Owner Review by Michael Lissner

Owner Review of
CamelBak HydroLink Adapter
By Michael Lissner
12 August 2004

Contents:
1. Tester Biographical Information
2. Backpacking Background
3. Product Information
4. Product Description
5. Comments
6. Summary

1. Tester Biographical Information:
Name: Michael Jay Lissner
Trail Name: The Chemist
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Height: 201 cm (6' 7")
Weight: 88 kg (195 lb)
Email Address: yourmothership at hotmail dot com
City of Current Residence: Berkeley, California
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2. Backpacking Background:
I have been backpacking for the greater part of my life. I started with heavy weight packing with the Boy Scouts, but my current style is a highly minimalist one relying on more skill and discomfort and less on creature comforts and toys. Although my backpacking style is an evolving thing, at this point I usually clock in 27.4 km (17 mile) days with a base weight (without food or water) of about 5.4 kg (12 lbs), including my tarp, frameless pack and down quilt. My usual stomping grounds are any of the terrain within three hours from here.
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3. Product Information
Manufacturer: CamelBak
Manufacturer's URL: http://www.CamelBak.com
Product Name: CamelBak HydroLink Filter Adapter
Year of Manufacture: 2003
Suggested Retail Price: 10.00 USD
Weight: Unknown (it's connected to the tube of my water bladder)
Advertised Weight: Unknown
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4. Product Description
Filter Tip

The HydroLink adapter is a three part system which can be used to backfill an empty or partially empty bladder. As can be seen in the pictures above, one of the parts connects to an existing bite valve, and another (the one with the large yellow valve) plumbs into the tube of a bladder system. The third part, which is pictured above as well, plumbs into the outbound tube of a pump-style filter. To use the adapter, one turns the yellow valve of the adapter to the off position, and then separates the bite valve from the system. Once it has been separated, one connects the third part that is connected to the filter in where the bite valve was, opens the large yellow valve and begins pumping the water filter.
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5. Comments
I have been using this adapter for about a year now, and I must say, I am completely satisfied. I have used it in temperatures from about -7 to 43 C (20 to 110 F) and in many kinds of terrain from marsh to desert. I have used it with two different bladders, the CamelBak 2 L (70 fl oz) and the CamelBak 3L (100 fl oz) OMEGA reservoir, both of which I have linked up to my Pur Hiker. The only reason that I have now stopped using this adapter is because I have switched - for the moment at least - to chemical treatment methods. After having used this adapter for some time, I have not discovered one thing about it that I do not like. Every element of it is well thought out, and it works like a charm.

Probably the thing I like best about this adapter is its existence. Long before seeing it in stores, in an effort to make a system that would feed me 5 L (170 fl oz) of continuous water through one bite valve, I had been thinking about some way of plumbing two bladders together. When I finally did see it, I bought it in an instant. In my opinion, this product fills a void in the hydration system market because it can be used for its intended purpose or for otherwise plumbing two tubes together (as I wanted to do in order to have a larger bladder system). The other thing that I really like about this product is that it makes it unnecessary to remove a bladder from a pack in order to fill it. Also, because it has a manual valve integrated into it, I didn't have to worry as much about the bite valve of my bladder getting squished during transit and leaking water all over the trunk of my car.

I have used this valve in all sorts of weather, and never has it had any ill effects. I have taken it below freezing, and, while the water in the tube did not freeze, neither did the water that was in the valve. It seems like it could have had some problems with below freezing weather, but at this point I am happy to report that it has performed marvelously. I should say though, I have not taken it below freezing very many times, so it is possible that if I had I would have eventually discovered a sub-freezing adapter snafu that would have needed dealing with. Also, I have found that with thin gloves on I can always manipulate the valves successfully.

For awhile after buying it, I worried the interchanging of the bite valve for the filter adapter would eventually wear the rubber gaskets away, making for yet another part on my back that can leak. However, after having used it for about a year, this has not become a problem in the least. Both of the gaskets in the system look as good as new and show no signs of wear what so ever. I also worried that the yellow valve, because it has rubber components, would eventually lose its ability to effectively stop the flow, but as it should turn out, it too has passed the test of time. I have not lubricated any of the rubber components in the system at any point, so I am happy to learn that even with negligent care they can hold up.

The one time I ever had a problem with the adapter was the first time I used it, and this was because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I connected up my filter to my bladder and began pumping thinking that I would notice when the bladder felt full. I kept pumping and pumping for a little longer than I usually would, and then I decided that I should take the bladder out of my pack and make sure that it wasn't about to explode. As it should turn out, it was rather pressurized, and was fit to blow. I immediately stopped pumping and relieved the pressure and all was well. However, if I had kept pumping, I do not doubt that I had the ability to pressurize the bladder until it burst. Now when I fill my bladders, I keep a watchful eye on them making sure not to over pressurize them.

Aside from that time when I almost blew my bladder out of the water (so to speak), the only other time that I was annoyed with this product was when I saw its price tag. I don't claim to know a thing about injection molding, but I do feel that 10.00 USD is a lot of money for a small piece of plastic that fits in the palm of your hand, but then a Pentium IV chip is a lot smaller and costs a lot more...
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6. Summary
After having used this adapter in various temperatures and terrains for about a year, I remain completely satisfied. I do wish that it wasn't so expensive, but if it costs CamelBak ten bucks to make a part as brilliant and effective as this one, I can live with that. It never leaks, it always works, it fills a void in the hydration systems of the world. The HydroLink.
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