Hydration Bladder, 1.5-2-3L Water Bladder for Hiking Backpack, BPA-Free Leak Proof Water Reservoir Storage Bag, Water Pouch Hydration Pack for Camping Cycling Running

I recently purchased this hydration bladder for a camping and hiking trip to Big Bend. I washed and tested it out before the trip and was pretty impressed with the quality of the materials and parts. It also comes with a spare O-ring for the tube connection which is nice. There was no pervasive smell or anything other than the usual new "plastic" smell that was gone after washing. And importantly, no plastic or chemical taste at all - just pure H2O. It fit and worked great in my REI daypack, carries a good amount of water, was easy to fill on-the-go with the big fill hole, had no leaking at all over several days of camping/hiking, and the bite-valve worked perfectly. Stupidly, I didn't realize it had an On/Off valve and couldn't figure out why the water stopped flowing halfway through my first hike. Turns out I had accidentally pushed the valve in and shut off the flow. So I can attest that this feature works :)So yeah, 2 notes I would share:1) the bite-valve pushes in/out to shut the flow off/on;2) to empty the tube of water after washing or using, disconnect the tube, hold it upside down with the bite-valve at the bottom, and just squeezed the bite valve to release all the water.Overall, the quality and functionality of this hydration bladder is excellent and feels premium. Worked flawlessly (other than my own human error) on multiple hikes in hot and rugged conditions. When you factor in the low price (I paid $9.97), I would highly recommend this to anyone.PROS:- Premium quality and materials- No smell or taste (after initial washing)- Large hole for easy washing and filling- No leaking- Bite-valve w/ dust cover and On/Off valve- Extras: Spare O-ring- Extras: Included camouflage buff (this actually came in handy on full sun hikes to protect the back of my neck)CONS:- None that I experienced or can think of

Works well, I have used it for hiking and raves. I have not experienced any leaks or tears so far. Quite durable, and decent capacity.

I have several packs with bladder pockets but I've never bought a bladder until now. I saw this one on sale and decided to bite the bullet. My thinking was that I could wear it when I ride my motorcycle so that I wouldn't have to pull over to grab a drink of water.The good news is that almost everything about the bladder is fine. The fill hole is huge, which makes the bladder easy to fill. It seems plenty robust, the water I put in it has no weird smells or flavors, and the drinking hose is more than long enough for my pack.The only minor drawback is the drinking valve at the end of the hose. You have to bite it to get it to flow water, which is good because it keeps the hose from constantly dribbling. However, I find that the valve is erratic-- most of the time it works fine, other times I have to bite it a couple of times or reposition it between my teeth to get water to flow. I'm hoping that either the valve breaks in, or that I get better at activating the valve over time.But that's a minor nuisance, and the bladder itself works fine. The valve is too long for me to stuff it under my motorcycle helmet and into my mouth unless I flip up the chin guard (I have a hybrid full face/open helmet that allows me to do this), but that's not a problem. If I come to a stop I can flip my helmet open without removing it, take a drink, and snap it shut again in a few seconds. It works a lot better than I thought it would and is very convenient. I can do it one-handed so my other hand can stay on the clutch lever, which is nice.I find that the 2L size is perfect for me. It holds about the same volume of water as 2 of my Nalgene bottles, or about as much as my Klean Kanteen. That's about half a day's worth of water for me, so I can ride, hike, walk around, or whatever without worrying about refilling. It's also more convenient to pack than my 64 oz. Klean Kanteen because it lays flat and conforms to my back. It's easier to fill the pack around the bladder, and since I don't have to worry about taking it back out to drink, I don't have to constantly rearrange the contents of my bag.For you hikers and campers, there may be another advantage to an inexpensive bladder like this. A few years ago I saw that someone had added an inline water filter (a Sawyer, I think) to the drinking hose of their bladder. I believe there are adapters available to do this. You cut the hose and install the filter between the cut ends. Then you can fill the bladder with water from streams and lakes without worrying about microorganisms, etc. I haven't done this (and probably won't any time soon), but if I was so inclined, I'd rather do it to a $12 water bladder than something more expensive.Longevity is still an unknown, but the bag seems quite durable so I'm not worried. I do have to remember to not pack anything sharp near it, but that hasn't been a problem, even with a chronic over-packer like me. Given the convenience that this bladder offers, I'm glad I finally got one.

I recently acquired a hydration pack that did not come with a bottle. This bladder is a perfect fit, as snug as it could be without getting deformed. The weather only recently turned warm enough for me to take a decent hike and try out my new hydration gear. I am quite pleased. I used spring water from the refrigerator, and it stayed cold most of the afternoon—the plastic is good and thick. The hose provides a good flow.