Camelback water resevoir, how to make it palletable?

trailblazer83

Hello,

I have got a camelback but the water is not the nicest tasting and after a longish ride where it has warmed a little it is really hard to drink, Is there anyway to get rid of the cleaning chemical tastes? I was thinking of running a bottle of fruit juice cordial or something in it just to add some kind of more pleasent taste to it.

hope you can help,

Nath

Mancunianfightingcat

I add a powder based energy drink to my water and wash it out with just very hot tap water and dry it with a towel, I can't say I've ever experienced a bad taste. If I don't empty the drink on a ride I'll store it in the fridge until next time.

trailblazer83

ahh I heard that, i think its because my mate who gave it to me bleached it, Maybe I should freeze it after washing it out? I know that helps with some things.

Mancunianfightingcat

I wouldn't it might crack it. Get some sterilizing tablets for baby bottles and try them

Ciaran500

Never had a taste from mine, even during the first use. There's no problem freezing it, I do it after every ride and still looks perfect.

Also, throw some ice in it when you fill it if you want to keep it cool on the long ride.

millster

I bought one of the ones from tesco for a tenner and never had any problems! shoulda gone cheap

taff_94

When i got my camelback the water tasted like plastic so i cleaned it out with really hot water(kettle water) and now i dont get that taste.
I am sure others on here will give there solutions and good luck.

Taff

strodey

Mine never tasted of anything! I always use a energy powder which gives it a nice orange taste, the only thing is once you've used one the slight taste stays, i clean it out with milton tablets which keeps it fresh and store it in the freezer i i get back and can't be bothered to use it that way no nastys start to grow in there!

trailblazer83

do you leave the lid off in the freezer? thanks for all your help.

fred22

I have a brand new decathlon one and the taste is like TCP or something similar (Dettol?) I would love to know how to get rid of this taste too

strodey

I leave the lid off purely because last time i didn't i struggled to get it open as it froze, would not worry about it splitting though whenever ive done it closed its never split!

Markmjh

As others have said, clean it out with hot water and bang it in the freezer untill the next ride.
If it really tastes bad, it might be worth getting a new tube. Sometimes this is the part that gives it a bad taste as it is the hardest part to clean properly.

Surf-Matt

Mancunianfightingcat wrote:

I wouldn't it might crack it. Get some sterilizing tablets for baby bottles and try them

The plastic they are made from won't crack from freezing. In fact no plastic cracks from freezing down to normal freezer temps - about -20.

I just rinse and freeze mine - seems fine.

Rich Hcp

I use plain water in mine, rinse and dry wit a towel

Bung some ice in at the strt and it stays cool for quite a while

Bmjboy

Do official Camelbak bladders have a life-span? - Ive inherited a "proper" one, and used half a sterilising tablet to clean it out, rinsed LOADS and even tried boiling water too.

The plastic taste is still very apparent, I never had this issue with my old non-branded bladder.

My most recent ride I simply tipped all the water out as I couldnt drink it and was pointless carrying the extra weight.

Any ideas what's wrong?

Is it time for a new one? (I dont know how old this one is that I have been given)

.

rmurgatr

Mix in quite a bit of pure lemon juice (suck it through the tube) and leave over night.
Empty, rinse and leave to dry naturally.
Always works for me.

Bossangel

i usually put 1 litre orange juice, 1 litre water and some salt in mine, i usually rinse it out after and use baby sterilisation fluid in it once in a while, i do put in the freezer but my wife often says your not putting that in there and takes it out

crimsondynamo

I use boiled water with bicarbinate of soda, leave it for 24 hrs, rinse thoroughly with cold water. Job's a good 'un.

Bromski

TIP: instead of ice, try an ice pop - it makes a kind of permanent freezer block for your bladder.

Just freeze it again after the ride.

Stops your juice/energy drink getting diluted too much and means you dont have to faff about with ice cubes.

Only 5p from my local corner shop!

