Granite Gear Winterizer Hydration System Insulator
Initial Report
Report Date: February 15, 2005
Reviewer Information
- Name: Edward Ripley-Duggan
- Age: 51
- Gender: Male
- Height: 6' 1" (1.85 m)
- Weight: 215 pounds (98 kg)
- erd@wilsey.net
- Catskills, New York State
Reviewer Background
I enjoy walking in all its manifold forms, from a simple stroll in the woods to multi-day backpack excursions. Though by no means an extreme ultra-light enthusiast, from spring to fall my preference is to carry a pack weight of 12 lb/5.5 kg (before food and water), more or less. In recent years, I've rapidly moved to a philosophy of "lighter is better," within the constraints of budget and common sense.
Product information in brief
- Manufacturer: Granite Gear
- URL: http://www.granitegear.com/
- Product: Winterizer hydration system insulator
- Year of manufacture: 2004
- MSRP: US $20 (from website)
- Manufacturer's stated weight: n/a
- Measured weight (analogue scale): 4 oz (113 g)
- Length (from top of mouthpiece pocket to end of insulated tube: 33.5 in (85 cm)
- External tube diameter: 1 in (2.5 cm)
- Fabric: black nylon, type not specified by manufacturer, apparently Cordura based on visual inspection
- Insulation: not specified, thickness around pipe approximately .25 in/.6 cm
- Harness clip: molded plastic
Delivery and contents
The Winterizer was delivered well packaged and in perfect condition, shipped directly from Granite Gear. The unit was housed in a mesh stuff-sack with a draw-cord and spring-loaded cord lock, handy for storage. Affixed to the sack with staples was a folded color display label illustrating the Winterizer and showing it in use. The reverse provided a close-up of the mouthpiece cover and a descriptive text. There were no instructions to speak of.
Warranty
There is no stated warranty on the label. The Granite Gear website is undergoing redesign and, while warranty information was indicated as being present, the page in question was blank. Using the Wayback Machine (an archive of website versions) I bought up an old version of the firm's site. Granite Gear has generally offered a lifetime warranty, as follows: "All Granite Gear products are fully warranted against defects in materials and craftsmanship for the life of the original owner. Granite Gear will repair or replace any product found to be defective. Damages due to accident, improper care, negligence or normal wear, where Granite Gear is not at fault, will be repaired for a reasonable charge." I cannot, however, confirm that the firm's warranty remains unchanged.
Website
As noted, Granite Gear is undergoing a major website redesign. Old and new versions of pages are interspersed. There are two pages displaying the Winterizer, but neither provides a great deal in the way of specific information.
Introduction
Hydration systems are, relatively speaking, an innovation in hiking technology. While water bottles still have their place, the availability of water from a mouthpiece within easy reach is a powerful inducement to drink, and drink often. There's no need to stop and dig out a bottle from a balky pocket (or worse still, unearth it from within a pack). The result is better hydration, which in turn enhances endurance and decreases the chance of injury.
Unfortunately, sub-zero temperatures negate the effectiveness of a hydration system, as water tends to freeze in the mouthpiece and tube after a few hours of exposure. Speaking personally, I tend to drink less in winter than I do at other times of year, despite studies that indicate that I should be drinking more! For a day-hike this is not a major issue, but for winter backpacking this road leads to progressive dehydration, which in turn can exacerbate hypothermia (among other ills). The Winterizer is designed to address the problem of frozen tubes and mouthpieces, and thereby keep its owner well watered on cold days.
Features and design—initial impressions
In form, the Winterizer consists of an insulated cylinder (prominently bearing the Granite Gear label), with a pocket-shaped enclosure at one end to house and protect the mouthpiece of the hydration tube. The tube has a thin webbing loop at the other end, whose purpose was initially mysterious. I'll get to that in a moment!
The exterior of the mouthpiece cover has a strap of 1" (2.5 cm) webbing running around it on both sides, to which is attached a clip to affix it to the sternum strap of a pack. This clip, which can slide on the webbing, is removable. This enables it to be moved to the side of the mouthpiece pocket that's against the pack-strap (this, of course, changes according to whether the tube is fed over the left or right shoulder).
The cover opens and closes by means of a urethane-covered waterproof zip. This is presumably to stop water (and warmth) leaking out, rather than getting in. The zip is opened to get at the mouthpiece, and closed to protect it again. Within, there's a stretchy mesh pocket to house a disposable hand-warmer (or similar device) so that on extremely cold days there's a heat source nestled against the mouthpiece as a safeguard against freezing.
The quality of materials and construction appears high. The seam along the length of the cylindrical insulator is very neatly sewn, and there seems to be ample insulation beneath, which avoids the creation of a cold spot. The zipper is a little stiff (a common flaw with urethane zips), and I found a little silicone applied to the teeth helpful in easing this.
I use Platypus bladders, with the accompanying hose, which is of approximately 3/8 in/1 cm diameter. This seems close to the maximum diameter that the Winterizer will accept. Feeding the tube through the narrow-diameter hole in the insulated tube proved a slightly tricky chore. In fact, I found it just about impossible to thread through directly.
To make matters easier, I tied a pipe hitch to one end of the plastic tube using some thin cord, having removed the plastic mouthpiece first. This is a knot with several turns around the tube
—any simple knot that holds in place by friction should do. I tied this to a wire (a straightened coat hanger should do, although I actually used the shaft of a shotgun brush
—I don't own a shotgun but this is an ever-handy tool)! I pushed this up through the tube of the Winterizer with the cord tied to the end, until I could grab and untie the knot, within the mouthpiece cover. I then lined up the pipe and pulled it through, dragging on the thread in one hand and holding the thin webbing loop on the other. Hey Presto! This same loop is also helpful when removing the pipe. I do think a little guidance for inserting and removing the hydration tube should have been provided by Granite Gear.
Future Testing Strategy
In my testing, I will examine the following aspects (and any other issues arising):
1. How effectively does the insulation keep the hose from freezing? Is the mouthpiece/bite valve adequately protected, as this is the area is most vulnerable to freezing? How effective is the disposable heating pad at preventing the mouthpiece icing up at lower temperatures? What are the lowest air temperatures at which the hose will stay unfrozen?
2. Is the Winterizer designed to work effectively with a variety of hydration systems?
3. How durable is the unit (as it is at least partially exposed to protruding brush and branches)? Will it stand up to the rigors of bushwhacking, for example?
4. Does the Winterizer pick up musty odors from condensation and leakage? How can it be cleaned?
5. The unit is designed so that the mouthpiece clips to the sternum strap of my pack. These straps are in somewhat different positions on my various packs. How easily does the Winterizer accommodate a variety of packs and strap configurations? Can it be used on a pack (e.g. GoLite Breeze) that does not have a sternum strap?
6. Are there better strategies for inserting the tube?
7. Will the urethane zip prove cooperative or stiff at lower temperatures?
I thank Granite Gear and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to participate in this very interesting test.
