Hydration Pack Hacks | Hydration Bladder Care

There’s nothing worse than getting a mouthful of foul tasting water from your hydration pack on a hot day. This can be avoided by keeping the bladder clean using the right cleaning products, drying it out properly, and storing it in an environment that will keep it fresh. Doddy shows you how 🔧
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Use denture cleaning tablets to leave no nasty aftertaste, dry the bladder with a modified coat hanger, store in the fridge to keep germs away, freeze the bladder before a ride on a hot day, bleed the air out to avoid sloshing noises, and it can even be inflated and used as a travel pillow!
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[@gmbntech]

Do you ride with a hydration bladder?

[@georgebrown9329]

GMBN Tech yes

[@toasty8547]

No

[@danielwe2517]

Any time and I like it. Used bottles in the past but they are not handy

[@leeedwards4068]

Yes, and did it on a budget... Pack with bladder from Wish for £19 inc. delivery from China. Recently added a small size back protector for a motorbike jacket for £15 which fits in the pack perfectly.

[@tuckera1879]

Yeah

[@darkphotographer]

you can also put vodka,, for festivals,, and the vodka don't smell and will also clean the blader :P

[@VladislavKurashov]

Yep, stay talkative, energised and no need to clean.

[@drewdatification]

In mother Russia, vodka also clean teeth and laundry.

[@padddy48]

vodka smells just trust me in this one haha

[@vincentbourgon2517]

Bro they only let you come in with an empty tank, got a fake umbrella for that.

[@bpdp379]

And it doesn’t freeze up!

[@Weedwhackers25]

Old glasses case hack just changed my life.

[@gmbntech]

Weedwhackers25 👍👊

[@benzomer7263]

Adding some (a few drops) lemon juice really helps with the plastic flavors that most hydration packs give off.

[@connorhalpin2305]

I put actual Lemons in mine

[@zacjohnson452]

Ben Zomer it doesn’t damage it?

[@RGCastro7]

Must've been counting sprockets again. Loved it!

[@andrewwynn9444]

Great video. Love the denture tabs tip. When freezing though don’t leave air in for fluid expansion - the bladder’s sealed! Don’t completely fill with fluid, then suck out the air. The fluid can now expand into the unused bladder volume.

[@GetUrPhil]

Plus don't fill it up all the way, Water expands I think 8% when it freezes.

[@evictioncarpentry2628]

I went to the fabric store and bought some 4mm neoprene, traced it around all my bladders, sewed them together and made a bunch of insulating sleeves for them. Keeps them from sweating inside the bag and keeps the water cooler way longer... Cost me almost nothing to do a few bladders.

[@itarry4]

You can, in an emergency, use your water bladder as a temporary Air splint. Inflate it as much as you can making it as solid as possible then tape it to the effected area with something solid, e.g. a strong stick using whatever tape you've got electrical tape or gaffa tape is fine. Use the bladder on the side that's most sore or tender as it's a lot kinder on the area than a stick or whatever, especially if the skin has been broken by the break as your water bladder is far far cleaner and less likely to introduce dirt or infection to the cut or whatever. Obviously this is very temporary and an ambulance needs to be called straight away but it might help while you wait for help to arrive.

[@churnstyle]

Nick Tarry damn, that’s a great tip dude. Saves me from dragging around a splint.

[@kayakutah]

In Utah, I keep the bladder and hose (empty) in the freezer when not in use. Works great.

[@InstaLabSparti]

For insulation i use bubblewrap from packaging. Lightweight and works great as an insulation and gives the backpack a nice shape

[@celia222]

Last year at Japan’s Summer Sonic festival, people who brought frozen water keeled over because the ice didn’t melt by the time they needed water. The key is to fill the container half way, freeze, then add water. Freeze the ice away from the hose inlet/outlet to prevent blockage.

[@grampasundies]

Bleed bladder hack awesome. I feel dumb. Never thought of doing that, smh. Thanks.

