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...