Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Blah! Water bladder taste?

Any tricks to keep water in a pack bladders fresher longer?

Having tried a couple different bladders, same problem re-occurs.

Starting clean and fresh, seems I can not get a day without the water taking on that strong plastic-mold (for a lack of a better description) taste.

Drinking passed the water in the tube seems better longer, but I know it is cutting back my intake to the point of wanting to carry bottled water, there noisy.

try dousing the bag with a mixture of a couple teasponse of baking soda in the water, let sit awhile and rinse. Do it a couple of times and see if that helps.
I have also used lemon juice and mixing the two (base and acids foam, so don't be surprised).

A friend uses vinegar.

A little bit goes a long way

Have you tried the "Platypus" brand?

I gave up on Camelbak's for that very reason; never could get rid of the plastic taste. I've had much better luck with my Platypus water bladders and containers than any other.

I quit using bladders all together b/c of the taste. If anyone has a sure fire trick post it up. I like the ease of bladders.

Went through the Red Field, Camal-back, and now the Badlands bladder.

Picked up a better bristle-brush at Bass Pro today, hopping it will help?

The dude at Bass Pro heard of using a mouth-wash rinse?

Maybe will get a chance to go to REI and see if they have a Platapus bladder.

I would really like to get ot to work. So far been thinking that enough water, sooner or latter it will function fresh?

I don't use the bladders, but here's how I keep my plastic canteens fresh. Been doing this since way back in my USMC days.

The day before going out, I'll put about a teaspoon or so of mouthwash in the canteen, then fill it up halfway with water, shake it real good with the cap loosely on to let the threads get some. Then fill it right up and let it set overnight.

In the morning, dump it out and fill with fresh cold water. Later on it tastes fresh and minty. It stays fresh tasting through several refills.

I store my bladders in the freezer and fill them up the day of use. Rinse of the cap and mating part to get rid of ice to ensure closure.

I always squeeze in some lemon juice, from a bottle of concentrate, each time I use it. I prefer the taste.

If one gets funky I dump in at least a half dozen tablespoons of baking soda and fill it with water, squeeze out the air, shake and let sit over night. Then sometime the next day I run the mixture out through the hose.

I have found that if one goes bacterial, its pretty much a lost cause. I put a chlorine solution in mine and shake it up real good and let set an hour or so then a baking soda soak overnight. Those in combination once over will usually get me through an entire season. I do keep mine in a dark cool place so to not tempt the bacteria growth. Also, seems obvious, but you can never put a drink mix in your bladder that includes sugar. I don't put anything but water in mine and carry a seperate bottle to mix drinks.

Come to think of it, when I'm going light, I use chlorine dioxide in my bladder to purify the water and that may also contribute to bacterial growth prevention.

Kept clean I find no funny taste issues.

A slice of cucumber gives water a refreshing taste....

I use the same stuff I use to sterilize my winemaking equipment, a solution of sodium or potassium metabisulfite, no aftertaste.

I toss a tablet or two of Nuun in my Platypus bladders and it pretty well covers any latent plasticity. It's also possible that I'm starting to like the taste of plastic.

Shot of listerine and shake it up for a bit and let it sit overnight. If its gonna get stored a while between uses I will clean with peroxide and make sure its totally dry.

For my Camelbak if I get any taste it's because I haven't cleaned it in awhile. I'll fill it with hot water to get everything wet. Then I'll drain it and take a Camelbak cleaning kit and clean out the inside. I'll see a difference between the scrubbed and unscrubbed areas. I then put in a cleaning tab from the kit and let it stand for awhile filled with hot water. Then I'll rinse it out a few times and it will be good to go after that.

There was one time that procedure didn't get rid of the taste. I then put baking soda in water and let it sit for a bit. I rinsed again and haven't had any problems since. I've been using the same bladder since around 2004 or 2005 and this has worked well. Just clean it and make sure it's dry before you store it.

I recommend Platypus too. The new ones are really a step forward. Keep the bladder out of the sun as much as possible.

I haven't noticed any plastic taste from my Platytpus bladder but, I've only used it a couple of times.

Buy it at REI and take it back if it has taste and odor issues.
Check to see if bladder is rated for potable water, and if so most
plastics can,t store water for long without taste issues.

I have a Blackhawk bladder and have used it for a couple years and never had any funky taste.
I use only bottled water to fill it. I get the gallon jugs of Crystal Geyser water from the grocery store and have never put any drink mixes in it.

O - I don't have clorinated water. It is best to not use clorinated water in your bladder.

Thanks for all the reply(s)!
The info here always rocks!
Up above Lake Grandby on the off drainage of Elk mountain. A 3 day 'scouting/just cause' trip.

Did not get to REI, yet, but will.

I just happened to remember a box of soda, and a pint of Apple cider vinegaraat minute shopping. Did the soda, vinegar, scrub, boiling water with a lite soda/vinegar rinse.

Filled yesterday and added a couple shots of cider vinegar, and drank will. It was a good feeling to go some distance, and sip as I go.

Added less vinegar to day, and still taste well, the water in the tube is a little tainted.

Dodging thunder storms, finding Android cell service everywhere I go!

Sure I am not the first to respond to the site from 10,250 feet, but sure is a mixed feeling to be connected.