[@stevenvarner6139]

Insulate it with bubble wrap or other spongy foam packing material. Aluminum foil will actually cause it to warm more quickly as it absorbs heat from other areas like your back or outside (Look up heat sink used for electronics) Also, you can usually find old glasses cases or small electronics padded cases at thrift stores like Goodwill or Salvation Army for a buck or less. Great video! Love you guys.

[@stevenvarner6139]

Just look up what a heat sink is...

[@aidanaidan8852]

Yo thats crazy that you mentioned denture cleaning tablets, I have retainer cleaning tablets which are basically the same thing and I randomly thought of using them to clean my hydration pack. Thanks for the video!

[@carloswithac]

Great tips! I had no idea about the sloshing one. I'll have to do it now!

[@b1_ferg]

Seriously great advice. I randomly came across this video and your channel by just letting KZbin keep rolling while I made dinner after buying a new back and hydration pack. Thanks for the tips and tricks and even though I'm just using it for hiking, you've inspired me to grab a go pro and start recording some of my hikes here in Lower Mainland, BC, Canada. You have a new subscriber. Cheers, my friend!

[@53glowe]

Outstanding hacks by the Doddster. Particularly liked the denture tablets and the old lens / glasses case for bibs and bobs...excellent. Always learn something useful from this man...chapeau🚵👍

[@billhemmila8915]

Great stuff, thanks Doddy!

[@chriswillis6747]

I love this channel.. I can consume GMBN content for hours and never get bored.. 😎👌

[@CsrGER]

great video, just got my hydration Pack for birthday and it is just great

[@siffoine]

Leaving air inside the bladder doesn't help when freezing the bladder, the ice expands, but bladder being sealed the air can't escape and thus does not provide space for water/ice expansion. What you want to do is to not fill the bladder full, so the bladder can expand with the ice.

[@bluestraycat]

Awesome video Doddy! Some really useful hacks here

[@nigeljohnson8022]

Good advice. I have used denture tablets in my bike bottles for years and use them on my camel bak now.

[@onesquirrel2713]

I soo needed this! Thanks!

[@7am00dX]

Thank you... One video that summes everything up

[@KDog2264]

Good video, something I use to help dry my hydration bag is after I wash it I put a small kitchen funnel in it, big enough to hold it open, but small enough to fit inside. It allows air flow for drying and kitchen funnels are rounded so they don’t hurt the bag.

[@beagleboy111]

Speaking of pillows and wine, the bladder out an old wine cask makes a great blow up pillow for camping and folds down to nothing.

[@TGKHONGLAH]

Thanks Doddy. Great tips for cleaning. I have tried cleaning my hydration bladder using a handful of rice grains with a few drops of dish washing soap and shaking it vigorously. After the first shake, you can use only the rice grains and plain water. This works wonders. Try it...

[@guyd4067]

Love the coat hanger tip!

[@brettpazian]

I use starsan which is a sanitizer for home brewing my other hobby. It is safe and leaves no after taste with minimal to no rinse. It kills all bacteria, I just fill my pack and leave between rides rinse and refill before next ride

[@eddyaruda486]

An awesome and informative video! Thank you!

[@TamiyaRacingMexico]

Interesting, my hydration pack (during military) never had such cleaning treatment and never got any issue, maybe I would try it now that I'm a bike aficionado

[@rayred74]

Love the pillow hack

[@alexejhorak1156]

At the end of a muddy ride, I blow air to the bladder, apply pressure to it by hand and wash the bike! 🤘👍

[@4ndyr0g3r50n]

Hydro-bagpipe?

[@ericrautenbach8648]

In South Africa we store our bladder and hose in the freezer all the time. Only take it out morning of the ride, top up the mix, and refreeze whatever is left after the ride till the next one. No need to ever clean as the freezer destroys any bacteria. Only wipe off the mouthpiece before freezing.

[@polishguywithhardtospellna8227]

Some good tips, some reheated footage. I find going back to water bottles is BEST. Weight of the body and for some special long days out there is so many cage mounting accesories you can always find a spot for 2nd and 3rd bottle cage.

