Hey Paddlewisers- After reading a discussion at the beginning of the summer about using camelbacks while kayaking I finally decided that having three sports it could be used for was a good enough excuse to shell out the cash and buy a camel back. so I did, and I absolutely love it, haven't been dehydrated all summer etc etc. But, there is one problem. The water tastes completely nasty. I tried to dry it out completely and scrub the insides with that little camelback brush, and I even tried a sterilizing chlorine rinse per the directions, but nothing seems to kill the nasty green film that always shows up inside it after it gets wet. Especially on hiking trips of several days when it gets periodically emptied and refilled. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you treat it? I've tried all the suggestions in the little direction book. Should I just start filling it with lemonade and hope that hides the taste???? -Allison *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>> After reading a discussion at the beginning of the summer about using camelbacks while kayaking I finally decided that having three sports it could be used for was a good enough excuse to shell out the cash and buy a camel back. so I did, and I absolutely love it, haven't been dehydrated all summer etc etc. But, there is one problem. The water tastes completely nasty. I tried to dry it out completely and scrub the insides with that little camelback brush, and I even tried a sterilizing chlorine rinse per the directions, but nothing seems to kill the nasty green film that always shows up inside it after it gets wet. Especially on hiking trips of several days when it gets periodically emptied and refilled. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you treat it? I've tried all the suggestions in the little direction book. Should I just start filling it with lemonade and hope that hides the taste???? -Allison >> I bought a Platypus brand hydration system this summer. The only problem I have had with it is that when water sits in the vinyl tubing for more than a short time, it picks up a plastic flavor. The bag itself does not add any flavor to the water. I have never gotten a green film, even though the water sometimes sits in the bag for a week or two between trips. I agree that it is a very good way to stay hydrated; also, it is an excellent use for the back pocket on my Palm PFD. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Mon, 1 Nov 1999, Allison Corning wrote: > I finally decided that having three sports it > could be used for was a good enough excuse to shell out the cash and buy a > camel back. so I did, and I absolutely love it, The water tastes > completely nasty. Try popping a couple of alka-seltzer in the camelbak bladder to clean it out. I built a drying rack, basically a board with a series of long dowels stuck through it to hold the bladders while they are empty. greenslime, but I like the bite valve best. The platypus bladders don't add any of their own flavor, but the bladder I have doesn't fit into a camelbak sleeve. kirk *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I've had a camelback since they were introduced way back in the day when only us mtn biker geeks had them. Unless you're really good at rinsing them out after use and drying them out completely, you're going to have this problem. Once in a while (every 3 wks) I fill the bladder with a strong bleach solution, rub the internal walls together (to get the slime off), let it sit over night, then rinse it out. I can't say that the water tastes great but I'm not getting sick from it. The "Camelback" bladders tend to leave the water tasting yucky anyway - even when new - and especially with warm water. There are other brands of bladders that do not leave the water tasting funny but I haven't found one with a bite valve that I like better than Camelback's. I've been eyeing some that have a ziploc-type closure that allows you to get in there for a good scrubbing. If you do put something in the bladder besides water you MUST rinse it out after or you will have the scariest stuff growing in there! -----Original Message----- From: Allison Corning [mailto:acorning_at_hotmail.com] Sent: Monday, November 01, 1999 12:54 PM To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subject: [Paddlewise] stinky camelbacks Hey Paddlewisers- After reading a discussion at the beginning of the summer about using camelbacks while kayaking I finally decided that having three sports it could be used for was a good enough excuse to shell out the cash and buy a camel back. so I did, and I absolutely love it, haven't been dehydrated all summer etc etc. But, there is one problem. The water tastes completely nasty. I tried to dry it out completely and scrub the insides with that little camelback brush, and I even tried a sterilizing chlorine rinse per the directions, but nothing seems to kill the nasty green film that always shows up inside it after it gets wet. Especially on hiking trips of several days when it gets periodically emptied and refilled. