General Cycling Discussion - Experiment #1 worked now for experiment #2.

Experiment #1 was seeing how I could keep my water fresh in the Camel Bak bladder overnight when I do my tour next year. In the past I had used listerine.

But since I will be touring weight is a issue and a bottle of listerine weighs about a half a pound.
So I tried one of those little listerine pocket pack strips to see how it would dissolve, and it will and it should keep my water fresh and keep any nasty things from growing in it.

Experiment #2 will be this weekend. It will be the bug spray/old spice freshening cloths/sun block test. To see how my skin handles it.

Look out folks I'm turning into a mad scientist. :D

Curious... how big of a Camelbak do you use and how much listerine do you add?

I guess you just get used to the taste of the listerine? What's your favorite flavor? It's a good idea, but I can't imagine swallowing the stuff. :) You do what you gotta do, eh?

Good luck with Experiment #2.

Originally posted by N_C
Experiment #2 will be this weekend. It will be the bug spray/old spice freshening cloths/sun block test. To see how my skin handles it.
Sun block in mid-December in Iowa? You have sun this time of year? :D

October I have a Camle Bak Mule, it has a 100 oz bladder. I usually only add a half a capfull of listerine. I only used the liquid when there was a sag vehicle to haul my gear, weight was not a issue to me. That is why I tried the pocket pack strips.

As far as the taste. It is not so bad, it is diluted in the water. I have only used the Fresh Burst so far. Guess I would try the flavors other then the regular. Swallowing it with it diluted in 100 oz of water does not make me sick.

My biggest concern is nasty things growing in the water as there will be no way for me to refrigerate the bladder. and in the morning I will empty it out and put fresh water in it. It is only over night when I will use the listerine.

hmm I would think if you keep the bladder in the dark (inside the backpack) it would have little chance of growing alge or something like that.... But are you unable to get fresh water inside the bladder every day (or few days) I would think you wouldn't have to worry about it if you could... :rolleyes:

i've used my camelback for a few years without and listerine or anything to fight bacteria. on tours or whatever i have never had problems with stuff growing. i just don't see it being a problem if you clean it before the tour. then if you're out longer than 3 or 4 weeks, you might need to clean it once, but i think that's acceptable as on a tour so long you'll probably be cleaning your entire bike and drive-train too which takes comparatively more time.

now i have had some problems b/c maybe i'll forget and leave water in it in my closet for a week or so at a time - and after a while it does grow come stuff. so i bought one of those cleaning kits with the brush on a wire that cleaned it up really well (also with soap)

here is a cheap and best way of doing it if you are really concerned about stuff growing inside your bladder.

Fill it up and put in a very small drop of household bleach. That will be sure to kill anything and a very small drop will not hurt you.

Originally posted by VegasCyclist
hmm I would think if you keep the bladder in the dark (inside the backpack) it would have little chance of growing alge or something like that.... But are you unable to get fresh water inside the bladder every day (or few days) I would think you wouldn't have to worry about it if you could... :rolleyes:

I use a camel back to commute and never use up the whole bag in one day I have have never had any problem and I don't think it is good to swallow listerine even in small doses regularly if you are concerned there are light weight water filters you can carry with you

Originally posted by VegasCyclist
hmm I would think if you keep the bladder in the dark (inside the backpack) it would have little chance of growing alge or something like that.... But are you unable to get fresh water inside the bladder every day (or few days) I would think you wouldn't have to worry about it if you could... :rolleyes: Doesn't fly.The nasties will even grow in a refrigerated bottle.

Originally posted by TLN
here is a cheap and best way of doing it if you are really concerned about stuff growing inside your bladder.

Fill it up and put in a very small drop of household bleach. That will be sure to kill anything and a very small drop will not hurt you. Works for me. If one is just using fresh water and replacing on a daily basis ,nasties may not be an issue anyway. I have drank my share,and other than the sometimes bad taste have suffered no consequences.I'm also preconditioned to bad swill from a lifetime of drinking southern swamp water,borrow ditch water and cheap whiskey.

Originally posted by pokey
I'm also preconditioned to bad swill from a lifetime of drinking southern swamp water,borrow ditch water and cheap whiskey.

I hear there is nothing in this world that can survive in cheap whiskey so you got to be safe. It may even help when drinking swamp or ditch water at later times.:D

:eek: Just don't blow your self up mixing all that stuff.:eek:

I should keep quiet about this.

We might see a new doping scandal in the TDF.

Listerine supply mouthwash to Festina.

Richard Virenque says there is no connection between that and beating Lance Armstrong to the podium by a time difference of 18hrs.:)

The problem is not the water, unless you're not using good water to start with. The problem is the hydration pack itself. It should be cleansed thoroughly everyday, stem to stern.

Rather than adding additional disinfectants to the water (remember, tap water is chlorinated,) use those agents to disinfect the hydration pack. Then, rinse thoroughly before adding fresh water.

Otherwise, I agree with the "drop of bleach" thing.

(Hey, but I'm a bit of a mad scientist myself! ;) )

Originally posted by Bokkie
I should keep quiet about this.

We might see a new doping scandal in the TDF.

Listerine supply mouthwash to Festina.

Richard Virenque says there is no connection between that and beating Lance Armstrong to the podium by a time difference of 18hrs.:)

:D :roflmao: :roflmao: :D

Originally posted by Pete Clark
The problem is not the water, unless you're not using good water to start with. The problem is the hydration pack itself. It should be cleansed thoroughly everyday, stem to stern.

Rather than adding additional disinfectants to the water (remember, tap water is chlorinated,) use those agents to disinfect the hydration pack. Then, rinse thoroughly before adding fresh water.

Otherwise, I agree with the "drop of bleach" thing.

(Hey, but I'm a bit of a mad scientist myself! ;) )

Cleaning it out daily might be a problem for rides what he is talking about but using chlorinated water that has been filtered (chlorine does not dissipate like people would like you to believe) will cut down your chances of little buggies bothering you. And when cleaning your hydration system save your money and use baking soda or vinegar (plain old white ) and rinse well they will not harm you, and it will kill just about any of those nasty little parasites you are worried about. And I have to say if you are only talking of a couple of days you really do not have to worry about it ('specially if you have filtered it and keep it inside a dark cool area like its pack) I have never used the bleach thing for my hydration pack and I only fill it every other day (and clean it once a week) and have never caught the bug in all those years! I think you may be worrying to much everybody these days seems to be just a hair paranoid when it comes to bacteria.

i will tell you, cholrine DOES dissipate...I'm not sure of the exact chemistry of it, but I do work at a pool, and If I was to turn off the chlorinator, there would be no chlorine in the pool at the end of the day. It is possible though that if you had a covered container such as a camelback, then the chlorine might not evaporate away.

I used polar pure, I've gone backpacking with it, and it doesn't add much taste. It does stain the camelback a bit though.

The first days ride of my tour the camelbak will have filtered water from home in it. After that the water will come from either the bath/shower house, or if there is a water supply at my camp site, (some will have those orange or red handled outdoor water faucets).

Don't worry I will not use any water that is labled as unsafe to use for drinking. Like what is used at the camper dump stations. There are signs that clearly state do not drink this water. Usually the dump stations are far enough away fromany drinkable water source.

I'm sure the water at the shower/bath houses is treated and chlorinated as is the water that comes out of the orange handled faucets.