Winter Cycling - Ack! Frozen hydration pack

So I went trail riding in the snow last weekend. It was 27 degrees when I left. I rode for about an hour or so and found that the water in the tube of my hydration pak had frozen solid and the water in the pak was sorta slushy.

Has anybody rigged up a way to insulate the hose to keep it from freezing? I was thinking of maybe wrapping some foam padding around it...

I bought a Lizard Skins Tube Cover (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm?stylepkey=12385&style_id=130%20LIZTC2&dept_id=2&deptName=Accessories&sub_id=34&subName=Hydration&lprice=5.98&hprice=5.98&detailName=Lizard%20Skins%20Tube%20Cover) for mine. With this, the pack (Camelbak Blowfish) has been fine for a whole day of skiing, though occasionally I find the water that remains in the valve freezes. You can buy kits that include a cover for this, but too expensive for my taste. I usually find biting on the valve a few times breaks up the ice.

The Lizard Skin cover works really well at preventing the mouthful-of-hot-water syndrome on hot days too.

On really cold/hot days, or days when I forget to put it on, I just empty the tube after each drink by holding it above my head and squeezing the bite valve so that the liquid runs back into the bladder.

I stopped using my camel back and went to bottles just for that. This morning I forgot to take them off my bike when I got on the bus. By the time I got of the bus they were frozen pretty solid. Fortunately I did not have that far to go. Tomorrow I am thinking about doing it with juice that way I'll have a slushee when I get into work :D

Put the pack inside your jacket to keep it warm.

I bought a Lizard Skins Tube Cover (http://www.pricepoint.com/detail.htm?stylepkey=12385&style_id=130%20LIZTC2&dept_id=2&deptName=Accessories&sub_id=34&subName=Hydration&lprice=5.98&hprice=5.98&detailName=Lizard%20Skins%20Tube%20Cover) for mine. With this, the pack (Camelbak Blowfish) has been fine for a whole day of skiing, though occasionally I find the water that remains in the valve freezes. You can buy kits that include a cover for this, but too expensive for my taste. I usually find biting on the valve a few times breaks up the ice.

The Lizard Skin cover works really well at preventing the mouthful-of-hot-water syndrome on hot days too.

On really cold/hot days, or days when I forget to put it on, I just empty the tube after each drink by holding it above my head and squeezing the bite valve so that the liquid runs back into the bladder.

Awesome, I should have figured somebody had already marketed such a device. Thanks for the link.

Will a bit of booze mixed with the liquid lower the freezing point? Not enough to get you drunk mind you, just enough to keep the liquid from freezing.

Will a bit of booze mixed with the liquid lower the freezing point?

I wanna go riding with Blastradius!! ;)

I run into the same problem. I've covered the tube with a "skin" and changed the nondrip bite valve to a straight one, allows me to dislodge the ice easily. One thing that works if you can't raise the tube above the bladder, is just a quick blow into the tube, that empties the tube. You'll know when to stop blowing cause you should hear the bubles. One problem with that is if you are too agressive with blowing back the bladder fills with air, but then all you have to do is open the fill cap.

I haven't tired it yet but have thought of using hand warmers beside the bladder, and the tube. The idea is the heat would keep the liquid from freezing, and give a little warmth to what I'm drinking on the trail.

I do know from experience that a hydration pack doesn't ice up as much as a bottle on the down tubes. They are cumbersome though. Anyone know if they've developed a vest or jacket that has a pocket for a bladder that can offer as much versatility as a fishing vest?

Camelbak sells a "Thermal Control Kit" (http://www.camelbak.com/rec/acc_other.cfm) that is supposed to solve this problem but I have not tried it.

In the winter I use a water bottle with one of insulating sleeves used with a baby's bottle. It has a drawstring on top and keeps the bottle from freezing. It also works pretty well at keeping a SLA battery warm too. This helps the runtime on my lights.

Filling the water bottle 3/4 full also helps. Sloshing water is harder to freeze than standing water.

Dan

Just wear it inside your jacket like the other guy said.You don't have to buy anything.

I wanna go riding with Blastradius!! ;)

Seconded!

Leave the pack at home. Get a couple of these bottles. Mine has stayed liquid down to as low as 0 F for up to 1 hour. This is the best thing i have found after trying several things, including the camelbak.

http://www.supergo.com/product_images/large/SG20_0282.jpg

Buy some foam insulation tape then wrap it on the tube, then wrap duct tape around it leaving just the bite valve exposed. After taking a sip blow the water out of the tube and back into the bladder. I've used this technique for up to several hours at -15 F with no problems. Indefinitely at 0 or above. Helps to put the pack under a jacket. I sometimes use a Da Kine helipak with a bladder pocket and pack some insulation on the back side so it isn't exposed to cold as much. Always keep the bite valve under your coat. This is the technique most people that ride the Iditabike in Alaska use. Or used to anyway. If you go with a bottle, those insulated ones are good. One tip with them is to invert them in the holder. The ice rises to the top and freezes there first.

When I bought my camelback, I do alot of winter camoing and hiking so i decided t get the snow dawg, i have never had any freezing problems, the only thing is that rubber cover for the little nozzle where you drink from, I usually just take it off and have thaqt be the only exposed thing.