WACOOL 3L 3Liter 100oz BPA Free EVA Hydration Pack Bladder, Leak-Proof Water Reservoir

I used this bladder for an Appalachian Trail section hike in the summer of 2016. It fit perfectly into the hydration compartment of my Kelty Coyote 80 backpack. I had no "plastic" taste, no leaks, and no malfunctions. I was concerned that the hose might disconnect or otherwise leak in my pack (and I was pretty rough with it at times), but it worked like a champ. I was able to remove it and reinsert it without emptying my pack -- I just pushed it (forced it) into the hydration sleeve (like I said, I was pretty rough with it at times). The clip-closure on the top is a MUST HAVE. It's way easier to fill (and clean & dry) with that wide opening. If you are hiking in an area with trickling water sources (or just a shallow puddle fed by a trickle), this thing is easy to fill by just opening the top flap. I cut my tube and inserted a Sawyer Mini filter "in line". My buddy was filtering water into hydration bottles. He wasted a lot of time filtering a each water stop, and it was much harder for him to "drink on the go". This one also has an insulation sleeve, though I'm not sure it did a lot to help keep my water cool(er). The only issue I encountered was with the push-on / push-off "shutoff" on the bite valve. If I pulled too hard to open the safety value, the end would pull off entirely. It easily snapped back on, so it wasn't a big deal for me. I just learned to be a little more careful opening the shutoff (or just leave it open since very little water drips from the bite value when you aren't biting down on it). This was a great product at a great price.

Let me go into this by saying this is my first hydration bladder. They didn't seem practical to use with a filter, and carrying almost a gallon of water seemed to be excessive to me. The price caught my eye, I recently bought a new pack with a convenient bladder pocket, and was going on a lengthy bike ride, so the stars aligned and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to try it out. My first use of this hydration bladder was on a 52 mile bike ride, with 3L of water to start the trip. Here are my findings: -Filling is a breeze. The top has a slide that comes out and allows you to open the bladder fully from the top, and fill it with clean water. If you don't want to go through that hassle, it has a large screw-on lid that you can fill through. Many of the negative review's mentioned this cap leaked, and that was the first thing I tested when I got this. I found NO leaks, even filled to the max. -The hose is one of the best parts of this thing. It attaches to the bladder with a kind of "push in and twist" system, so once its in it doesn't leak, and if you take the hose out to just use the bladder, it doesn't leak either. With the hose being detachable, this also makes it VERY easy to clean. The nozzle on the hose has a dust cover (of course) to protect the actual piece you put in your mouth from any nasty dust/dirt/insects/pterodactyls. The nice part about the dust cover is that you CAN use your teeth to pull it off of the nozzle. This worked great when I needed to keep a hand on my handlebar. -Back to the hose/nozzle, once you take the dust cover off it has a "lock/unlock" system for the nozzle so water doesnt accidentally leak out. You simply pull on the nozzle to "unlock" it, and push back in on it to "lock" it. Basically I would use my teeth to pull the dust cover off, bite the nozzle, pull it to "unlock it", and then suck to get water. I would then bite the nozzle and push towards the hose to "lock" it, use my teeth to put the dust cover back on, and be on my way. This really impressed me, and while I was on my bike for the entire time on a paved trail, the bladder didn't take much abuse. I fully plan on taking this with me on my next long hike, and will update my review based on my experience hiking. So far, this thing is great!

I thought mine was a good deal: A water bladder with a cleaning kit for $23. It may not be the best in the world, but if you're looking for something that works and don't mind if you lost it either, this is a good choice. Mine didn't leak at all and the hose worked. -The bladder material is made of lightweight but tough rubber. I don't think it'd puncture that easily. -The inside has a very smooth, glass-like feel. I think it'd clean easily. -Their customer service is AMAZING. Great people. Note: -There is a plastic ring where the hose and the mouthpiece meet that slides up and down to lock/unlock water flow. It's a bit stubborn at first, but move it a few times and it loosens up. It's not broken. And you have to bite the nozzle to get water flow. -Be aware that the top is open and folded over, and secured by a plastic clip. ***Be sure to slide the white core piece of the clip IN BETWEEN the fold, or it'll slip off and water will be everywhere (you'll see when you get it and find out why I say this). It's good that the top is open for extremely easy cleaning (better than trying to brush through the fill cap), but it is another opening and that may be an issue for some people. But so far, it doesn't leak around the fold and the clip holds the entire weight w/o slipping off. I had doubts about the open top design, but it works. If anything, it has the benefit of being able to stick your whole hand in it for complete cleaning. I'm actually thinking about getting another one as a spare.

I used this bladder when hiking to cloud peak WY. It worked 95% great. The design of the cap is great (much better than camel back in my opinion, easier to screw on). It felt sturdy and didn't feel at risk of popping. The quick detach feature of the straw (which has a nice thermal sleeve made of neoprene to keep water cooler) came in handy many times when refilling at streams. My only complaint is that the straw has a bad habit of leaking. You have to be certain you lock it back in place (sometimes deceptively difficult) after every drink or you will find that your clothes have a new wet spot. I also was never able to get rid of the plastic taste even after using hot salt water like the instructions recommended. Overall I can't complain for the price.

This is a great bladder. I have used it about 5 times now and it works as expected without any leaks. It is really easy to fill because it has a plastic handle around the opening where the water goes in, which keeps the bladder stable while you are filling it up. The bladder also really easy to clean. All you need to do is to unscrew the top and unhook the bladder entirely. I also really enjoy the quick connector of the tube from the bag. It doesn't leak at all and makes it much easier while cleaning the bag or filling up. I will buy more of these when I am back in the market. So glad I got this!

I put this inside an existing 2L pack and it works well enough. I have been impressed by the construction. The bag is well made and easy to clean. I am concerned about losing the clip as that is the only thing that keeps this bag sealed. Other than that I had to use a small zip-tie where the insulation attaches to the hose because it would slide up and down as I opened the nozzle to drink. Hopefully the insolation cover and proper care will prevent anything from growing in the tube.

I tested it once it arrived, for any leaks and was pleasantly surprised with how well it was built. Holds enough water for a long trek. Fits great in the backpack. Easy to clean and dry.

Works totally fine! Happy for the outcome from what I spend! The bag fits 2L and it holds the shape. It was a rough walk but the bag survived. Tube is good design, I have no trouble drinking the water and it doesn’t make any mess. You need to bite the tube to be able to suck from it which is great. No water spills, whatsoever. Price is so much cheaper than Anaconda in Australia and with this quality, I’d continue to buy it.

I brought this bladder for a 3 days backcountry trip because I wanted more than the 2 liters I already have. It does the job, the only downside is that the cap on top of the bag is a little big and takes some extra space in the bag. Otherwise it’s fine and I like the fact that the tube is insulated.