Platypus Insulated Hydration System Review

I live in Texas and its Hot and I am just tired of warm water when out riding and hiking. I have tried a few different things with some success.

I have tried making sleeves from packing foam sheets and have also used the foil bags you can buy in the grocery that keep your food chilled while you transport.

They worked ok I guess, but I decided to break down and buy the Platypus insulated bladder to see if it works better. The cost for this unit was $45

The bladder is inside of an insulated pouch as seen below:

The bladder itself has a quick disconnect hose that makes it easy to get in and out of the insulated pouch and you can fill with water without the hose attached. Also makes it easier to clean.

The hose is pretty well insulated, although it would be nice if it covered more. We’ll see how it works.

Here it is filled with water. The top is like a heavy duty ziplock with a handle that slides over the zip to secure it. Seems to work pretty well. No leaks from the zip or the hose connection so far. Left some room for ice when I pull it out of the fridge in the AM.

The insulated pouch is made with rings so you can attach it to the outside of a backpack if you need to, but I intend to attempt to drop it down into my Osprey. It may not fit since the Osprey is small, so if not. I’ll drop it in my camelbak.

I’ll update this thread once I have used it and see how it works.

@CigarsNJeeps

My observations after two uses are:

PROS
1. Seems to keep my water colder for longer periods which is why I bought it.
2. Water does seem to taste better than the water from my other bladders.
3. Easier to clean because of the opening on the end.
4. Quick disconnect hose is nice. Makes it easier to handle and fill the bladder, although the hose is a little long.

CONS
1. Does not fit any of my existing packs. The bladders seem to be less wide and taller than the camelbak or osprey bladders. This results in the system sticking out the top of my pack. This is not a huge deal, I just want it to fit and be secure although it worked fine on both packs.

@CigarsNJeeps

[gar29]

Nice job on the review. You might just have to find yourself a regular backpack that works for the long bladder.

Yeah, that is probably the cure. I contacted Platypus, but they don’t sell their packs without the bladder.

[gar29]

"kerryp" wrote

Yeah, that is probably the cure. I contacted Platypus, but they don’t sell their packs without the bladder.

Well, you would always have a spare bladder… Not such a bad thing!

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