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you treat it? I've tried all the suggestions in the little direction book. Should I just start filling it with lemonade and hope that hides the taste???? -Allison *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I don't know if anyone has metioned this yet, but Camelbak created a special two sided brush the scrubs both the bladder and the hose. I made the mistake of leaving Gatorade in mine, yuk. Andree Hurley Hurley Design Communications - ICQ# 27469637 On-line Editor - http://www.canoekayak.com Other Kayaking - http://www.onwatersports.com Web Sites for Specialty Businesses - http://www.viewit.com/HDC/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I don't use one, but I think the solution to keep this from happening in the future (once you get the nasty taste out), is to fill the camelback (or any bag) with some water and keep it in the freezer. This will prevent the bacteria from growing in the bag in the first place. To clean your current bag, I think there is a bleach and water mixture you can use, but I am not too sure. Are you only filling it up with water, or are you using sports drinks etc? That may account for the bacteria. -Patrick [SNIP] >But, there is one problem. The water tastes completely nasty. I >tried to dry it out completely and scrub the insides with that >little camelback brush, and I even tried a sterilizing chlorine >rinse per the directions, but nothing seems to kill the nasty green >film that always shows up inside it after it gets wet. Especially >on hiking trips of several days when it gets periodically emptied >and refilled. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you treat >it? I've tried all the suggestions in the little direction book. >Should I just start filling it with lemonade and hope that hides the >taste???? > >-Allison *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
kirk said "I built a drying rack, basically a board with a series of long dowels stuck through it to hold the bladders while they are empty." I made a "drying rack" out of plastic coat hangars and that at least helps dry it out a bit. Since the bite valve cap comes off of the plastic tube I wonder if it could be put onto another brand of bladder-or if another brand's bite valve could be added onto the camelback. A *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Allison Corning wrote: > [Love my Camelback, but] there is one problem. The water tastes completely > nasty. I tried to dry it out completely and scrub the insides with that > little camelback brush, and I even tried a sterilizing chlorine rinse per > the directions, but nothing seems to kill the nasty green film that always > shows up inside it after it gets wet. Especially on hiking trips of several > days when it gets periodically emptied and refilled. Does anyone else have > this problem? How do you treat it? Others have mentioned that you need to aggressively remove the proto-slime between uses, and kill it with bleach solution. I had a problem similar to yours with my MSR Dromedary bags (a Camelback imitation), except the slime was brown. In my case, I believe the brown stuff came from using a long hose to fill the Dromedary bag (my dumb move). You might try this as a scrubbing technique: get hold of a couple cups of **clean** aquarium gravel and sluice it into the Camelback along with a cup full of water and a half teaspoon dishwashing detergent (Dawn is good). You want to make a gravel-rich slurry, so avoid too much water. Slosh the stuff back and forth vigorously for a couple minutes, rotating to scrub all the inner surfaces, preferably while watching TV. Dump the gravel/detergent/water mix out (clean and re-use later) and thoroughly rinse the Camelback, with the last rinse a diluted bleach solution (10:1 should be OK). **Leave a few traces of the diluted bleach in there.** To get rid of the chlorine taste, rinse the Camel back with clean tap water just before filling for your next trip. I think you will still probably have some slime towards the end of a multi-day tour, but this cleaning technique should minimize it. Note that I have not tried this, but I think it should help. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
After each use, we wash our Cambelbacks with Ivory liquid dishwashing soap, then stuff them with paper towels and hang them upside down over a wash line to dry. (Remove the byte valve and let the soapy water run out the tube.) We have the Camelback brush kit, but only use it occasionally. It includes a brush for the bladder and one for the tube. We always fill the bags with Gatorade Frost, and freeze them overnight or use the bike cubes, also sold by Camelback. Taste is only a problem when the Gatorade gets warm. >> After reading a discussion at the beginning of the summer about using camelbacks while kayaking I finally decided that having three sports it could be used for was a good enough excuse to shell out the cash and buy a camel back. so I did, and I absolutely love it, haven't been dehydrated all summer etc etc. But, there is one problem. The water tastes completely nasty. I tried to dry it out completely and scrub the insides with that little camelback brush, and I even tried a sterilizing chlorine rinse per the directions, but nothing seems to kill the nasty green film that always shows up inside it after it gets wet. Especially on hiking trips of several days when it gets periodically emptied and refilled. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you treat it? I've tried all the suggestions in the little direction book. Should I just start filling it with lemonade and hope that hides the taste???? -Allison >> *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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