Owner Review

Platypus Hoser 3L

Name: Stephen Latza
Age: 53
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 7” (1.70 m)
Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
Email address: GreenBoonie –at- backpacker.com

City, State, Country: Twinsburg, Ohio, U.S.
Date: March 3, 2006

Backpacking Background: I started backpacking in the spring of 2002. Most of my trips have been one or two night weekend excursions to the trails in western Pennsylvania and in southern Ohio. I try to get out at least once a month or so. Typical daily mileage is 6 to 10 miles (9.66 to 16.10 km). Usual weekend pack weight is around 30 lbs (13.61 kg) with food and water.

 

 

Manufacturer – Platypus Hydration

Year of Manufacture – 2003

Manufacturer’s Web Site – www.platypushydration.com

MSRP - $22.95 USD

Listed weight – 4.0 oz (120 g)

Listed size – 7.5 x 16 in (19 x 41 cm)

Listed Capacity – 100 oz (3 L)

Weight as tested – 3.8 oz (108 g)

Size as tested - 7.5 x 15.75 in (19 x 40 cm)

Capacity as tested – 108 oz (3.19 L)

Hose length – 42 in (107 cm) hose only

 

Product description. The Platypus Hoser water reservoir with drinking tube assembly turns my pack into a hydration pack for water on demand when I’m on the go. According to the manufacturer’s web site, “Platypus bottles and reservoirs are so flexible they fit into tight spaces in any pack. They’re lined with beverage-grade polyethylene, so they won’t flavor your drinking water with an unpleasant plastic taste, and they’re much lighter than conventional hard bottles, with far more versatility. The gusseted bottom keeps the reservoir upright for easier filling.” The Platypus Hoser is covered by a lifetime warranty.

 

Field Information

Location Tested – The Platypus Hoser 3L has been with me in the bottom of the Grand Canyon as well as in the hills of northwestern Pennsylvania and southern Ohio. The temperature has ranged from a high of 120 F (48.89 C) in June of 2004 in the inner gorge of the Grand Canyon to a low of 25 F (-3.88 C) in Pennsylvania.  I have used it on bright sunny days and during a cold snow storm. It has been my main container of drinking water while on the trail. I use the hydration sleeve of my backpack to carry the Platypus Hoser 3L in while backpacking.

 

Product Review

I purchased the Platypus Hoser 3L prior to going backpacking in the Grand Canyon in 2004. In the past I have always used just a 1 liter (34 oz) Nalgene bottle for my water while hiking, refilling it as needed, or I borrowed my son’s 2L (70 oz) CamelBak UnBottle.  The research I did prior to the Grand Canyon trip suggested a minimum of 3 liters (100 oz) of water when heading down into the canyon on the South Kaibab Trail. That is why I selected the Platypus Hoser 3L. I figured I could carry less water in it if I wanted to, but I wanted to be sure to have enough water available for this trip. It has been my main container for water while hiking ever since.

 

The opening, which is in one corner of the bladder, is the size of a soda bottle opening. The bladder opening just fits under a kitchen faucet aerator making it easy to fill. It is also easy to fill from my Katadyn Hiker water filter by just putting the filter outlet tube into the opening of the bladder.  The Platypus Hoser screw on cap with the drink tube attached screws onto the bladder opening securely and has not leaked. The tube is plenty long enough to be fed out of the backpack and secured to the shoulder strap of the pack.

 

The Platypus Hoser 3L that I purchased came with a clip to secure the tube to my shoulder strap. The clip is a soft plastic strap secured to a spring clip and uses a metal button snap to secure the plastic strap around the drink tube. It has made it easy to keep the bite valve in a handy location. I did not see this particular clip offered on the manufacture’s web site. They do offer a different lapel clip as an accessory though.

 

 

Water is delivered through a soft bite valve that attaches to the end of the drink tube. It slides over the outside of the tube and not inside of it like some other manufacturers’ bite valves. I was worried about the valve coming off the end of the tube with this configuration but it has stayed put and never slipped off during use. The flow rate through the bite valve is good and I can stay hydrated easily while hiking. The slit in the bite valve seals very well and there have not been any leaks from the bite valve while it is not being used, unless I accidentally put some pressure on it. I do have to be careful to make sure the bite valve is not going to end up on the ground when I remove my pack. I have tried using the Platypus Hoser 3L in a cap down position and a cap up position in the hydration sleeve of my backpack. I am able to get water to flow from it while it is in either position, but it is harder to get the last little bit of water from it when in the cap is in the up position.

 

When the bladder is full I have to use some care while trying to insert it into the hydration sleeve of my backpack. 3 liters (100 oz) of water in a plastic bag can be unwieldy while being handled. I find handling it by the stiffer plastic bottom does help while I slide it into the hydration sleeve. Since it is not insulated, and it sits in my backpack right up against my back, the water in it does get warm from body heat. This happens mostly when I am hiking strenuous trails and generating a lot of body heat. If the air is cool I start off getting a cool drink which quickly becomes warm as the water is pulled from the bladder. A rather unpleasant experience when it first happened.

 

While at camp I will remove the Platypus Hoser 3L from my backpack and put it in my tent. It has allowed me to be able get a drink of water during the night without worrying about spilling water from an open bottle. I can reach out with one hand and get a drink of water without having to sit up or crawl half way out of my sleeping bag. The water in the drink tube did freeze solid one time on me when I left it sitting out unprotected in my tent and the temperature dropped below freezing. I was able to just break the ice by flexing the tube and this allowed some water to flow through the drink tube. As I drank from it the ice would melt and smaller pieces would flow through the bite valve into my mouth. I had to be careful though as any piece of ice that was stuck in the bite valve would cause it to not close and leak on me. Blowing the ice and water back into the drink tube before removing the bite valve from my mouth solved that problem.

 

When using a Nalgene bottle for my drinking water I could always see how much water was left at a glance. Using a bladder buried in a pack does not give me that visual assurance. This can be a problem and I will check the level of water before putting on my pack at every rest stop. Experience has allowed me to judge how much water I will need while hiking and I can estimate when I will need to refill the bladder after checking it. The larger size of this system has allowed me to hike a little further before needing to refill. It has been especially helpful on trails where the water supplies between rest stops were scarce. If I know there will be plenty of water available on the trail I will then only fill the bladder with 2 liters (70 oz) or less of water to keep my pack weight down.

 

After a trip I will clean the bladder and hose according to the manufacture’s instructions. I will use hot soapy water, shake it up real good, allow the soapy water to run through the tube and mouthpiece, and rinse thoroughly with hot water. This is all the cleaning it has needed for me. If I expect to store it for more than a few weeks I will put one ounce of unscented household bleach in it with 1 liter (34 oz) of clean water to disinfect it. I also allow the bleach and water to run through the hose and mouthpiece also. I rinse everything well with clean water.  When done cleaning I hang the bladder upside down and opened to help it dry inside. The hose I hang without the mouthpiece to allow that to dry as well. I have never had any problem with the growth of mold or mildew in the bladder or hose by using this method. After it has dried I have it folded up and stored in the top pocket of my backpack ready for the next trip. It has not shown any weakness from being folded and stored this way.

 

Conclusion

I am very pleased with the performance of my Platypus Hoser 3L hydration system. It has never added a funny taste to the water and makes it very easy for me to stay hydrated. I think the warming of the water in the bladder is more of an issue with the location of the hydration sleeve, in the backpack, then anything wrong with the Platypus Hoser 3L.

 

Likes

1. Easy to fill
2. Durable
3. Good flow rate
4. No plastic taste

 

Dislikes

            None