Filling up a water bottle from a bladder w/o removing the bladder from your pack

Joined
Apr 17, 2017
Messages
533
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ID
BACKGROUND:
For a long time, in terms of water management, I just used a nalgene (for sipping water or electrolyte mixes throughout the day) in conjunction, with a dromedary bag or a handful of cheap plastic water bottles (for reserves). The thing I didn’t like about the system, is that it gets clunky having to dive into the depths of your pack anytime you run out of water, whether it be in your primary source (nalgene) or reserves(dromedary or cheap bottles).

I have been anti bladder because I don’t like cleaning them, and they make it difficult to use electrolyte drink mixes, which I am a huge proponent of!

TANGENT ABOUT ELECTROLYTES:
When I stay on top of drinking electrolytes 2-3 times a day, I just flat out feel and perform better. My favorite is Tailwind Nutrition, they make individually packaged mixes that mix with 1L of water, they are loaded with electrolytes, as well as 200 calories worth of carbohydrates. 2-3 packs of those a day are adding 400-600 easily pallet-able, easy to stomach calories to your diet, plus covering your eloctrolytes. And they taste good! I AM A HUGE FAN.

Back to the CONUNDRUM:
I have been recently rethinking how I manage my water storage in the woods. I have been trying to troubleshoot a way to get the best of both worlds, using a combination of a hydrapak soft bottle for my drink mixes and a source 3L hydration bladder. I have loved using this bladder recently (although, it still sucks to clean), because it is nice having my water more readily available throughout the day. I use a Sawyer filter and picked up a quick fill attachment made by Osprey, and I am liking the ability to fill the bladder without removing it from my pack.

Which leads me into why I am here..

In drier situations, where I am not able to easily stop and filter to fill my soft bottle, l want to be able to fill my soft bottle directly from my bladder hose, so I can easily mix my electrolytes throughout the day, without removing my entire bladder from my pack. I basically want to use the hose as a tap! However, the quick-fill adapter that I have has an internal valve that automatically closes (which is a reasonable function, I don’t want it spewing water any time I disconnect it to fill the bladder), the valve is disallowing me the ability to drain water into my soft bottle.

My only thought is to pick up another osprey quick-fill adapter and then keep the spare female end with a short piece of hose handy to plug in to release the valve and allow the water to flow freely for filling my soft bottle.

wondering if anyone else has messed with this type of strategy and if they have any better ideas!!
Thanks!
 

Ac338

WKR
Joined
Dec 21, 2018
Messages
435
Location
Michigan
Could you just carry a spare dirty water bag or the blue ones that come with the sawyer and use the sawyer to squeeze and filter it into your bottle real quick?
 

PNWGATOR

WKR
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Oct 14, 2014
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2,612
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USA
Make it easy on yourself and carry your nalgene for electrolytes and a 3L bladder for water. It’s no big deal to pull the bladder out of your pack when filtering and filling. The platypus 3L with a zip lock opening is a breeze to clean and the bag is durable.
Don’t over complicate it.
 
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
780
Location
Oregon
I use the sawyer quick fill adapter. It has no internal valve. You get used to pointing it in a safe direction and being quick with your coupling/uncoupling. ;)

You could purchase another Osprey quick fill. This would give you spare parts and you could carry the extra male connection with hose. Then clip off bite valve and clip in extra male connection with hose to fill bottle. At just $10 seems like simple option.
 
Last edited:

JDMBEND

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 20, 2019
Messages
144
Make it easy on yourself and carry your nalgene for electrolytes and a 3L bladder for water. It’s no big deal to pull the bladder out of your pack when filtering and filling. The platypus 3L with a zip lock opening is a breeze to clean and the bag is durable.
Don’t over complicate it.
+1
 
Joined
Mar 6, 2013
Messages
3,030
I basically do that using a platypus big zip but camelback hose from my previous camelback. It’s the insulated one that also has a bite valve cover and that bite valve has a male quick disconnect. The female has an on off switch.
 
