|   I need some advice on my new camelback | gtmtnbiker
Sep 1, 2002 7:31 PM | | Hi all, I just bought a new camelback mule. How often do you clean the bladder, and how do you do it. I've been rinsing it out and placing it in the freezer between rides. This won't always be available, so how should I store it between rides? |
| advice on my new camelback | Wrenchhead
Sep 1, 2002 7:43 PM | | I have no problem air-drying it. I just rinse after a ride and hang it up. Get a cleaning kit and scrub it often. |
| advice on my new camelback | VW Geek
Sep 2, 2002 4:59 AM | | Good advice. What I do after every ride is rinse it out, then wash the top part with soap and water (my bladder closes by folding it over a couple of times, it doesn't have a screw type opening) and then fill the bladder with water and add a denture cleaning tablet or two. Let sit for a few hours and rinse it completely. Once in a blue moon I'll also add a touch of bleach. Been using my bladder for over a year now and it's still good as new. Seems like my bladder gets more TLC than my bike sometimes :)
VW Geek |
| Camelbak Maintenance: Detailed. | QMrider
Sep 2, 2002 8:26 AM | | OK, here's what we do. We have a total of 7 waterbags in my family, all but one is a Camelbak of one style or another. So everything I'm typing below works on any brand of bladder. I have never had to throw a bladder away yet,(*we have had to have my wife sew up a couple of the packs due to crashes or alterations). At $20 to $30 each for any of the bladders in the event of having to replace one, you want to protect your investment. We have 50oz, 70oz and 100oz models. I've been wanting to buy one of the Omega bladders but am hoping that Camelbak makes a bigger size first, before I make the plunge. I've been on rides where 100oz on my back and 2 large bottles on the bike were not quite enough.
(*Hello Camelbak, are you listening ;-) )
1. Buy a Camelbak hanger,($10),(*we have several). I rinse the bladder out every time including the tube/valve. If it's a valve with the shutoff, cycle the shutoff and clean it too. If you crash, check that you haven't embedded junk into the bitevalve. (*if you need to clean this on the trail, cup your hand and squeeze some water from the bladder into your palm to rinse off the valve. Remember, you put this part in your mouth) Use an old toothbrush and some toothpaste as needed for hard to remove junk. I always put it on the CB hanger turn it upside-down, squeeze the valve to drain the tube, shake the bladder/hanger upside-down over the sink to remove excess water and put it in the closet without any light. Most bacteria or mold needs light to grow.
2. I use Denture cleaner,(approx$3), about once a month for the bladders we use alot in the summer. This takes the taste of hard water out of the bladder. 4 tablets each into the bladder with very hot water from the faucet. Close cap/top. Push some of the hot liquid through the tube/bitevalve. Toothbrush the valve as needed. Bleed all the air out through the tube, shut the bitevalve, if you have that option, then let it stand overnight. When emptying it, push more of the liquid through the bitevalve then open the bag and drain the cleaner. Rinse bladder with clean water a couple of times including rinsing the tube/valve, then put it on the hanger and shake the bag upside-down over the sink being sure to drain the tube/valve. I also do this for any bag we don't think we'll be using for while. The denture cleaner leaves a pleasant minty taste.
3. I clean the bag with a brush and soap maybe once a year. This all depends on if the above process is not completely cleaning the bladder or you're helping a friend who hasn't done the above before. Blackburn sells an antibacterial soap for about $8 at your LBS. Best stuff in the world for bladders. I'm sure any sporting goods store sells the same kind of soap in the camping area for cleaning camping dishes. You want an antibacterial/biodegradable soap. I've even seen this stuff at WalMart, Target and K-Mart. Buy the Camelbak cleaning kit. You need the skinny brush for cleaning the tube. I have seen the skinny brush sold by itself. Your call on this.
4. Install a bottle rack on your bike. Put sports drinks in bottles, not in the Camelbak bladder. I have bought bottles for $2 opposed to $30 for the bladders. I run our bottles through the dishwasher, wouldn't do that to a bladder. And if that doesn't work, I throw the bottles away.
