Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bladders > MSR CloudLiner > Bob Sanders > Initial Report

Initial Report: MSR CloudLiner Hydration Bag

Date: 6-5-06

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name: Bob Sanders
Age: 48
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight: 190 lb (81.6 kg)
Email: sherpabob(at)mac(dot)com
City: Boulder, Colorado USA

Backpacking Background: I went on my first backpacking trip as a Boy Scout at the age of 16. Over the years I have hiked the Wonderland Trail in Washington and section hiked parts of the Florida Trail and the Appalachian Trail. In 2003 during a seven week period I hiked 740 mi (1191 km) of the Pacific Crest Trail. Best vacation I ever took. I continue to backpack and hike year round in the Colorado mountains. I have evolved from a heavyweight backpacker to a lightweight backpacker. My three day summer solo adventures (using a hammock) have me hovering around a 12 lb (6.8 kg) base weight.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Manufacturer: MSR
Year of Manufacture: 2006
Manufacturer Website: www.msrcorp.com
Size: 3 Liter (101 oz)
Listed Weight: 6.2 oz (176 g)
Measured Weight: 6.2 oz (176 g)
Color: White
MSRP: US $26.95

Manufacturer's Specs (from website): CloudLiner™ Hydration Bags - Our taste-free, lightweight version of the Hydromedary™ Hydration Bag. The CloudLiner boasts a new high-flow/no-leak bite valve, a low-profile easy-fill/carry handle, and three streamlined shapes that fit most packs, while its puncture-resistant material solves the all-too-common bladder-bursting problem.

• Taste-Free and Durable: Reservoir is completely taste-free and puncture-resistant; drinking tube is also taste-free.
• High Flow/No Leaks: New bite valve dramatically increases flow rate, while new shutoff valve prevents leaks.
• Easy to Fill/Carry: New handle makes filling and carrying bags easier than ever.
• Upgrades Most Packs: Three new streamlined shapes fit most hydration packs and backpacks.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The item arrived in a fold-over cardboard store packaging (photo above). Getting the bag out of the packaging was much more of an ordeal than I could have imagined. The mouth piece (bite-valve) was shrink wrapped to keep germs off. Nice touch I thought. Also included was a simple folded instruction manual printed in multiple languages. The manual was simple to understand and covered filling, packing, drinking, turning the bite-valve on and off and cleaning.

The bag seems to be well made and the material of the bag is a white, pliable, translucent, taste-free unknown plastic. I own several of their regular Dromedary bags which have been extremely durable over the years. The cloudline is listed on their website as a lightweight version of the Hydromedary™ Hydration Bag. When I compared the weight of each 3 Liter (101 oz) bag they were exactly the same at 6.2 oz (176 g). The Hydromedary™ Hydration Bag is listed as "the most durable hydration system available". At this point I'm not sure I understand the advantage of the Cloudliner bag. The Hydromedary bag is made of Cordura Nylon on the outside, which is very durable. The CloudLiner is only plastic. Further testing will see just how durable the CloudLiner is.

I filled the CloudLiner with as much water as I could without spilling it. I then measured the volume. The bag can handle about 106 oz (3.1 liter) which is slightly more than the 3 Liter spec. The bag has a red handle which swivels around the threaded opening. This makes it very easy to position under a faucet or running water source. The handle keeps the opening from collapsing and keeps it level. This also makes it much easier to carry. This handle is a new addition to all of their bags. The older bags I own do not have this feature.

At the top are two holes. One at each corner. These holes are used to secure the bag inside the hydration sleeve of a backpack. The holes are punched out of a double thickness of the bag material. My first impression is that these holes would not support the weight of a 3 Liter bag hanging from a tree. That would be 3 kg (6.6 lb) of weight. I will gently try this and see how well they support the weight.

The bag includes a drinking tube with a bite valve and a lapel clip. The bite valve is listed as high flow with no leaks. The mouth piece rotates one quarter turn in either direction to shut the valve off.

Test Locations and Criteria:

The MSR Cloudliner will be tested in a variety of locations throughout the Colorado Front Range and central Rocky Mountains. Late spring and summer weather conditions during the testing period can range from 100° F (38° C) to 60° F (15° C) during the day and from 65° F (18° C) to 40° F (4° C) at night. Summer time in Colorado can be hot and the humidity is almost always low, except when it's raining. I am outside quite a bit during this time of year and always bring a day pack and water. While backpacking I will use the CloudLiner inside a Granite Gear Vapor Trail pack.

1. Convenience - By using a hydration bladder will I drink more water because it is easier to access and I don't have to stop to fetch a drinking bottle? Is the bladder easy to fill? How well does the bite valve function and is there an easy flow of liquid? Does it leak?

2. Durability - The most important part of any water container. How well will it hold up to the rigors of backpacking, frequent loading, unloading and compression inside the pack? Just how puncture resistant is the bladder material?

3. Ease of Cleaning - At the end of each trip how easy is the bladder to clean and air dry? Will it stain?

4. Taste - The website indicates it is taste-free, is it truly? I will be using Aqua Mira to disinfect my water. Will it impart any taste or stain the bag?

I would like to thank both BackpackerGearTest and MSR for the opportunity to test this hydration bag.

Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bladders > MSR CloudLiner > Bob Sanders > Initial Report