. Mucho easier to drink from, no slowing down, no fishing the water bottle from whatever it is carried in, no fighting to put the jub back in the holder, paradise...

OK, OK, I believe everyone loves their tubes and bladders. I'm just kind of blown away that people on a forum who have discussions on how to amputate their own limbs in the wilderness, or how to start a fire by rubbing their fingernails together, or whatever, are saving themselves the exertion of unscrewing a bottlecap. ;-)

I'm sure it's probably one of those cool gadgets that I'll mock until I actually try one...

Dave

Another good reason to carry tubing

Remember my friend, it's more than a cool gadget, it's an extension of your gastrointestinal track.

The problem is not "to screw or not to screw" .....

As others have said, the beauty of it is :
- no conflict between the canteen/Nalgene bottle on the belt and the backpack belt
- the convenience of packing the water container in the backpack
- the possibility to sip water more often without stopping (better hydration)

The only downside,in my agenda, is the relative fragility of the blader. But same pb with, let's say, "plastic" mineral bottles. If you fall and crash your pack ...
OTOH, a water bottle in a side pocket has more chance to get crushed, than the blader in its special pocket.

Anyway, I always have a tough aluminium backup bottle along in the backpack.


As you said : try it !!

"...the relative fragility of the blader..."

My newest Camelbak says that you can drive a car over the full bladder without it failing...

Uh, Dave, are you sure you have the right forum?

Fire by friction we sometimes talk about, but from fingernails... no.

If we talk about self amputators like the guy who got pinned climbing, it's usually mockingly and then someone makes a pitch for PLBs.

Only a Frenchman could say that with a straight face.

To be honest, I've got 2 bladders, and I'm still not a big fan of them. Yeah, OK, "Better hydration." That means I've got to stop more often and re-fill the darn thing. And empty out the bladder more. I use them on day-hikes when I know I won't make it through 2 or 3 quarts, and there's not too much danger from a ruptured bag.

OTOH, if it's anything overnight, 1 GI canteen on the pack's waist belt, and 2 Nalgenes in the pack for me. If I go through the first quart, it's easy enough to refill on a rest break. Never had a hard bottle break on me, or freeze (in reference to my earlier post) I also think that it'd be a PITA to refill from a filter out on a trip (feedback here is welcome).

My advice: stay with what you like. Try it, don't like it? Fine, you still got a cool backpack, if you bought it as a system.

I was exagerating to make a little joke, hence the " ;-) "

Oh.

Oops.

The others will tell you my sense of humor sometimes doesn't kick in. Sorry about that.

I did not put a after that sentence, just to try to be discreet ....
but if YOU have to insist ....