OP
2
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Thanks for the thoughts! I realize that it is not too big of a deal to pull my bladder out to fill, and I know that I’m putting a lot of thought into a minor detail.

However, I truly believe that being efficient and making things as easy as possible for ourselves is paramount! Not only does it give you a little more time to glass up that giant buck, but it also makes your experience more enjoyable. It always feels nice to relish the fact that you figured out an easy, slick way to make your life on the mountain just a little tiny bit better.

I think I’m going to purchase a second osprey quick-fill adapter and I will report back with how it works.
 
Joined
Sep 22, 2013
Messages
6,389
I carry a 3L or 4L and fill it thru the hose with a Hiker Pro. I also carry a small water bottle (the thin collapsible kind) and NUUN tabs for electrolytes. Refilling the small bottle from the hose of my SOURCE bladder is fast & easy. Maybe you just have a sucky bladder and/or hose? I won't put unfiltered water in my bladder.

I wash it by rinsing it out with water and a bit of bleach, dry it by placing a few ping pong balls inside.
 

Nate_Beres

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 27, 2016
Messages
169
If I'm following you right, would a water bottle with a hose coming from it (and Sawyer filter in the middle) do the trick?
I have a 40oz insulated bottle that I outfitted with a drip system valve at the air intake so it doesn't leak but works with a hose.
Main idea was to keep my colds cold and hots hot without spilling everywhere.
It sounds more complicated than it is. Very easy. Let me know if that would work, I could give you details on what I did.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

Poser

WKR
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Dec 27, 2013
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5,033
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Durango CO
People ask me about this rug all of the time as they see the air pump hanging out of my bag. Giegerrig bladder with a sawyer in-line filter. It has a air bladder which you pump air into and forces water out. This makes it not such a suck fest for drinking out of your bladder, but also expedites the gravity process. You can also bypass the gravity process altogether and fill bottles from your bladder without gravity.

68acb49cec7679e7f54cdb4f356c7c95.jpg
 
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Drenalin

WKR
Joined
Nov 15, 2018
Messages
2,658
Pull the bite valve out of the tube and use gravity to fill up your bottle, then put the bite valve back in. Piece of cake. I do this sometimes with my Camelbak.
Yep, do this with my Camelbak Omega. Seems to work best when the bladder is full/close to full. Might have to press against the bladder to get a decent flow, but still, easy.
 

4ester

WKR
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Nov 2, 2014
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Steep and Deep
The camelback hydrolink does exactly what you want. Has a manual valve behind the bite valve. So unsnap the bite, and then it will flow.

The problem is you need pressure or gravity to get water to free-flow. You have to lean forward all the way or push on your bladder.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Apr 29, 2020
Messages
640
Location
MI
I use the sawyer quick fill adapter. It has no internal valve. You get used to pointing it in a safe direction and being quick with your coupling/uncoupling. ;)

You could purchase another Osprey quick fill. This would give you spare parts and you could carry the extra male connection with hose. Then clip off bite valve and clip in extra male connection with hose to fill bottle. At just $10 seems like simple option.
Yeah i like the sawyer fast fill
 
OP
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Apr 17, 2017
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0CA1E650-6468-4F53-8E0F-F443A70CC826.jpeg

UPDATE:

I happened into a quick-release tap today, it came as part of the “plug-n-play cap kit” made by hydrapak. Pictures above is my bite valve, as well as all the items that came in kit.

I think it is my solution. Literally, exactly what I have been hoping for.

It has the same male attachment end as my Osprey quick detach, so I am able to carry it with me and easily unplug my bite valve and plug-in this tap attachment.

I did a quick test, and I am able to fill my 750ml soft bottle in about 15 seconds by just gently squeezing my bladder with one hand and holding the tap with the other.

