Water Bottle or Hydration Bladder???

[stablebuck]

What's your "go to" method for staying hydrated in the hills???  I like both, but the hydration bladder is a lifesaver on those death march hikes up the southeast facing sagebrush slopes in August and September!

 

[patch1010]

Bladder when it isnt freezing out, and wide mouth bottle when it is.

 

[RockyMountainHi]

I only carry the bladder for the last 10 years.  I find I do a much better job of hydrating throughout the day with the easy access of the tubing versus a bottle in the pack.  I will put it in my sleeping back at night to prevent freezing (same with isobutane fuel).

 

[Lucas in Wa]

I carry both. The bladder in my pack is strictly for hydration. But I have found it is nice to have a collapsible nalgene to carry my cooking water. It is a little more weight to carry but it is easier to fill my cooking pot with, and I know how many oatmeals and mountain house meals I can get out of it. When plans change and I have to stay up on a ridge I know i have water for cooking and extra drinking water without having to make a trip to the closest water source. The collapsible bottle is great because you can burp it to make it smaller as you use it, and it will never slosh if burped.

 

[Mountain Bowhunter]

I just bought a sawyer 4 liter filter system which is a two bag gravity fed system.  You have a dirty water bag which runs through an inline filter to the clean water bag.  So you can filter 4 liters into the clean bag and then fill the dirty bag with another 4 so you have 8 total.  The clean bag has a drinking tube so it also serves as a water bladder.  so now I have a 4 liter bladder which is more than enough for long hot hikes with my dog.

 

[jamase]

I've used both dependingon the situation.. I've had problems with the bladder or hose leaking so I kinda quite the bladder..I hate the noise a half full bottle makes so I use 3-5 12 oz.bottles. I drink  one every hour or so... I refill when I get back to camp.. works for me .I like the idea of the collapsible bottle . I'll have to check that out.

 

[Mountain Bowhunter]

I've used both dependingon the situation.. I've had problems with the bladder or hose leaking so I kinda quite the bladder..I hate the noise a half full bottle makes so I use 3-5 12 oz.bottles. I drink  one every hour or so... I refill when I get back to camp.. works for me .I like the idea of the collapsible bottle . I'll have to check that out.

Thats one reason I got a bladder is I hate my nalgene clanging around on my pack.  Mystery Ranch has a bottle pocket and the wet rib for holding nalgenes but I just like bladders better.  I am going to get a camelbak bite valve and hydrolock to prevent leaking

 

[dplumlee12]

Never used a bladder.  My friend has and it seemed kinda hard for him to suck the water out of it???  Always plan on getting one until he said he wasn't sure it was worth it because of the labor of trying to get water out of the thing.  Is this normal?

 

[Mountain Bowhunter]

Never used a bladder.  My friend has and it seemed kinda hard for him to suck the water out of it???  Always plan on getting one until he said he wasn't sure it was worth it because of the labor of trying to get water out of the thing.  Is this normal?

no that's not normal.  usually really easy to pull water

 

[Kmbingham92]

If I don't want to come home and end up in the hospital with kid ey stones the bladder is the only way to go. If I don't take the bladder I usually carry three or four 20 ounce bottles of water. The problem is stopping to take the time to pull it out and drink. With the bladder it is in the right place to remind you to drink and you don't have to stop. I agree with others late season I switch to water bottles so I don't freeze up.

 

[Bucklucky]

I always use a bladder, very convenient .

 

[Jimbow65]

I have a 100 oz camelbak, that will last 2-days if I conserve. But I also carry a water bottle for drink mixes or iced coffee

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Water bladder mainly, but will break out the bottles if its going to freeze.

 

[Mountain Bowhunter]

If I don't want to come home and end up in the hospital with kid ey stones the bladder is the only way to go. If I don't take the bladder I usually carry three or four 20 ounce bottles of water. The problem is stopping to take the time to pull it out and drink. With the bladder it is in the right place to remind you to drink and you don't have to stop. I agree with others late season I switch to water bottles so I don't freeze up.

Never heard of this but doesn't sound fun.  How does one get kidney stones hiking and how does the bladder prevent it?

 

[Kmbingham92]

Its all about hydration. Lack of hydration will cause the kidney stones according to my doctor. I was asking and the first thing she asked is if I had been dehydrated recently. Since this was only a week or two after I returned from the hunt when I know I was dehydrated I assume that had something to do with it. Having the bladder with the straw next to your mouth all day reminds you to take a drink way more often than if you have to stop take off a pack and pull out water to drink. You need to be drinking water all day not just when you think you need it. We usually try to find a base camp site where we have water close by to filter or add tablets so we can drink as much as we want and not have to worry about rationing it.

 

[Mountain Bowhunter]

I am guessing without the water to dilute the calcium or other elements that create the stone it speeds up formation.  Good to know.  Sometimes when I am at the top of a mountain I am not very close to a water source so I try to take more than I need. I have heard 2 liters a day minimum

 

[moonie]

both but i never scout nor hunt without a bladder. but i usually also carry a small bottle for what ifs.

 

[HuntinKyhl]

I'm a bladder guy.

If I have the bladder I do a good job keeping myself hydrated cause it's easy to grab a quick drink even while hiking. 

If I use water bottles I don't use them.  Seems like to big of a pain to stop and get them out of my backpack. 

I do usually pack one for washing the blood off of my hands though! 8)

 

[radmansciteach]

bladder hands down.  no way I was drinking enough water when I used bottles.  mid season a few years back when I still used bottles I had headaches, felt weak, and out of energy.  I realized I wasn't drinking enough water.  I had a bladder and dug it out of a different pack and man, I couldn't believe how much better I felt.  it's quicker and easier to remind myself to DRINK!!

 

[ghost]

I'll be honest with you, I used to be a bladder guy, but I have really decreased the amount of weight in my pack and that includes water. I now normally go 10-12 miles in a single bottle of water. You have to learn when to push yourself and when to pace yourself. However, I still consume the same mount if calories food wise. Once I settle in camp in the evening I will drink water until its coming out if my ears, even if I'm not thirsty. Then repeat. I hunted 8 straight days last season and covered 80-100 mile drinking only out of a water bottle every day. Never really had an issue. We hunted between 8,000 feet and 11,700 feet of elevation every day.