Dromedary, Platypus, or Big Soda Bottle?

SKLund

SKLund

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Aug 19, 2016
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Your thoughts on water carrying when you have to. Context is dry packing and carrying your h20.
 
Long-time Platypus gravity filter user here. For me, there isn't anything that works better.

When I needed an extra large storage, I liked the Dromedary. It just feels tough. Not sure if it is, but seams so.
 
I roll with a 4l Dromlite (with a hose) and a hdpe Nalgene. I usually use a steripen for treatment. I've used Platys a lot as well and like them but they always eventually develop leaks (usally on edges along crease lines), which kinda becomes a pain to check them and deal with it in the field. Nalgene adds a small amount of redundancy but most of all makes treatment easier and allows me to just grab a liter on the go to treat later and not open up my pack if I'm passing a water source and don't want to stop.

Large hard-sided bottles are kinda a pain since they take up so much space and the narrow mouth is pretty inconvenient.
 
i'm a fan of bottles over bags. i have never had a bottle develop a leak. when i need extra carrying capacity i'll take half gallon bottles, like the ones you can buy apple juice in, cuz things seem to pack around them most easily.
 
In the desert when I need lots of water I use a 2-3L bladder and 1 or 2 1L platypus collapsable bottles in my side pockets.
In the mountains I use a 1L Smart Water bottle and pack another empty 1L platypus collapsible bottle for times I need to carry additional water.
Filter I use a Katadyn Hiker pump
 
I like the 4 liter dromedary. Bomb proof and you release air as you use so it doesn't slosh around. Doesn't feel like dead weight as much. 2 bottles for mixing aqua mira and I have 1.5 gallon capacity for a dry overnight trip.
 
Ben said:
i'm a fan of bottles over bags. i have never had a bottle develop a leak. when i need extra carrying capacity i'll take half gallon bottles, like the ones you can buy apple juice in, cuz things seem to pack around them most easily.
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I just bought 2 big bottles of Snapple an hour ago. Kids next door get the juice. I get the bottles.:lol:
 
I like to divide and conquer - for certain water sources (exceptionally shallow pools and potholes for example), platys are the easiest to fill, while in other cases (water deep enough to submerge a bottle), a hard sided bottle is best. So I bring 1 or 2 Smartwater bottles and supplement that with as many platy's as I need to achieve the necessary storage capacity.

I also don't personally use storage vessels greater than 1L in size - if I leave a bottle behind sitting on a rock, or it breaks, at least I've only lost 1 liter, rather than my entire water supply for the next 30 miles.
 
Dromedary water tastes like garden hose but they seem to be really tough, I use them for backup water and haven't had a leak yet.
I used to love the big Nalgene Cantenes since they are extremely light but had problems with leaks a couple of times so stopped carrying them. Platypus bags seem better but still aren't nearly as strong as the Dromedaries.
These hold quite a bit of water and are pretty light and easy to wash:
http://store.nalgene.com/product-p/2179-0048.htm
 
regehr said:
Dromedary water tastes like garden hose but they seem to be really tough, I use them for backup water and haven't had a leak yet.
I used to love the big Nalgene Cantenes since they are extremely light but had problems with leaks a couple of times so stopped carrying them. Platypus bags seem better but still aren't nearly as strong as the Dromedaries.
These hold quite a bit of water and are pretty light and easy to wash:
http://store.nalgene.com/product-p/2179-0048.htm
Click to expand...
I grew up on garden hose water...its amazing!
 
SKLund said:
I just bought 2 big bottles of Snapple an hour ago. Kids next door get the juice. I get the bottles.:lol:
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i suppose a significant appeal of the bottles for me is how cheap and easily replaceable they are.
 
I bought a ULA Catalyst last year and used it in southern Colorado. The side pockets would hold my 3 quart soft Nalgene canteen other items. I love that thing. It stands up empty while I fill it with one of my pumps.
Wayne


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
regehr said:
Dromedary water tastes like garden hose but they seem to be really tough, I use them for backup water and haven't had a leak yet.
I used to love the big Nalgene Cantenes since they are extremely light but had problems with leaks a couple of times so stopped carrying them. Platypus bags seem better but still aren't nearly as strong as the Dromedaries.
These hold quite a bit of water and are pretty light and easy to wash:
http://store.nalgene.com/product-p/2179-0048.htm
Click to expand...

I've used those big Nalgene bottles. When they are out in the sun enough they'll shatter if you drop them. The clear ones are the worst.
 
SKLund said:
I've used those big Nalgene bottles. When they are out in the sun enough they'll shatter if you drop them. The clear ones are the worst.
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I'll take your word for it but I have some pretty old nalgenes and have never had a problem. Only busted nalgene I've seen was one that froze. Main problems I've had with water containers are (1) losing the lid and (2) leaks, and nalgenes avoid both, even if they are heavy and have an inconvenient shape for packing.
 
SKLund said:
I've used those big Nalgene bottles. When they are out in the sun enough they'll shatter if you drop them. The clear ones are the worst.
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You sure that was an actual Nalgene bottle and not a knock off or something similar made out of inferior materials? A friend bought one on a Himalayan trek once that looked identical but it was branded "Natgene". That has become my term for crappy generic Nalgene bottles ever since. I've beaten the hell out of Nalgene bottle and never seen one shatter.

I'm a fan of the dromlite for large storage.
 
Nick said:
You sure that was an actual Nalgene bottle and not a knock off or something similar made out of inferior materials? A friend bought one on a Himalayan trek once that looked identical but it was branded "Natgene". That has become my term for crappy generic Nalgene bottles ever since. I've beaten the hell out of Nalgene bottle and never seen one shatter.

I'm a fan of the dromlite for large storage.
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I was a Nalgene clear new version (BPA free). A smaller one of same version did the same.
 
I used a combination of Evernew hydration packs, Smart Water bottles, and a Sawyer Squeeze on my most recent desert trip. We were camped over two miles from the nearest water source so flexibility and carrying capacity were important. The combination worked well together.
 
I have three sizes of stainless Kleen Kanteens we use for dayhikes, beaten them half to death for over a decade and still going.

For large water loads while backpacking into waterless desert we have several sizes of MSR Drom bags, both regular and light varieties, 4L, 6L and 10L. The fine thing about those is they conform to your pack much better than bottles. We just put a bit less in them than they can hold so they shapeshift in our packs and take up less space than rigid bottles. We have never had one of them spring a leak.

But I like synthetic bottles for their convenience, light weight and inexpensive cost.

I have had some of the milky Nalgene bottles crack apart or explode if dropped if they are very old. When new you can run over them with a truck and no problems.

I was just thinking this past week that I'd like to find a rectangular or squarish soda/water bottle that would fit in my pack better than the round ones and be a lighter way of carrying water for dayhiking. I'd like around 64 oz so I'll start looking to see if that exists.
 
Wyatt Carson said:
I was just thinking this past week that I'd like to find a rectangular or squarish soda/water bottle that would fit in my pack better than the round ones and be a lighter way of carrying water for dayhiking. I'd like around 64 oz so I'll start looking to see if that exists.
Click to expand...

2l platypus might be the thing.
 
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