MSR CLOUDLINER HYDRATION BAG
Initial Report
May 29, 2006

Authored by

Andrew Priest
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
aushiker@yahoo.com.au

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Product Details and Specifications
Tester's Details
• Personal Biography
• Testing Playground
• Testing Environment
• Initial Report
  • Item Receipt
  • First Impressions
  • Testing Strategy

Andrew, the tester:

I am a 46 year old male, 180 cm (5' 11") in height, I weigh 104 kg (229 lbs). I have been bushwalking in Western Australia for approximately five years. For the past four years I have been regularly walking and leading on and off-track pack carries with the Perth Bushwalkers Club and more recently I have also got into geocaching. I consider myself as moving towards being a lightweight tent-carrying bushwalker with my pack base weight in the 8 to 12 kg (18 to 26 lb) range.  I have completed my End to End of the Bibbulmun Track (2003), the Cape to Cape Track (Nov 2001), the Coastal Plains Walk Track (numerous times), the Larapinta Trail (July 2005) and Fitzgerald River National Park (April 2006).

I currently use a Platypus Hoser hydration kit which has a similar, if not the same bite valve design as the MSR CloudLiner Hydration Bag being tested here.

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Andrew's testing playground:

The bushwalking environment of the south-west of Western Australia allows for bushwalks and backpacking from coastal plains to forest. Elevation ranges from 0 to 585 metres (0 to 1,920 feet). Within this region, I walk in varying conditions from forestry roads, to sandy tracks, to single-purpose walking trails, to rock hopping, to beach walking, to completely off-track walking through open and dense country.

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The testing environment:

During the summer period, daytime temperatures average 30° C (86° F), whereas from March through to December the daytime average temperatures range from 15° C to 26° C (59° F to 79° F). During the autumn, winter, and spring periods the normal weather pattern is fairly wet with frequent heavy rainstorms evident. It does not normally snow in Western Australia.

According to The Times Atlas of the World (Concise Edition - Revised 1997) our weather is described as being "Mediterranean - rainy climates with mild winters, coolest month above 0° C (32° F), but below 18° C (64° F); warmest month above 10° C (50° F)." The atlas depicts the coastal area north of Los Angeles as having the same climate.
 

Product Details:

The MSR CloudLiner Hydration Bag is manufactured by Mountain Safety Research (MSR). Year of manufacturer is assumed to be 2006. MSR describe the CloudLiner as a lightweight version of their Hydromedary Hydration Bag. The CloudLiner as tested is a 2 litre bladder with a wide filling mouth (50 mm / 2") at the top. Attached at the bottom of the bag is drinking tube with a bite/shut off valve and a lapel clip.

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Specifications:

• Manufacturer's specified weight - 2 Litre: 162 g (5.7 oz)
• My weight - 2 Litre: 164 g (5.8 oz)

Item Receipt:

The MSR CloudLiner Hydration Bag was received in good condition and as expected given the product information on the Mountain Safety Research website.

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First Impressions:

The CloudLiner is described by MSR as a "lightweight version of the Hydromedary™ Hydration Bag." I do find this statement interesting in that the 2 L Hydromedary Hydration Bag has a claimed weight of 165 g (5.8 oz), three grams (0.1 oz) more than the CloudLiner. The only apparent difference is the material of the bladder or reservoir.  The CloudLiner's bladder is described by MSR as "puncture-resistant," but no mention is made of what material it is made of.

The 2 litre CloudLiner reservoir has nominal dimensions of 430 mm x 165 mm (17" x 6.5"), what I would describe as a narrow profile.  The drinking tube pushes on to a connector piece which is a moulded part of the bladder, unlike other bladders where the drinking tube is screwed on. The drinking tube connects to the bottom of the bladder and is approximately 107 cm (42") in length. At the top of the bladder is the filling mouth and carry handle combination. The diameter of the filling mouth is 50 mm (2"). As part of the filling mouth is what MSR describe as being a "low profile easy-fill/carry handle."  Finally the bladder has two wholes punched in it to allow for hanging or securing if desired.

Moving down the drinking tube. The CloudLiner comes complete with a lapel clip, This consist so a snap button which allows the lapel clip to be attached to the hose. On the other end of the lapel clip is a alligator clip which swivels. This allows the hose to be clipped on to clothing or a part of one's pack, as desired. Finally at the end of the drinking tube is the "high-flow/no-leak" shut off bite valve. As alluded to earlier this appears to the same bite valve as used on the Platypus Hoser, except that the MSR bite valve is red and black.

The bite valve is a 90^o degree valve with a distinct twist of the valve required to open and shut it, i.e., allow for a flow of liquid. This combined with the mouth piece is said to provide a no-leak valve.

Therein lies the MSR CloudLiner Hydration Bag. MSR makes one final claim in respect to the CloudLiner and that is the bladder is "completely taste-free" and the "drinking tube is also taste-free."

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Testing Strategy:

Over the testing period the CloudLiner will be used on numerous weekend and overnight backpacks as my primary hydration kit. It will be used in my Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone which has a hydration sleeve.  The testing will focus on answering the following aspects.

• Durability of the bladder which is described by MSR as being puncture-resistant;
• Is the bladder and drinking tube taste-free as claimed by MSR?
• Durability of the moulded drinking tube connector.
• Ease of drying, particularly given that drinking tube is not screwed onto the bladder.
• Ease of filling and carrying using the low-profile handle.
• Functionality of the lapel clip.
• Ease of use of the bite valve.
• Durability of the bite valve.
• Does the bite-valve really mean no more leaks?
• Does the bite-valve provide a good flow of liquid?

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