The kit also came with a shower head attachment and a neat replacement cap for the hydrapak water storage bags with a female quick attachment valve built in. Kind of an interesting upgrade for those bags....

I don’t have a scale to weigh this tap attachment, but it is pretty small, plastic, and not notably heavy for the size, so my guess is no more than 2-3 oz. probably a little less.

We will see how the system works in application on the mountain, but I think I will be very happy with this setup.
 

rm06

WKR
Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
413
Location
CO
I'm living dangerously with my water bladder and have it sandwiched between my frame and pack, I have been doing this for 6 years so far with success (knocks wood). It is an ass ache to pull the bladder out and jam it back between after I fill it so I have been using the Sawyer quick fill adapter as well and recommend it.
 
OP
2
Joined
Apr 17, 2017
Messages
533
Location
ID
I'm living dangerously with my water bladder and have it sandwiched between my frame and pack, I have been doing this for 6 years so far with success (knocks wood). It is an ass ache to pull the bladder out and jam it back between after I fill it so I have been using the Sawyer quick fill adapter as well and recommend it.

what do you do with it when you pack meat?
 
Joined
Dec 2, 2016
Messages
308
Location
Metro Detroit area
BACKGROUND:
For a long time, in terms of water management, I just used a nalgene (for sipping water or electrolyte mixes throughout the day) in conjunction, with a dromedary bag or a handful of cheap plastic water bottles (for reserves). The thing I didn’t like about the system, is that it gets clunky having to dive into the depths of your pack anytime you run out of water, whether it be in your primary source (nalgene) or reserves(dromedary or cheap bottles).

I have been anti bladder because I don’t like cleaning them, and they make it difficult to use electrolyte drink mixes, which I am a huge proponent of!

TANGENT ABOUT ELECTROLYTES:
When I stay on top of drinking electrolytes 2-3 times a day, I just flat out feel and perform better. My favorite is Tailwind Nutrition, they make individually packaged mixes that mix with 1L of water, they are loaded with electrolytes, as well as 200 calories worth of carbohydrates. 2-3 packs of those a day are adding 400-600 easily pallet-able, easy to stomach calories to your diet, plus covering your eloctrolytes. And they taste good! I AM A HUGE FAN.

Back to the CONUNDRUM:
I have been recently rethinking how I manage my water storage in the woods. I have been trying to troubleshoot a way to get the best of both worlds, using a combination of a hydrapak soft bottle for my drink mixes and a source 3L hydration bladder. I have loved using this bladder recently (although, it still sucks to clean), because it is nice having my water more readily available throughout the day. I use a Sawyer filter and picked up a quick fill attachment made by Osprey, and I am liking the ability to fill the bladder without removing it from my pack.

Which leads me into why I am here..

In drier situations, where I am not able to easily stop and filter to fill my soft bottle, l want to be able to fill my soft bottle directly from my bladder hose, so I can easily mix my electrolytes throughout the day, without removing my entire bladder from my pack. I basically want to use the hose as a tap! However, the quick-fill adapter that I have has an internal valve that automatically closes (which is a reasonable function, I don’t want it spewing water any time I disconnect it to fill the bladder), the valve is disallowing me the ability to drain water into my soft bottle.

My only thought is to pick up another osprey quick-fill adapter and then keep the spare female end with a short piece of hose handy to plug in to release the valve and allow the water to flow freely for filling my soft bottle.

wondering if anyone else has messed with this type of strategy and if they have any better ideas!!
Thanks!
I have a source 3l bladder and I can kneel knit while it’s in my pack and get a good flow of water from it. If you go on their website they sell a bite valve that you don’t bite but pull out like a sport top bottle. That’s the one I have it has a quick release so you can attach other stuff to it. I never wash my bladder just let it air out real good never had any issues I. Several years. Although it only gets clean water put in it. Also it’s tough as shit. I wear it riding my dirtbike and have crashed and landed on it several times with no breakage.
 
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