Pros: Lightweight, good plastic, no bad taste, interior vertical support useful, easy to close
Cons: Intermittent dripping from drink valve while hiking, leaked about 4 oz of water while supine in my trunk driving to the trailhead
Bottom line: wish I''d tried the platypus. I owned a Camelbak that lasted for 10 years before leaking. I thought this closure method would be more desirable than having to turn and tighten the Camelbak, and later loosen with difficulty -especially in winter camping.
I was pretty excited to receive this bladder. I thought the center baffle and the large opening were good ideas. Don''t buy this reservoir. First, I took the neoprene sleeve off to save weight and the hose immediately turned a sick, yellow-brown color. (From sunlight?) There was no funky taste, but it looked like I was drinking urine. Don''t buy this reservoir. The bag itself is now turning the same gross color. Don''t buy this reservoir. Also, I don''t think the center baffle is narrow enough to do much good. While the large opening is good for cleaning, as one of the other reviewers mentioned, the rolltop closure leaks. Don''t buy this reservoir. So now the bottom of your pack is wet. Bend over to adjust gear, and now the top of your pack is wet. Don''t buy this reservoir. And finally, the poly that this bag is made of is just ''grabby'' enough that it doesn''t slide easily into a hydration sleeve. For the love of Pete, don''t buy this reservoir!
Buy Ultimate Direction Hydration Reservoirs Now
I had one of these previuously and let it get moldy. Tried other brands and finally bought a new one of these. Best bladder I''ve owned. easy to clean, quick to fill. Bite valve could use improvement, but it works.
Read Best Reviews of Ultimate Direction Hydration Reservoirs Here
A few words about the Ultimate Direction 128oz Hydration Reservoir. First I''m a little upset because it did not come with the clip on the tube shown in the picture (would be nice to have the ability to clip it on my pack strap). That''s about the only negative thing I can say about this reservoir and the reason I''ve given it a 4 star review. Other than that this thing is excellent. First off its huge! Plenty of water for the trails. The opening is very wide and easy to fill. The Velcro holds just fine and leaks are non-existent even when there is a lot of pressure on the reservoir. The tube is very nice and the neoprene cover keeps your water cooler than uncovered tubes. The mouthpiece is easy to use though I do wish it were at a 90 degree angle for easier drinking, takes a little getting used to. The hanging strap is easy to attach to most packs and there is a small hanging point on the bottom for hanging it upside down to let it dry after cleaning. Lastly there is a baffle in the middle of the bag that helps keep the bag from losing its shape, very nice feature that makes installation in your pack a bit easier and keeps water from sloshing around so much.
I recommend this product.
Want Ultimate Direction Hydration Reservoirs Discount?
Nobody, NOBODY knows hydration and packs like Ultiimate Direction. UD is just too busy running the hills to do the marketing their products deserve. Their tanks/reservoirs are the best. The opening is almost as wide as the tank and you roll the top up securing it with the velcro closure similar to a dry bag for kayaking/canoeing to close the top. Camelbak doesn''t match.
I was very happy with the Platypus water tank. We are a family of 4, and we just hiked through the Grand Canyon for 3 days. I threw a couple of these water tanks in my knapsack, and was able to keep each of our personal water bottles filled through the 110 degree heat. The large zip lock opening makes the water tanks easy to fill; the small threaded cap makes them easy to decant into smaller bottles. The zip lock demands attention to seal, but once sealed it never leaked even with a good deal of bumping around.
