In general, I’ve found my experience using the Winterizer to be a pleasant one.

Field Conditions

All of my testing thus far has occurred in various locations around Western New York, Northern Pennsylvania and Ohio.  I've done a ton of day trips, varying in length from short hikes of 2 - 5 mi (3 - 8 km) to full day treks of 10 -15 mi (16 - 24 km). I've only used the Winterizer on one extended weekend trip.   Total estimated trail mileage using the Winterizer is about 150 mi (241 km).

The terrain locally is a mixed bag, starting out close to the shores of Lake Erie as a flat plateau and changing to rolling hills further away from the lake. The flat land is around 700 ft (213 m) elevation with the hills steadily increasing to close to 2000 ft (610 m). Northern Pennsylvania tends to have similar temperatures to Western New York, although the terrain is considerably more hilly and steep. This is the home of the Allegheny Mountains, with elevations typically around 2000 ft (610 m).  I was also fortunate to spend quite a bit of time hiking in the Northern Ohio region.  The areas I concentrated my hikes in were all close to Lake Erie, and I found the conditions similar to those in Western New York and Northwest Pennsylvania.

Daily temperatures for the field tests ranged between 10 - 55 F (-12 - 13 C).  The test series began in true winter conditions - cold with lots of snow.  Now, we are in spring conditions.

I did quite a bit of day hiking with the Winterizer.  Normally, I day hike a lot, but circumstances provided me with the opportunity to hike even more.  Because of this, I had a very high frequency of use of the Winterizer.  On the downside, due to these same conditions, I was only able to spend one long weekend using the Winterizer so far. 

I used the Winterizer exclusively with my Camelback hydration bladder.  I was very happy with the protection the Winterizer supplied to my bite valve and bladder hose.  It's very well made and quite durable.  It really does protect the potentially vulnerable hose from catching on low hanging limbs or brush.  I also feel it did indeed insulate my hose from freezing.  This of course is a function of both temperature and exposure time.  On short day hikes, it was difficult to say if the Winterizer actually made a difference, but on long day hikes and on my extended weekend hike, I definitely think it made a difference.  That's not to say the bladder hose was impervious from freezing.  Just like my car or home, if there's no heat on, eventually it's going to get cold, real cold.  The same was true with the Winterizer.  It did effectively retard the heat contained in the water from escaping to the outside environment, thus slowing down the freezing process.  Also, the zipper on the bite valve pocket never froze, and worked in any condition I found myself in. 

Now, for my complaints!  First, what a pain to run my bladder hose through!  There is no way I'm going to get the Winterizer back on if I have to take the hose out in the field.  The Winterizer does not cover the entire length of hose to the bladder.  This was not a problem when used with my backpacks, but when I placed the Camelback in its small running pack, there was a section of hose exposed.  Also, the sternum clip doesn't work that well.  It allowed the bite valve to come loose easily and flop around.  And, I found the zipper impossible to operate if I had mittens on.   My last gripe is that the bite valve pocket is small, and I really had to look to find a warmer that fit in the pocket on the inside of the pocket.

Things the Winterizer does great:

• Slows my water from freezing in the bladder hose and bite valve
• Protects the bladder and valve.

Things the Winterizer could improve on:

• Make it with just a little larger diameter!
• Replace the clip with something that keeps the bite valve secure to the sternum strap.  The inherent stiffness and bulk of the Winterizer suddenly makes the hose an issue and the clip needs to work for this operator's comfort.
• Make the zipper straighter.  The curve makes it too difficult to operate with mitts on.  It's not impossible, but it's not easy either - and I want easy!
• Team up with a supplier and provide a place to order the "perfect" warmer

The Winterizer does what I wanted it to do; i.e. it helps keep my hydration bladder hose and bite valve from freezing.  That, like all things comes with a price.  The added bulk makes routing and retention of the hose an issue, and the sternum clip does not hold well enough for me.  But, overall I'm pleased with the Winterizer and look forward to more rigorous testing throughout the long-term phase.