5. Only use water in your Camelbak. I have over 3 years so far on a couple of our bladders we use weekly and noticed a dramatic difference in the interval between 'heavy' cleanings when I told my kids to stop putting Gaterade in their bags. Sugar is in sports drinks, mold and bacteria need food and light to grow. Sugar is food. Get the idea?
I'm not sure how long these things last but UV sunlight hardens almost all plastics so leave them in the dark when not in use. After they are dry and the packs are clean, we put the bladder in the pack and store then away until needed again. Usually the biggest reason people through them away is they get a nasty taste in them and they don't know how to get it out. If you do what I recommend above, that just won't happen. I have tried bleach, dishsoap and baking soda and not had the success I've had with the above procedure.
One more thing...
I rinse the packs off/out in the bathtub with cold water to get the white 'salt' stains off of the straps and backs from sweating after several rides in the summer. (this works for the straps on your helmet as well) In the winter mulitiple layers of clothing seem to slow this accummulation. I usually don't wash them in the washing machine unless we get them very muddy or bloody. ;-)
Running any kind of material through the washing machine works on the material so if you are forced to do this first clean any major chunks off before you throw them in the washer, put the machine on a gentle cycle and when done, hang dry them. Don't put them in the dryer. The nylon dries fairly quickly on it's own.
Bonus section:
Just like the bladders, keep the packs out of the sun when not in use. Leaving them in the back of the car on a 100 degree day in the direct sunlight with the windows rolled up will eventually harden the nylon. And where you cannot protect them from sun while you are riding, IMHO leaving them in the trunk or under a blanket when transporting or when you don't want to unload them right away helps.
This is kind of long-winded but you did ask. We really get the use out of ours so I thought I share what we are doing.
Hope this helps.
Live long and prosper... |
| Store them in the Freezer | teamsloppy
Sep 2, 2002 11:35 AM | | Stick the bladders (with tube and bite valve) in the Freezer. No real washing required. Maybe rinse off the bite valve and empty as much water as possible. Like some others have mentioned; I use only water. But if you are vigilant in immediately sticking the bladder in the freezer after each ride; you could probably use a sports drink. With water only, you can get away with a couple of days sitting around on the floor without any growth. If you left a sports drink filled bladder for a few days sitting around, it would look like petri dish from a biology class.
With freezer storage and the water only; I have Camelback bladders that are 3 years old and look like new (and taste like new). I have Platypus baladders that are at least 5 years old. They might have that refrigerator smell after a winter's storage, but that goes away after one ride.
Bacteria don't grow well in ice (if at all). It's very dark (no UV in a freezer to damage the polymers in the plastic). And the cold reduces evaporation of the "plasticizers" used to keep the polymer/plastic flexible.
B.S. / M.S. Chemical Engineering Stanford 77/79 |
| thanks for all the great detailed advice kids! | gtmtnbiker
Sep 2, 2002 3:02 PM | | |
| Most important is.. | Jrm
Sep 2, 2002 3:16 PM | | To drain it after using it everytime. Then air dry. Cleaning is as easy as droppping some denture cleaner in there with a listerine chaser. |
| camelbak nm | sp
Sep 2, 2002 8:08 PM | | |
| only use water | tlg
Sep 3, 2002 5:22 AM | | I only use water. Rince it after I'm done. Remove the bite valve. Stick a wooden spoon into the opening and let sit upside down to drain. Then stick a paper towel into the opening and hang upside down untill I use it again. The paper towel lets any remaining droplets evaporate out.
Never had a problem. Never even used soap, except on the bite valve. |
| re: I need some advice on my new camelback | homerjay
Sep 3, 2002 8:44 AM | | Whatever you do, do NOT put it in the microwave to kill the bacteria!! Mine caught on fire and destroyed my microwave as well as the bladder. |
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