MSR Hydromedary Bag Hydration Bag

I have one of these in my ''earthquake'' pack which stays in my vehicle 24/7. Perhaps it was the heat, perhaps it was a defect, but the tube connections at the bite valve and bag "melted". The tube was ok, the bag and bite valve were ok, but the stuff that connects the tube to them was a gooey sticky mess.

No problem I thought, I''ll get a replacement tube. I challenge anyone reading this review who doesn''t work for MSR to get a replacement tube for this bag. Apparently it can''t be done. So if any part of the fails you buying a whole new bag. That isn''t reasonable in my opinion. Sigh.

I had to buy this one as my last hydromedary bag started leaking... after almost 6 years of constant use. I''ve tried bladders from Camelbak (had three leak) and others, and none come close.

Pros:

*super, super durable.

*durable

*durable

*durable

*did I mention that durable is important?

Cons:

*A little slow on the refill at aid stations if you''re racing.

*Not clear, so you can''t see how much you''ve got in it. I solved by using a permanent marker to make fill lines on the outside and then you wet the outside a bit and you can see how much you have.

*I personally don''t like the bite valve as I like something more simple with max flow, but it''s easy to switch.

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First off, I got this bladder free. Not from the company itself, but from a company I worked for. I really like this bladder bag because it''s not made of the plastic that other bladder bags are made of, so there isn''t a "plasticy" taste to the water (or whatever is in it). The opening is the same size (maybe it''s a standard for all bladder bags?) as my water filter pump, so I can screw it right on the bag. The only problem is that the eyelet holes at the top aren''t big enough or in the right spot for my hydration pack (yes, it''s a different brand, but I wish it would have been more universal). Other than that I really like this bag. Read more of my review that I posted on my blog http://dailyvitaminf.blogspot.com/2011/07/m-and-best-way-to-hydrate-on-trail.html

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I hesitated in buying this because it is quite a bit more expensive than comparable bladders. However, the bladder is made of nylon fabric that seems to be EXTREMELY sturdy. I''ve filled it up several times now almost to 3/4 full and frozen it. The cap does freeze shut so I take it out about 10 minutes prior to filling it the rest of the way with water. Now I have cold water for at least 12 miles into a run. That''s very nice.

The drawbacks:

The mouthpiece does take some getting used to as the flow is lower than other bags.

The tubing at the bottom cannot be removed without water escaping from the bag (if this is what you''re looking for, the Hydrapak reversible has this feature.

I''m definitely going to switch to this bag since the material will withstand more abuse than plastic only bladders.

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The Good: I like the material better than a Camelbak. It seems more durable and I don''t worry about puncturing it when handling. I am not a gram weanie so I did not notice if there was a difference in weight. If there is a difference it seems minimal. I like that the opening is the standard 32 oz nalgene bottle size, especially since I have a Hyperflow, but I plan it to fill with the hose while still in my bag a lot of the time. I like the grommet holes. I tied a piece of paracord across and use the cord to hang it. Would like a set at the bottom as well to hang when not in use.

The bad: Biggest thing is the mouth piece. I don''t like that there is no cover for it. I replaced the MSR piece with a Camelbak and added the Camelbak cover. Also added the Camelbak valve and quick disconnect at the same time to facilitate filling from the hose. I also didn''t like that the collar around the opening spins. Its not a big deal but it seems to make it harder to get the lid on securely.

Summary: Like the bag, but didn''t like the mouthpiece or at least lack of MSR to have a cover for it.