Oral re hydration is effective if you have a motivated patient (or committed coach)-which is probably why one doesn't often see children of paramedics, doctors or nurses in the er with dehydration. It is less effective with sicker patients, younger patients, and ineffective with vomiting patients. One of our physicians recommended a re hydration fluid composed of fruit juice diluted to half strenggth with water, to lower the sugar content, and supplemented with 1 teaspoon of table salt. OJ and apple juice typically have lots more potassium than equivalent volumes of commercial preparations, but he never provided a footnote or journal reference.

Maintaining good hygiene solves lots of problems, but is difficult under extreme conditions and impossible among toddlers.
Latex deterioration is an issue, but deterioration over time is an issue with most survival supplies. A bigger issue might be finding a manufacturer. This would suggest adapting the pediatric fluid resuscitation approach of using a 20cc-60cc syringe and a straight hypodermic needle or butterlfy to administer bolus doses of fluid. a At least this stuff is commercially available, and might store better and would pack down smaller. Solves the allergy issue, too.

Hypodermoclysis is a great piece of medical history,and occasionally is revived for rehydration in long term care settings, as is rectal infusion (*shudder+, and seems still to be in use in veterinary medicine. As I recollect, we pre-administered subcutaneous hyaluronidase before doing a clysis, an enzyme that improves absorption of the fluid. Reabsorption rates are variable with clysis, and dependent as I recollect of peripheral blood flow; peripheral perfusion may be compromised in significant dehydration, which is probably why clysis is not used much anymore.