Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Climbing Kilimanjaro in two weeks, need advise on water bearing.

They recommend against camelbacks due to freezing temps at altitude (19,341 Feet). And freezing in the drink lines.

How do we insulate our reservoirs against freezing?

Alternative is taking many Nalgene bottles.

There are insulated drink hoses. I have never had one freeze yet.

Forget hydration bladders in below freezing... use a water bottle with insulated cover..

They work just fine in below freezing weather. Water bottles are a pain in the ass. I snowboard all winter with a bladder, Ice Climb with a bladder, and predator hunt all winter with a bladder. The Bladder is against your back (which creates heat) and is surrounded by the your clothes inside the pack, all of which is a hell of a lot more insulation than an insulated cover!

Sorry, but my experience is the reverse... it's much easier to get a wide-mouthed bottle to cooperate than a 1/4" line...

Which cover do you recommend?

I did Kilimanjaro in 96. Just bought a bunch of water bottles

Don’t remember any freezing issues. Just pace yourself

Bladders don't work in below freezing! Really? It was so hard keeping my hose from freezing.

OR makes a good one.

DW-

I have used a Camelbac in winter here down to 10-15 degrees several times. Worked fine for me except for the hose freezing up occasionally. I replaced the hose with one covered with the neoprene that CB sells, but it would still freeze up after drinking. I discovered that if I tipped the hose up and then open the bitevalve it would drain it back into the bladder. I haven't had it freeze since.
Never have had my bladder freeze. Would think it depends on how extreme the temps will run.
I do agree with Brad that for sustained temps at that level, I suspect the bottles might be safer bet if you are( as I assume you would be) staying out in a tent and not returning to a "warm" camper at night so everything can warm back up.
Good luck on your "hike". Sounds awesome.
Joe

MCH, summer time on a snow field is not the same as sustained single digit and colder temps... nice try tho

Summer? Ice Field? Wrong and wrong! March High Tatras Gerlach has no ice fields. Temp that day was 20, last time I checked freezing was 32.

20 Celsius? 😃

I am sorry that clearing a hose is so hard of a skill for you to acquire. I have been running bladders for years never a problem.

You were sleeping in a Hut, right?

No I was home that night sleeping in my bed!

Lol, sounds right.

I know of no one that uses bladders in sustained, real cold. Too problematic. Not sure about Kilimanjaro, never been. Doesn’t sound very severe so they might be fine. I’ll defer to your “hose clearing” experience in this case. I just know in sustained single digits and lower they’re useless, and that’s not a guess.

That is funny I use them all the time in single digit's and plenty of overnights. No problems. I ain't guessing either. Sorry a simple bladder is so hard to figure out for you.

But your knowledge sure did shine with this one!

So out overnight and below zero you have no issues with the hose freezing?

I’m genuinely curious because I quit them some years ago for this very reason. But if there’s better technology currently I’ll defer to your experience.