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Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > Platypus Hydration PlatyPreserve > Owner Review by Andrea Murland

Platypus PlatyPreserve
Owner Review by Andrea Murland
August 8, 2018


Tester Information

Name: Andrea Murland
Email: amurland AT shaw DOT ca
Age: 32
Location: Elkford, British Columbia, Canada
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight: 135 lb (61 kg)

I began hiking frequently in 2006 and have since hiked in Western Canada, Australia, Europe, and Nepal. I spend most weekends either day-hiking or on 2-3 day backpacking trips, with some longer trips when I can manage them. I also snowshoe and ski in the winter, and prefer to be hut-based for overnight trips. Elevation is typically 500-3,000 m (1,600-10,000 ft), in the Canadian Rockies and the Selkirk, Purcell, and Monashee ranges. I try for a light pack, but I don’t consider myself a lightweight backpacker.

Product Information

Manufacturer: Platypus (Cascade Designs, Inc.)
Manufacturer's URL: www.platy.com
Model: PlatyPreserve
Year of Manufacture: 2013
MSRP: $9.95 US
Capacity: 0.8 L (27 fl oz)
Listed Weight: 0.02 kg (0.8 oz)
Measured Weight: 23 g (0.8 oz)
Listed Dimensions: 16 cm wide x 26 cm high (6.3 in wide x 10.2 in high)
Measured Dimensions: 14 cm wide x 26.5 cm high (5.5 in wide x 10.4 in high)

Description

The PlatyPreserve is a flexible bottle for carrying wine. The manufacturer indicates that the tinted (red) colour of the material and the airtight seal of the bottle help preserve the wine once inside. The material of the bottle is food-grade and BPA-free. The bottle collapses flat, with the bottom of the bottle folding up into the bottle. As I fill the bottle, the bottom expands to provide a stable base for the PlatyPreserve to sit upright. The opening of the PlatyPreserve is on one of the upper corners of the bottle, and is the only rigid component of the bottle. The lid screws on.

The back of the PlatyPreserve has a series of instructions for using and cleaning the bottle. Filling is quite straightforward: pour in wine, squeeze out air, tighten cap. Cleaning is also simple: rinse (no soap) and put upside down to dry. There are places on the back of the bottle to write the date and information about the wine inside the PlatyPreserve. It indicates to use dry erase to write.

Field Conditions

I have had my PlatyPreserve for about five years and use it a couple of times per year. I tend to use it when I’m on backpacking trips that involve setting up a base camp for multiple days of hiking or when the planned distances or elevation gains are short. These are situations where the weight penalty of carrying wine seems worth it to me. I can think of at least six trips where I’ve carried it, ranging in duration from two to four days. I’ve carried it distances up to about 20 km (12.4 mi), and used it in camp at elevations up to about 2000 m (6560 ft).

I have always carried red wine in my PlatyPreserve. Sometimes I drink out of a backpacking wine glass (classy!), usually out of my tea mug, and occasionally straight out of the PlatyPreserve (not so classy…).
In the field

Review

Folded up The PlatyPreserve works great for doing what it’s meant to: holding wine. The empty bottle is both lightweight and very collapsible, so it gets smaller as I drink the wine and takes up very little space once empty. I’ve never had a leak.

First off: filling it. I’ve never had a problem with pouring wine into the PlatyPreserve. I am able to pour directly from the wine bottle into the PlatyPreserve without spilling. As I pour, the bottom of the bottle expands under the weight of the liquid; I’ve never had to do anything extra to get it to expand. A full bottle just fits. If I leave a little bit of space, it is easy to squeeze the remaining air out as I put on the lid. The lid is easy to tighten fully without much effort.

Getting wine back out of the PlatyPreserve is also easy. When full, the bottle is rigid from the liquid, so easy to pour out of. Once partially empty it gets floppier and a little easier to spill, but I’ve found that holding onto the rigid spout helps keep things steady. The PlatyPreserve is no more difficult to drink directly out of than any other soft bottle, and just requires managing the slug of liquid inside the flexible bottle. I’ve never noticed any plastic-y taste in my wine.

Cleaning the PlatyPreserve is quite easy. I use soap, against the instructions, and wash the bottle with the rest of my dishes. I give it a good rinse and then set it to dry. I have found that the bottle wants to collapse, which doesn’t allow it to dry well. I usually blow into it to make sure it’s fully inflated before setting it to dry. My PlatyPreserve has a permanent smell of red wine in it, so I do like that I have a bottle specifically for carrying wine.

I have never wanted to write on the bottle, so I can’t comment on that feature. The wine usually isn’t in there long enough for me to forget what it is!

Summary

The PlatyPreserve is a collapsible, flexible bottle for carrying wine. It does a good job, and is easy to fill, pour from, and clean. I don’t really have anything I don’t like about it!

Thumbs Up:
Lightweight & collapsible
Easy to fill
Easy to pour from
Doesn’t leak

Thumbs Down:
Had to learn to manage liquid in soft bottle while pouring



Read more reviews of Platypus Hydration gear
Read more gear reviews by Andrea Murland

Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > Platypus Hydration PlatyPreserve > Owner Review by Andrea Murland



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