[@fightarnmcboxer3851]

A protip regarding the glasses case: put your stuff in then fill it up with paper towel! 1. It prevents The stuff from ratteling and 2: you have some emergency napkins

[@northrocks]

Fill the empty spaces with condoms. You can do lots of things using those.

[@Seby-biketrial]

very good info! i never used bladder but i wanna try it. i have a 2 day eMTB ride. Thanks!

[@Kev.in-Bike]

Thanks for this hacks 👍🏼

[@Scott-gf6qd]

@gmbntech you can use a bladder as a splint on the trail incase of broken bones, guessing with the water in the pack it would also act as somewhat of an cool pack to help reduce the swelling as well.

[@ajlong404]

Excellent! These are great! Thank you!!!!!

[@jpdavidson1153]

great vid, cheers doddy :)

[@unclebill7]

Great vid. Thanks!

[@austinroberson8]

Nice! I never thought about using denture cleaner! Not a rider but a hiker. I usually just buy a new bag every year, but they are getting pricey now. Thanks man!

[@spudlet366]

Cant believe i didn't think about the sloshing bleed tip. Definitely trying that for tomorrows ride!

[@pnyarrow]

Thanks for some great ideas. Stay safe. ATB. Nigel

[@chrisg1234fly]

live in South Africa now, just had the first rain shower in probably 6 months, so definitely!!! and we're at 5500 ft. Originally come from Dartmoor, very different!!!

[@promodsteve7882]

Thanks for the tips. Just bought my first hydration pack since my new Capra has no bottle mount.

[@dereksmith3632]

I don't know why Doddy didn't mention lemon juice, but make sure you add some and rinse out every 24 hours for 3 or 4 days to get the new plastic taste out

[@sirnicolai]

Thanks for the baby bottle brush tip. Been looking for a tiny brush to clean the bite valve.

[@antonystevensmusic]

Shop for a trumpet mouthpiece cleaner! :) 99p and just the small brush.

[@no_handle_required]

I use denture cleaning tablets to clean the pack, the hose, and the mouthpiece. Cheaper than specialized cleaning tabs and works great.

[@Brurgh]

my mate put red wine in his hydration pack when skiing... was genius until the next day when he filled with water it tasted like red wine... not what you want when youre rding hungover!

[@knordberg]

Great hacks. First time here.

[@aaronaus2544]

I love the fact I have the exact same bladder they demonstrate with 😁

[@IronPatriot]

Is it the Camelbak crux? It is pretty good.

[@kevmar1962]

I've never used soap to clean my Camelback - just rinsed it with fresh water. But, I do always swish it out with a little diluted mouthwash at the end, and then rinse again with fresh water before drying. The mouthwash kills any bacteria and leaves a slight minty taste!

[@scottgerstenberg9551]

I made a pouch out of Reflectix insulation and used duct tape for the seams.. I'll freeze my half full bladder and will have cold water all day in the middle of the summer.

[@BenzoVodka]

I’ve used packing foam sheets and duct tape, worked similarly. Great at keeping ice in your bladder solid and colder longer on hot days.

[@pedropramireza]

You can use a tissue hanging from the inside of the bladder to dry it faster. The water, thanks to it's capillarity will go through the tissue to the outside of the bladder easily.

[@paulthomas8616]

I use dry bags, as this keeps everything in place and waterproof.

[@Can_non69]

I had an angle grinder kick back and punch me in the chest. Cracked sternum and dislocated ribs. I never gave chest protection any thought before. That was a good tip.

[@tinman7551]

Nice tips, and what a relief the bike “whisperer” isn’t in this video. He’s a lovely guy, it’s just impossible to hear wtf he’s saying pretty much ALL the time.

[@ADVtheMISSIONARY]

Beer brewing Fermenter/bottle cleaner, get most of the water out of the bladder do the lid up and blow air into it(like a balloon) then put in the freezer, the lid can be hard to undo when you take it out just leave it for a ten mins then fill and use

[@mrbojangles8549]

It's like KZbin reading my mind. I just brought a camelbak Pro 👌👍

[@gmbntech]

Great choice!

