How do you dry it? Flip it upside down or turn it inside out, then hang it over something—a wine or olive oil bottle, the sink faucet, a spatula, an empty paper towel holder—with the mouth open until it dries out.
Camelbak Crux Reservoir
Make sure you detach the hose and bite valve and dry those out, too. Weir recommends emptying and drying your bladder after each use. So, how do you clean the bladder? There are a few different methods. Photo: Megan Michelson. But only if you own a HydraPak—not all styles can be cleaned alongside your dinner plates. To evaluate this metric, we look at the following micro-metric.
First; Can the bladder can easily be flipped inside out?
Second; Is it dishwasher safe? Hydrapak brands adopted by many top manufacturers can all be placed in the top rack of a dishwasher if advised on low heat and cleaning is thorough.
Third; How easy the tube and mouthpiece is to disassemble? Products that didn't allow full disassembly can't be easily cleaned, allowing bacteria to build up in nooks and crannies. Fourth; What is the porosity of the polymer used in the design of the hydration bladder? Bladders with a thicker, less porous plastic provide an environment that makes it harder for bacteria to grow.
Fifth; How easy is it to physically scrub the bladder without the use of a specialized cleaning system? For example, can we get our hand or a scrub brush inside? Using these essential criteria, we evaluate which is the easiest to clean, which is important if you forget to clean your bladder, then come back to it a few weeks later. Flip-top bladder with a wider mouth and thinner plastics proved to be the easiest to flip inside out.
The new HydraPak now has a small handle, but it can still be flipped inside-out easily. These options in addition to the Osprey Hydraulic contenders can be put in the top rack of the dishwater to ensure a thorough clean. To top it off, the openings on these bladders are wide enough to get your hand inside if you need to give it a good scrub.
Even though the flip tops prevailed over screw-top options like the MSR Dromlite , each performs a little differently. Some have smaller openings than others, making it a little harder but not impossible to get inside and some have more durable, less porous materials. They have a slim profile that tapers at the mouth of the bladder, making it a little harder to flip inside-out and clean with a brush than the bladders made by HydraPak. The Platypus Big Evo Zip also has a more narrow opening and connected baffle that makes cleaning difficult. The CamelBak Crux proves to be easier to clean than the MSR Dromlite because of the huge opening that makes it easy to get a brush inside…however, it's hard to reach the smallest corners of the bladder.
While the Source and Platypus constructed bladders don't have a super large opening to easier cleaning, they are made of high quality and durable materials that are less porous, making it allegedly harder for bacterial colonies to grow as claimed by both companies. While we can't verify this to be completely true, we didn't notice any bacterial build-up during our testing period, even after leaving the bladder full of water for a couple of days with a sugary substance inside.
Most bladders tested to allow you to easily disassemble the hose and bite valve for thorough cleaning. For example; the Platypus , Source Tactical , Geigerrig , and Hydrapak bladders allow you to completely take the bite valve and the hose to clean all parts. However, some options are not as easy, such as the Deuter Streamer and Osprey products. These take more work to disassemble, and in the case of the Osprey, you can't disconnect the lower tube from the bladder, making cleaning almost impossible.
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For all bladders tested except the MSR Dromlite , the hoses have a simple quick-connect to detach the hose from the reservoir. This makes cleaning simple with kits like the CamelBak Cleaning Kit sold separately. It allows you to snake the little hose brush in for cleaning you have to do this from both ends since the hose brush is only long enough to cover about 60 percent of the hose from one end. While the reservoir of the Platypus is harder to clean, its tube system can be completely disassembled.
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How easy is your bladder to fill? Bladders that score high in this metric host a sturdy handle and non-floppy construct with the affinity to turn the bladder either vertically or horizontally while filling. We also like bladders with a longer 'tongue-like' flip top, allowing easy fill up in small or trickling streams. To test this, we filled each in sinks, streams, lakes, and rivers. To find the easiest bladder to fill in a different setting, take a gander at the section below.
How to Clean a Hydration Bladder and Keep It Mold-Free
For all bladders tested, each fills up without serious issues. What really sets each apart is the challenge of filling in a shallow sink or low-flowing stream. In a shallow sink, bladders with a plastic handle near the openings are the easiest to fill. However, in a dribbling stream, the flip-top options with a long tongue work the best.
