How To Build A Water Bottle Hose Drinking System For Hiking And Backpacking

[@Casual_BackPacking]

Underrated video! This should be a staple in ever back packers gear list

[@HikeOregon]

Aw thank you!

[@chrisr2925]

Super cool idea. Light weight, cheap and it works. I have a difficult time with dehydration on trail. Don't like bladders and I don't want to stop to get my water bottle out enough. This is a great hybrid of the 2. Just made my own. I kept the tension tight on the drinking tube and used a safety pin to poke a hole in the blue part so the bottle can equalize. Thank you very much for sharing.

[@HikeOregon]

I'm so glad this helped!!

[@LouisePoisson-j9q]

Thank you so much. With your trick, I could use the tube and the valve from my bladder that was resting in my closet. So easy to do and so practical, without mentioning the actual economy.

[@DanOehlsen]

Thanks for teaching an old dog (73) a new trick. I almost bought a kit to do this conversion but managed to cobble it together from spare parts in about 30 minutes, saving me about $25. My daughter bought two bottle kits for her ultra marathon pack, so I'll have bragging rights with her next time we hike together. Great videos.

[@HikeOregon]

That’s awesome!!!

[@trevorwalsh1856]

Had a go and it worked. I bought a cheap bladder backpack from Kmart as I didn't have one (I can use this on a separate occasion) and removed the tube and drinking end. I bought a cheap water bottle from our supermarket (Coles) with the correct nozzle. It was an effort to get the tube through but finally got there. It was tight though and the bottle would just suck in when I had a drink so I pierced 2 tiny holes with a safety pin through the blue bit as suggested in a previous comment being careful not to pierce the tube especially as I had to heat up the tip of the safety pine. Worked a treat. This will come in handy for a 3 day trek. Thank you and others for their tips

[@jag1870]

Great idea, thanks for sharing!

[@KathysOutdoorAdventures]

Was wanted to buy one of these for backpacking now I can make my own. Thank you!

[@sarahlikescanoes]

Thanks! Just made myself one of these using steam (couldn't find the heat gun_. I used a roaring kettle on the stove to soften the cap and then a long drill bit to widen the opening. Did this twice for about 15-20 secs each. Took under 2 minutes to complete this project. Again, thanks!

[@rickalexander2801]

So simple and inexpensive. Great job.

[@PaulBeiser]

Thanks - this was great. Been looking for a system like this. I too like to sip water and not reach around all the time. Perfect!!

[@HikeOregon]

Thanks for watching! This system is so great.

[@josephwilliams1264]

You’re a genius!!! I’ve got 3 water bladders just laying around ….commercial kits are not really expensive but it’s just extra unneeded expenses. Now I’ve got an awesome system. Thanks for the video !!! 🎉

[@HikeOregon]

You’re welcome 😁👍🏼

[@WillHarris-hb9tl]

I just did this. I've struggled on so many trips to access water to my hydration detriment. Solo hiking having to take pack off to get to water is even worse. I had been using a shoulder strap system but it just didn't work out last trip and kept dropping the smart water bottle. This took me less than 5 minutes to do. I actually just used my hand ana a right sized 1/4 inch drill bit (think thats what it was to small to read) to carve out the space for the hose. I'm so excited

[@HikeOregon]

Yay!!!

[@JoeyIngles]

Great idea and a super easy to do project. Thanks.

[@BP-dm8ev]

Super cool! Thanks for making this video!

[@HikeOregon]

Glad you liked it!

[@defyingblueprints6914]

Thanks! super nice tip! I don't have money for a high quality water baldder and i don't really trust the cheap ones not to leak in my bag

[@danm7723]

Hi and thanks for the great video. One question. After buying the Gregory QD Kit from REI, I realized that the tapered end of the QD that normally fits into the hose can easily fit into the smart water nozzle without any heating or expansion of the hole and the hose can then attach to the tapered end inside the nozzle for a secure fit. In case you’ve seen this option before, is there any reason to not do it this way? First thing that comes to mind is that maybe then the hose is no longer adjustable for different size water bottles. What do you think?