[@GetUrPhil]

I really like the pillow idea. I blow the water back into the pack so I'm not getting the heated water that was in the tube, That happened ONCE. Not good when It's 35C outside.

[@retroonhisbikes]

Milton tablets is my choice for sterilising and doesn’t need rinsing (but I do) and a cheap cleaning brush set from amazon. You are correct about cleaning the tube and bite valve - black gunge isn’t good for you. I use flavoured water to make it taste better. Will be getting a first aid pack now.

[@zhangjapp6579]

Wow, thanks for the denture tablet tips, the camelbak cleaning tablets are quite expensive, denture tablets seen good option for that :D

[@Sulentar]

ok thats some nice hacks, and u dont need to use some bad brush, or a regular cloth hanger, all that u need is to go to aliexpress and type in: 4 in 1 Hydration Pack Bladder Hanger Brushes Cleaning Kits Water Bladder Bag Tube Sucker Cleaner Brushes Racks , in that kit u have all that u need, and the best part is that it cost only 5€, there are even some hydration packs that are on budget

[@zeljkoantic8667]

Can you do a video about Waist Bag because im not using backpack and I have a little problem with carring a water bottle

[@DominikHatHunger]

i go the classic method: Fill with soapy wooder, close, shake around, drain through the bite valve, fill with clean water, repeat twice, drain all water, swing the hose like a helicopter, fill the bladder with a clean towel, next morning all done

[@harimathur2191]

Lemon juice. And a bit of salt... bicarbonate. Baking powder. Or use plain soda

[@brianlehmkuhl8162]

Nice one this is! Watching this at 3:30 am here is n Northern California 👍

[@dedvtwomyc4762]

Thanks now I know

[@Renton81]

Just put the bladder in the freezer then don't have to worry about cleaning it. In warmer months just leave half a litre of water in it before freezing. Then morning of the ride top rest up with water and you have a nice ice block in there. Easy peasy 😉

[@platy222]

#askgmbn i put my tools and everything that fits in an old waterbottle, so it is safe for when it gets wet outside. and when you don't want to carry a big bag and only a pure hydration bag this can fit in your bottle cage and if your bike don't have a bottle cage holder just simply put it in your bag and you don't have to swap everything around, 2 uses with one hack.

[@kirt244]

You should mention some brands other than Camelback. USWE for instance makes some really awesome and durable products

[@fyst4413]

The freezer is basically where my bladder lives, except when I’m out riding. When I take it out of the freezer I just run the hose in some warm water, just to get the ice away. When it’s in the freezer it doesn’t get any bacteria growth on it.

[@MrAWGlossop]

Do you clean it before freezing?

[@Terapeutrik]

Backpacks are so 00's !

[@davepowell1521]

Should call you Ken doddy cos you're pretty funny 😂

[@simoneicardi3967]

Nice but how about cleaning the tube?

[@alexandruepuran]

Yeah, you can take the gold fish with ya! BRILLIANT!!! Pump some air every now and then...

[@weathdone]

great job mate!!! like usual just quick lil tip u can just use some nippers or wire cutters to cut the hanger and if u dont have those u can just use dremel with cut off wheel just faster then cutting witgh a hack saw balde especially since we r in yr 2020 and the age of modern tech... so hand cutting a piece of plastic with crude hack saw blade just seem s bit ironic and wasteful with time... Time is the most valuable thing in the universe... :) so lets save all we can lol

[@_Steven_S]

Blast of steam through the reservoir, hose and bite valve after a ride, a shake then in to the freezer. Milton tabs and a wash if I've been using electrolytes, etc. :-)

[@bikingboyproductions8952]

If you want icy water then fill up just a bit then freeze. Then in the morning fill the rest with water. Plus the ice keeps you back cool. If you want to see an example go to Seth’s bike hacks that’s were I found it.

[@lux-3001]

Black spots is mold, not bacteria.