The Osprey Hydraulics options did an especially good job with this, as the flip top is much longer than any other bladder tested, almost creating a spout to collect or pour water from. It also features a convenient handle to aid in the process. The Platypus Big Evo hosts a unique design that requires you to simply pinch the bag, which offers easy filling in all water sources. We also love how the Osprey Hydraulics features a rigid backplate, providing the bladder with a structure that the Osprey Hydraulics LT or other flip-top bladders don't host.
Overall, each bladder is easy to fill. The best option for a flip-top bladder is the Osprey Hydraulics with the CamelBak Crux being the best for a screw-top design with a handle. The Source Tactical offers a unique combination of both flip-top and screw-top options to make filling at any water source a breeze. Over the last few years, we've beaten the crap out of each bladder, trying to get it to leak or break.
We put each in the freezer, poured in warm drinks, laid each in the sun, tugged at the seams, put them in backpacks, let the dog play with them, and even tried to crush them under pressure. We also assessed the quality of the construction to see if each is more conducive to punctures than others. In the end, we determined the bladder's level of quality based on our tests, the thickness of the bladder material, hose connections, and whether or not we observed leakage through our years of testing.
We also consulted the internet to see if any leering issues needed to be proven correct or incorrect.
Hydration Pack Buyers Guide
Using this information, we determine the bladder that offers the best value and level of durability. In our testing period, all the contenders did a decent job providing its function. However, after extended use, we learned that some models are more durable than others, based on the type of textiles and construction used for each.
For example, thicker textiles that offer seamless construction are considered higher quality than welded seams that could be pulled apart. Also, those with higher quality switch-based attachment points proved to leak less overall and seem to be more durable than those with "plug and play" attachment points. The MSR Dromlite is the toughest of the lot, even though the newer construction features a less durable and quality design than its predecessor.
The earlier version utilized a Cordura fabric, that seemed to be made of nylon that is less prone to wear and tear. Now, it uses a plastic polymer that is similar to what you'd see with most bladders today. That said, it still deserves a high score because we literally tried to trash this bladder, and it stood up to the test. It can be frozen, strapped to the back of a pack, and can endure quite a bit without succumbing to punctures.
Its construction is seamless, and we couldn't get the seams to pull apart, no matter how hard we tried.
Our Top Picks
In the past, the mouthpiece is where the MSR Dromlite traditionally started to leak. Over the last year of testing, we haven't observed this, but time will tell as we continue to use it throughout the years! Overall, this is the most versatile and durable bag tested. A great option for somebody seeking a hydration reservoir that can easily be packed away and is quite durable. We love the durability offered by the Platypus Big Zip Evo.
This new bladder offers thicker construction, that is a bit burlier than the hydration bladders designed by Source. It is puncture resistant, and after trying to destroy it totally, we haven't seen any issues. It's one of the most reliable bladders, and hose systems tested and is one of the reasons it has earned our Editors' Choice Award. For a bladder made of a thinner textile the Geigerrig Hydration Engine and Osprey Hydraulics both perform fairly well. On the Geigerrig, there is an added nylon sleeve that helps to prevent abrasion when placed in a backpack or on a rock. The Hydraulics is similar but uses a super-hefty backplate that performs the same function.
Both are great options for stuffing into a backpack for ample amounts of time or taking out to use as an individual bladder. Keeping your load light on the trail is important.
SOFT RESERVOIR L - Hydration - Bags & Packs - Men
Since water weighs approximately two lbs per liter, the additional weight on the bladder itself can add up. Also, a bladder that packs up small when empty can be important for storing away when not in use. Products that score highest in this metric are simple and lightweight without too many bells and whistles. They have omitted plastic handles or extraneous features and can roll up into a tiny little ball.
We tested all reservoirs by weighing them on the same scale as the tubing and mouthpiece attached. We also rolled up each to see which packs to the smallest volume. The lightest and most packable hydration bladder scores the highest in this metric. On the trail, each model is suited for hiking and backpacking. The smallest and most packable models are better for lightweight missions or extended adventures. All bladders varied in weight but stayed within a range of 3 oz.