[@katye.3795]

I found a bite valve in the woods the other day (yes, I packed it out) and it reminded me I've been wanting to do this project. Perfect timing! Your video will help me go from "gee, I wish this existed" to "gee, I'm glad I have this!"

[@HikeOregon]

Nice!!

[@toadevergreen2561]

Hi! I've been watching your channel for years now! My water system is an inline adapter for my water bladder. I used this system on the entire pct. It has the same adapter quick release as your water bottle set up here except I plug my Sawyer into it and squeeze filter straight into my backpack. Not a ton of people do it but it gelps me stay hydrated on trail and I dont have to stop for water as often. I'm going to make one of these for my hiking partner, though, because they are gaving a hard time staying hydrated with just a water bottle and even though we've been hiking together for 9 years im sick of sharing ny drink hose with them - lol

[@hikergir01]

Ha I made one just that fast..Thank you so much. You solved a problem for me.. I can't reach my water bottle in my Osprey pack, and I hate bladders.

[@HikeOregon]

Yay so glad I could help!!

[@tomhoppe5757]

Ingenious!

[@HikeOregon]

Glad you enjoyed!!

[@davidbusey931]

Greetings from Washougal! Great video! Lame question here but where do I get the "sports cap" piece? TIA!

[@HikeOregon]

The store should have smart water bottles with either the regular cap or the sports cap. Just got one the other day at Winco.

[@jguhe91LH]

Awesome, thanks

[@HikeOregon]

You bet!

[@raivuxa]

I used a small file to widen up the hole in the sports cup and made a small additional hole with a vine opener for air exchange. Some leaking should be expected when the bottle lies sideways tho.

[@danie2300]

Thanks a lot! From Qc, CA

[@veroniquediallo6055]

Making one today!!

[@HikeOregon]

Excellent!

[@wanttogo1958]

Nice explanation and system. Thanks for posting this.

[@HikeOregon]

Thanks for watching!!

[@Winterdynasty]

Sounds like you should check out ‘hardside hydration swig rig’ fits on any wide mouth Nalgene bottle

[@AIRWARFAREGROUP]

Awesome!

[@jeaniegregorich9280]

What is the piece of plastic that is on the tubing a few inches away from the bite valve?

[@Leon-uw3zv]

It's a small magnet that attaches to another magnet on the sternum strap of the pack

[@hilandmalt]

A couple of Cairn boxes ago came with an Aquamira filter that included the bite valve, a quick-disconnect fitting with barbs for tubing. The filter also used the quick disconnect. Looks very versatile.

[@HikeOregon]

Nice!

[@DunRovinRanch-1969]

Did I miss the part where she drills out the hole? Do you pop out the part of the cap that opens and closes?

[@HikeOregon]

Yes I just rip the lid off and then I have both drilled it and I have also heated it to make the hole bigger. The heating method is slower but it doesn’t make the plastic sharp which I liked.

[@Josephhikes]

Always good information and always presented really well ! 👍😁

[@HikeOregon]

Thank you so much🧡

[@rawhideadventures9515]

Awesome idea.

[@HikeOregon]

It really is. And you can replace the bottles when they get nasty, which is nice.

[@davidb5195]

Great idea.

[@brandonjwillis]

This is brilliant!

[@HikeOregon]

So glad you liked it :)

[@BB-lg1ji]

thanks for the great idea & video …will save me twisting my arm 100 times a day hiking!! How do you refill your bottle when filtering water? Do you unscrew the short piece or filter into the quick release itself? Thx!!

[@HikeOregon]

Yea I just unscrew the lid and filter straight into the bottle.

[@jimdubois445]

Great idea!!

[@brycekpalmer]

How does air get into the bottle to displace the water you drank? Does it go back up the hose from the bite value? Is the connection into the bottle a little loose so some air get's around it? Do you leave the cap a little loose?

[@HikeOregon]

Air gets in around the hose where it goes into the water bottle.