Andy B

Nice tip!

Plus if it's sweltering you can always eat the ice pop after the ride!

ross_mcculloch

What exactly does freezing it do?

lovewales

In our house we have 4 camelbac bladders and only one tastes of plastic. I found that filling it with cheap cola and leaving got rid of the taste.

Bmjboy

lovewales wrote:

In our house we have 4 camelbac bladders and only one tastes of plastic. I found that filling it with cheap cola and leaving got rid of the taste.

Does that leave a cola taste? - Im kind of only wanting to put water in mine, but if this awful taste persists will have to put some flavour in.

Will have another go today at fixing this problem.

beski

I bought one of the Tesco cheapies today and I must admit the water tasted like swimming pool water :shock: , I'm hoping that it will not be so bad next time. Good tip putting it in the freezer, I didn't think of that, I was wondering how the hell I would get the bladder dry inside, been on the washing line in the sun & wind for an hour & a half & still not dry! Just put it into the freezer
Those ice pops sound like pucker idea as well

Bones!!

unfortunately some people are just very susceptible to being able to taste the plastic (kind of like a TCP taste). personally i would try changing the tube as mentioned above, as the tube can be difficult to clean properly. if that don't work it could be time for an upgrade but if as i said before you are just one of the unlucky people who is sensitive to the taste, it may always be a problem.

supersonic

ross_mcculloch wrote:

What exactly does freezing it do?

Stops the bug growing inside, which makes it taste foul, and can give you a bad stomach.

fred22

The Baking Soda definitely takes the edge of the medicinal taste. I used about a desertspoon full in a 2.5 litre bladder and left over night. I notice that the drinking tube says anti-microbial so that probably explains why it tastes of TCP -it actually is TCP

Larok

With bladders I think from new you have to make sure they're looked after by emptying and making sure they are 100% dry inside after each and every time you use it. By using one of these;

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=24171

The freezer idea is a new one on me but sounds like a good idea as an alternative.

If its gotten nasty in the past and been bleached I would start again with a new bladder. Keep it completely dry inside when stored.

Ice cubes sound nice and a thermal control kit keeps the water in the tube cooler longer, depending how long between drinks, avoiding that initial warm water until the hose refills from the cooler water in the bladder.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... delID=5967

Bmjboy

Ok guys, one of these "What would you do?" moments:

I have a new Camelbak Omega 3l resvoir, used only with water 2 or 3 times, rinsed throughly according to guidelines.

The water still tastes like plastic/TCP...!!!

Either Im one of those with a discerning pallet for plastic, or I need to use something to get rid of the taste.

Do I get some "official" camelbak tablets or do I follow a suggestion on this thread? - ie, cola, bicarb, lemon juice etc....

I will post my findings to my chosen method...

trailblazer83

you do one and ill do the other. Forum experiment!!

Bmjboy

I googled "Camelbak Foul taste" and found a thread on dayhiker.com...

http://www.dayhiker.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000039.html

Someone had emailed Camelbak and got this reply::

>>>

Sorry to learn of your unpleasant experiences with your new CamelBak. The taste you are getting is from the tubing, not the reservoir itself. I have a couple of tricks for you to try to alleviate that nasty taste.

Step 1- Try soaking the interior of your reservoir in a sugar/water solution. Use 1/2 cup sugar to a full reservoir of water. Make sure to release the bite valve & get this solution into the tubing. Let this soak overnight. In the morning, let all the solution drain out via the hose & bite valve. Rinse very well with warm water and take a taste test. If you still notice any rubbery/plastic taste, proceed to Step II.

Step 2 - Use a limejuice & water soak. Use 3-5 tablespoons of concentrated limejuice to a full reservoir of water. Again, make sure this gets into the tubing, and let soak over night. Let the soak drain thru tubing, rinse well with warm water & have a taste test.

>>>>>

I will try step 1 and see how things go, then move to step 2 if no joy.