Re: [pct-l] Hydration Systems

[mark dixon <mdixon@bigsky.net>]

At 01:24 PM 5/16/99 -0700, you wrote:
>I, too, use a Platypus system with the hose and bite valve, and that's what
>I'm using exclusively on my thruhike this year.  I've used one for about a
>year now and haven't had any problems with it, except I'm a little nervous
>about it getting a little brittle with age.

One weak point with the Platypus hose system is the screw cap. It will
eventually stretch and ultimately will no longer tighten on the bottle. I
think mine lasted approximately 6 weeks on the trail last year before it
started to leak at the screw cap inside my pack. The bottles, however, will
last a bit longer. I started at Campo with 2, one of them became brittle
and started to leak by the time I reached Yosemite, the other lasted a few
weeks longer. I decided not to buy more of them and instead went with 2
litre pop bottles - very sturdy and never seem to leak. Pop bottles are a
bit bulky compared to the platypus (when they're empty), but they are also
a lot cheaper and easier to replace.

I found myself drinking way too much water with the hose system. With it
always there, I would suck on it all day long. Instead, I started walking
with a 16 oz. plastic pop bottle in my hand. I could get a drink whenever I
wanted, but it also limited how much I could drink. Yes, the water would
get real warm, but that didn't bug me.

Mark

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