[@zekeurrabazo]

I stopped using water bladders a long time ago to many experiences with them leaking everywhere

[@HikeOregon]

I hear that a lot. I’ve had mine for 7 years and it’s never leaked. Lol

[@klipitar2007]

Greatest tutorial! I hope my question doesn’t sound stupid but is this doable on any water bottle ? Or do I absolutely need a Smart bottle and Sport cap?

[@HikeOregon]

You can do this with any water bottle that has that type of cap.

[@daviddrzewicki1254]

Buy vinyl tubing (OD 3/8" I think) from your hardware store for $4 for 10 ft. It's much cheaper than getting a hose from REI

[@okers12]

No leaks?

[@HikeOregon]

I mean if you tip it over a tiny bit of water comes out just because it cannot be air tight or else you will suck the water bottle flat when drinking.

[@EricFleming231]

I want to do this with a Nalgene

[@christiporter217]

Will this work with nalgene

[@HikeOregon]

I mean, if you drill a hole in a Nalgene lid, sure, I guess it could work.

[@skybluemarshall]

The biggest complaint that I've heard and I've made is that the shape of water bladders makes them hard to clean. This mostly applies to bike riders and day hikers who don't fill them up all the way. Therefore, weight is not a huge concern. However, maintaining a bladder system when you're only going for an hour run or a two or three hour hike/run, is a pain in the butt. The only solution that works for me is to wipe out the entire bladder with a low lint towel and swing the hose in fast circles until most of the water is gone. Then, I place something in the bladder to keep it open and I hang everywhere from a coat hanger in the closet. I could see doing this for a once or twice per week day hike, but not for running or walking every day. This is where a bottle system is much better and easier to clean.

[@HikeOregon]

Interesting. I have never once cleaned my day hiking water bladder. I just refill with water every week when I go hiking and it’s never molded on me or tasted bad in 10 years of hiking.

[@skybluemarshall]

@HikeOregon I dont use mine all the time like you do. Also, I had a bad experience once, from lending my Camelbak to one of my kids. He took it to a festival and then left it in the backpack and put it back in my closet. Several MONTHS later, I went to use it, and it was NASTY. I cleaned it real well with hot water, and it was okay. I think the key to your success with the bladder system is the fact that you use them all the time. Many people use them only occasionally, which means they aren't being refilled all the time, and they might sit for weeks or months with moisture in them I only used the term "day hiking" because many casual day hikers like myself are more likely to hike once, and then put the pack away and forget about it for a month or two. From my experience, if they aren't dried and stored properly, they get VERY funky after a long period of sitting. I've talked to several people who used their bladders only once and actually then threw them away because they said the bladder got stinky. I was pretty surprised to hear that. These experiences, including my own, have left with me the wrong impression that you must dry them out EVERY time that you use them, regardless of the length of time between uses. Thank you for your reply. I learned something today. I'm starting to walk and hike a lot more, and I don't mind the bladder system. It's good to know that I don't have to dry out it after every single use.

[@timberg7377]

Fun stuff

[@meYogii_]

U don't need to heat it and make the opening bigger. I saw a guy who did a video with the exact "hack" as u, his video was 3 yrs old... He just cut the end of the tube in a small angle to make it easier to fit through the sports cap. Then he used a plier from the bottom to pull it through. The way he did it also makes it leakproof.

[@HikeOregon]

I don’t want it totally leak proof because if it’s too tight when you drink the water it’ll suck your bottle flat.

[@daisybiagioli9305]

But what is the quick connect/ tube/ and bite valve set called?

[@HikeOregon]

I linked the supplies in the more info box.

[@caborico0677]

Way cool and useful video. Hike Oregon "Hydro Engineering Course!"

[@HikeOregon]

Yay I’m so glad you liked it!!

[@jbraun804]

I am going to try this out. I can't reach my water bottle with my pack on. Thanks!

[@HikeOregon]

Awesome! It's such a great compromise between lightweight and a water bladder.

[@samyza200]

Hi beautiful good to ur videos

[@sierramichelle3293]

Seems like a company like Cnoc could capitalize on this and manufacture a product already done for the consumer and you should get a chunk of change from it 🤔

[@glenrowland4220]

Too bad you couldn't patent it. Inventive!