For Ultralight Hikers, Water Bladders Are Better Than Bottles. Here’s Why.
The Smartwater bottle and Sawyer Squeeze filter combo is a mainstay of the ultralight hiking kit. The bottles are cheap, replaceable, and lightweight. The screw-on filter means you can collect water and filter on the move. In comparison, my preferred water-carrying system, the once-ubiquitous water bladder and hose, is now considered tedious, fragile, and—worst of all—heavy. Let’s bust some myths to explain why I still carry it.
Myth #1: Bladders Are Heavy
First, the weight. I often hear ultralight hikers explain that water bladders are simply too heavy to consider as an option. And if you’re looking at something like a 1.5-liter Camelbak that weighs 7 ounces, that’s fair. But today’s lightweight bladder systems are nearly as weight-efficient as using disposable bottles. A one-liter Smartwater bottle weighs 1.2 ounces, while a three-liter Platypus bladder and hose hits the scale at 3.8 ounces.
Continue reading to learn more, written by Nathan Pipenberg.
스쿼드에서
스쿼드 멤버와 앰배서더부터 브랜드 파트너와 소이어 팀에 이르기까지 다양한 커뮤니티와 캠프파이어 대화를 나눕니다.
미디어 언급
Sawyer’s picaridin lotion lasts a long time, stores well in survival kits and cars, and doesn’t have the laundry-list poison control label like DEET sprays.
미디어 언급
Secure a small loop of cord to a trekking pole to create a convenient place to hang a water bladder and filter water.
미디어 언급
It contains 20 percent picaridin, a powerful insect repellent that will make nights around the campfire much more enjoyable.