[@blakej-l6189]

He said bacteria and gunk 😒

[@gilesyLFC]

I wonder what mold consists of? 🤔

[@lux-3001]

@@gilesyLFC well, how about reading up on the topic?

[@floppydonger1189]

i saw a benchmade in this video, attaboy doddy!

[@rogersoel]

In order to not get the first hot sip with the water from the hose, you can let som air in. There's no need to blow into the tube, you just pinch open the mouthpiece and raise the end of the tube and let gravity do the rest. Air won't go inside the bladder so no sloshing.

[@NDemanuele1]

Another great video!! I just bought a new USWE Airborne 3. Do I need to do anything to the bladder before its first use?

[@kirt244]

I've always just rinsed my uswe stuff out before use. Look on hydropak's website they make the bladders

[@Primarch_Vulkan]

Storing in the fridge dose not stop bacteria growing it just stops SOME bacteria growing, Only freezing will absolutely stop bacterial growth. After a ride i give my bladder and bite valve a rinse with clean water then put it in the freezer. Been doing this for years and have never had anything grow inside the bite vale or bladder.

[@IronPatriot]

Freezing won't absolutely stop bacterial growth. SOme bacteria like Listeria can grow in the Freezer.

[@lrvz7187]

Having seen the heavy impact blow test (repeatedly!) at 8:20 makes me feel confident on using that protection, my rest is asured 11/10 🤣

[@JogBird]

you can put it in the freezer too to kill off bacteria

[@ghilliegurillia]

Rinse after use pop in freezer . Only ever put water in when your adding juice or energy tabs your gonna get problems .

[@mtbreviews1505]

7:27 one month later doddys on his back in the middle of a woods wishing he hadn't have said that... 😂

[@cornishcactus]

I just get home rinse it with tap water, flush it through the hose, then drain and shake, coil the hose inside the bladder and bung it in the freezer. Every dozen uses or so I'll add a squirt of Milton to the tap water then leave it for 15 mins then flush. Only ever use bottled water in it, our tap waters not bad to drink in Cornwall but it's not as refreshing as bottled.

[@HarryL2020]

I just rinse with tap water then freeze, have no issues. Remember tap water has treatment that kills any bacteria (chlorine basically)

[@th_js]

Haha I've never had a riding pack and never will, but still watching this

[@bobbyhempel1513]

Why not?

[@th_js]

@@bobbyhempel1513 Because I don't want anything to be bouncing on my back. A backpack really doesn't suit the way I ride.

[@robertpatel7688]

Salt and/or UV kills bacteria and is something everyone has handy. Add tablespoon of salt to partially filled reservoir, shake and let stand a few minutes or days, drain salt water out through hose, rinse. If you have good weather dry in direct sunlight

[@Losman0007]

Genius

[@volkstilo]

what I do to keep it cool is to freeze a water bottle and place it next to the bladder it keeps it cool and at the end of the ride you still have an extra half a liter of cool water

[@dirtbagjoe9884]

You can add a few drops of Real Lemon or Real Lime juice to your bladder to give your water some flavor. I think Seth's Bike Hacks has a video about adding it

[@ToddHanson]

I never understood the design of the CamelBak bladders, they are so hard to clean and dry. My Dakine bladders completely open on the top end and it is easy to clean and just hang dry.

[@thenuclearnarwhale9188]

Small camera cases :) for tools

[@NDemanuele1]

Also, I have a few older Camelbacks and it seems the screw on lid on the bladder alway seems to cause leakage. I'm careful to make sure the cap is threaded on properly but it still seems to leak from the cap. There could be a gap between the lid and the lid strap which might be causing the leakage? Due to getting tired of the leakage, I decided to get a new USWE bag I explained in my previous post which I know I'm due for a new one anyway. A bonus to getting this new one is a different bladder setup (the ziplock style) which seems more secure and less prone to leakage...We'll see...Lol. Having said all this, I wonder if my bladders in my old camelback could've been fixed or would I have to buy new bladders? I'd be interested in getting your response to this - thanks!