Zan

Should i refrain from putting liquids other than water in my camelbak?

Paul L.

depends on how long and thoroughly you like to clean your camelback.

I myself try to stick to water only as I can never quite get the inside of that dang tube clean.

Zan

usually i just dry the thing out with paper towel + hang it to dry after each use... if i were to do something else (such as OJ), i'd rinse it first... is that enough "cleaning"?

dekindy

Yes.

dekindy

You should wash it with soap and warm water and hang to dry. Occasionally use the Camelbak cleaning tablets. Bite the bullet and purchase the cleaning kit. If you don't purchase it now, you will the first time you see black gunk in your hose that you cannot reach with any of the brushes that you have.

RubenX 

Other than water.... well, if you use powdered drinks (sport drink mix, powder gatorade, etc) the bladder and tube will get dirty. This is because some powder particles never fully dilute and cling to the plastic. The bladder can be cleaned with a baby bottle brush (usually). The tube is more tricky. I use a wet piece of napkin and muzzle it through the tube with a long, thin stick. The valve is can be done with a q-tip.

Machka 

You don't have to worry about rinsing it first ... you've got to worry about cleaning it well after. Or you could have a science project for the local elementary school on your hands.

Cannondaler

I never put anything but water in my Camelback and I have never had any of that black crud in the tube or bladder. I usually just rinse it out if I clean it at all. My riding buddy uses gatorade and water sometimes but he says he has to clean it right after the ride or it will start to get nasty.
Use water in the Camelback, carry an extra bottle if you want a sports drink too.

CCrew

If you're intent on running with OJ though, definitely invest in the cleaning kit. We however have found that SunnyD has the hit of OJ without some of the bad effects (pulp/etc). Walmart sells it in giant bottles for like 3 bux also. Wife and son swear by it, it's acidic for my liking but it also freezes/thaws well.

-Roger

GoldIngot

I used to keep sports drink in mine....until I had some black gunk in the crevices. Now it's only water in mine.

OJ and other stuff is ok but then cleaning becomes extremely important and it just isn't that easy cleaning all the nooks and crannies inside the bladder.

apclassic9

if you're going to put anything but water in your camelbak, your should clean the bladder, tube & mouthpiece throroughly - fill with HOT water and a Tablespoon of chlorine bleach, shake it up, squeeze the mouthpiece until some water comes out. Let it sit for a few hours, and then empty the bladder through the hose/mouthpiece. RINSE, RINSE, RINSE.... the hose & mouthpiece, too!

bab2000

Chlorine bleach? I would use White Vinegar instead, should have same effect, without the possibility of bleach taste.

I use Vinegar water to clean Hummingbird feeders, if I use dish soap or even chlorine bleach, the birds never, and mean never eat from that feeder till I clean completely with Vinegar solution.

If good enough for these small birds, I suspect it will do no harm to your system.

JMHO, do not have camelback, just collection of water bottles.

cachehiker

I tried it, once. Then had to clean it really well, once. Haven't used anything but water since.

I'll have to try this. I personally don't mind the taste but I used chlorine last year and the hummingbirds wouldn't go near the feeders until a month after usual. The feeders weren't too bad this year so I didn't clean them. Between the two feeders and the wildflower filled yard, I'm being inundated with the critters this year.

ken cummings

OJ is not so bad. The acidity helps slow the funk. I had carrot juice in a waterbottle once and it went bad by the next morning. The only thing I have found besides water that is safe to leave in a bottle (camelback) is wine. The combination of acidity, around 3.0 to 3.4 pH, and ethanol, 12% to 19% acts as a preservative. I left some grape juice in a water bottle for a week and had fizzy wine for the next ride.

BarracksSi

Hmm...

Alternatively, Camelbak now sells sugarless tablets for flavor & electrolytes that they say won't make a mess. They use sucralose for a sweetener, and come in lemon-lime and orange flavors (plus the orange has caffeine ). One tablet is good for 24 oz., so you could use one in a regular bike bottle, too.

I haven't tried them, though.

tdister

Do you use bottles at all? I would put some OJ in a bottle and use the camelbak for more water like substances.

Even a full sport bottle is a lot of OJ, much less a camelbaks worth. Gotta be hard on your body.


Alternate answer: Only if you mix it with Vodka to kill any germs.

GoldIngot

Best answer yet.

Nightshade

Yes, only pure clean water. Also, don't forgo complete cleaning 'cause water can carry some
really nasty pathogen's that can get deadly quick (yes, even city water if left to mellow in the camel
back).

Gonzlobo

I would clean out the OJ with Tang. It's a proven cleanser.

Zan

i wasn't thinking of packing in 3L of the OJ, maybe mix it in with water to dilute. I drink the OJ and get a big kick outta it in terms of energy and whatnot.

y'all are talking 'bout the thorough cleaning process with the tablets or bleach or w.e. so far i've only used water in mine. i've been riding with it since october or september (of course i don't ride during the winter). i've never "cleaned" it. just empty it after a ride, wipe it out with paper towels, and hang it to dry... no problems yet. maybe my system is hardy - but that's bs.

I suppose i'd be able to clean it out with the vinegar - that's a good idea.

to answer tdister's question: no, i don't use water bottles at all. no cages on my bike, and don't plan on getting any. no need for my road bike, as i carry my camelbak on me (3L is fine for the routes i take). On my old mountain bike, i found i'd lose my water bottle occasionally with rough riding - the bottle would vibrate out of the holder. Since then i've snapped the holder by hooking it on some brush during one particular ride. ... not a fan of water bottle when mountain biking, and don't need 'em for road riding.

mark9950

Whats up with oj?

BarracksSi

The glove didn't fit.

Doug5150

I only put water in mine, and anything else goes in bottles.

The problem I have heard is that whatever liquid you put in, it is just about impossible to rinse that flavor out for a while. So you will taste it faintly the next few times you do use clean water. If you use a strong cleaner like bleach or ammonia to try to fix the situation, then you will taste bleach or ammonia.
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