Water and sub freezing conditions

[AlexeyD]

We can if the site needs some traffic. As a traditionalist mountaineer that resists the modern horrors of GPS and trail markers, I think the only legitimate way to drink while climbing is from clay pots. If you use anything else, you didn't really climb the mountain.

Whatevs...real purists don't need ANY water. It's all doping, I say!

[Curtis Stoll]

Sorry if this is a stupid question or has been answered before. I looked around and didn't see anything.

Really? What terms were you searching for?
Re: Water in Winter
Re: The cure for Frozen water?
Re: 2014 14ers Winter Welcomer
Re: Which water bottle?
Re: Winter climbing equipment
Re: Winter 14er water storage...
Re: Looking for advice on doing this in winter.
And so on...

Well, I guess I am incompetent. Thanks for pointing that out. Thanks to the people that did respond, even if they do roll their eyes at reading a post that has been repeated.

[mountain_stoke]

If you do like to use a bladder/hose system, you can do it to very cold temps with the following tricks:


1. Get a MSR dromedary bag with the hose adaptor kit or even better- a hydromedary bag so you can safely use hot or boiling water
2. Before your climb, fill the bag with hot or boiling water/tea/gatorade/drink of choice.
3. Bleed as much air from the bladder as possible.
4. Before you start moving, be sure the hose and bite valve is liquid free. If there is any liquid, blow it back into the bag, then raise the hose overhead and "ping" it to make sure any droplets fall back into the bladder.
5. Keep the bite valve in your shirt or jacket at all times when not drinking.
6. After taking a drink, EVERY TIME, blow back liquid into the bladder and then raise bite valve high overhead and ping it to ensure the hose is empty. Put the bite valve back in your shirt/jacket.

I realize this is a lot of extra effort compared with using a nalgene/bottle parka or a thermos, however to me it is well worth it. I like being able to continually stay hydrated and fed (I used gatorade and cytocarb2 in the bladder for calories) without stopping. I also dont like having to go in and out of my pack to hydrate every time or have nalgenes in bottle parkas hanging off my hip belt. For that matter, I don't like having a hip belt.

I have used this system and tricks reliably for long days at subzero temperatures. if it is really cold, I will insulate the hot bladder in my down jacket inside the pack.

[mountainjock]

In the past I have used my camelback with the tube insulator. I always cleared the tube and valve of water. It worked pretty ok. Sometimes I had to put the tube in my jacket for a bit. Now I have an Osprey bladder with the insulator, just haven't had the freezing temps to test it yet. Seems to be better insulated than the camelback though, as the insulation wraps around the valve. I had to retire my old camelback bladder, both of the new 1/4 turn style ones leaked on me during hikes, soaking my back, so I switched to the Osprey. I love it so far! I never liked using bottles. I hate a bottle in my jacket, and going into my pack to get a drink sucks! I would always get dehydrated when I tried bottles. To each their own though!

[lodgling]

I put a Nalgene 12oz flask (with hydration, not booze) in my chest pocket in an inner layer. Keeps it warm and easily accessible. Fits well and isn't annoying. Refill on longer breaks from larger source in my bag or, if riding the lifts, from a faucet inside.

They are sold with an extra plastic sleeve and shot glass the are useless but can be removed.

[shredthegnar10]

I use these.

[lilgreenfish]

In the past I have used my camelback with the tube insulator. I always cleared the tube and valve of water. It worked pretty ok. Sometimes I had to put the tube in my jacket for a bit. Now I have an Osprey bladder with the insulator, just haven't had the freezing temps to test it yet. Seems to be better insulated than the camelback though, as the insulation wraps around the valve. I had to retire my old camelback bladder, both of the new 1/4 turn style ones leaked on me during hikes, soaking my back, so I switched to the Osprey. I love it so far! I never liked using bottles. I hate a bottle in my jacket, and going into my pack to get a drink sucks! I would always get dehydrated when I tried bottles. To each their own though!

I have that Osprey insulator hose (it's my spacewoman hose!). It's definitely better than the Camelbak's, but it still can freeze, sadly (luckily I was at the end of that hike). I also found that drinking fairly frequently also helps, since it doesn't give the water a chance to freeze; it was on the way down the mountain when I don't drink as much that it froze (though if you suck on it enough, sometimes it will unfreeze).

I always carry a backup water bottle, too. 1 L, and it can be refilled from the bladder if the hose freezes. But I like having my water easy to get to. Otherwise I don't drink as much as I should.

[thurs]

Blowing all the water back into the bladder (clearing the tube) is really the only method that matters to me. This has kept my water unfrozen even with temps around 0*F with an un-insulated camelback just in my pack like normal. Insulated tubes don't seem to do much, and I have no idea why they would from a design standpoint (they might give you an extra 15 min before it freezes?). If you make sure to blow the water back, I wouldn't bother worrying about any other tips.