Kamelbak Kommentz

General
1

Firstly, why do marketing people still think it’s kool to use a K instead of a CK in wordz like Camelbak? How awfully 1970s.

Anyway, I’ve generally been pleased with my Camelbak Lobo, a 1.5 litre bladder in a back pack (bakpak?) with a couple of handy storage spaces for tools, wallet, keys, watch, pump and calories, and a zig zag elastikated strap to hold a spare sweater or waterproof.

I’m still not sure it’s hydration positive though: does the seaty patch it creates on your back cause more fluid loss than the 1.5 litre bladder can replenish? Would a waistpack and bottles be better? I’m undecided.

I went for a few weeks without any serious riding, and didn’t use my Camelbak. When I returned to it, I thought I’d found the elusive weapons of mass destruction: a huge colony of vile-looking slime. (As Spock might say, “Seems biological, Captain.”)

Eventually, I purchased a bottle brush on a wire which was nearly long enough to clean the drinking tube. I thoroughly cleansed the Camelbak. It seems OK.

But… what about the mouthpiece? Mine had a Camelbak Hydrolok mouthpiece with a cunning valve operated by a rather flimsy-looking plastic lever. To my mind, the lever worked in the wrong direction. Most of the time, it is in the closed position, and in that position, it looks most vulnerable to being caught and broken.

I decided it would be a wise precaution to sterilise the mouthpiece, and that the best way to do this would be to put it in boiling water for a while.

Haha! Ever since then, it’s leaked! I tried dismantling it, and found a tiny little clear rubber (silicone?) O ring. Reseating it proved impossible. I could not find a position in which it would stop the valve leaking.

And worse, when I was trying to drink from the mouthpiece, I found myself swallowing lots of air, which was seeping in around the edge of the valve. I could only use the valve by pushing the end of the valve hard against the seat.

So, I decided to buy a replacement valve. I went to the local sports megastore (Decathlon) and was horrified to discover that Hydrolok valves are about £7.49 (15% of the cost of the whole Camelbak).

I also noticed that some of the Camlebak lookie-likies don’t have a Hydrolok-style valve, but just a mouthpiece that you bite (like the Camelbak Comfobite (yes, really!)) mouthpiece.

So, I’ve simply removed the Hydrolok and fitted the Comfobite mouthpiece directly to the end of the drinking tube. So far, it appears NOT to be leaking. Certainly, the air-bubbles-in-the-mouth problem is removed.

So, unless anyone knows better:

Don’t boil your Hydrolok.
In fact, manage without it. Less to go wrong.

2

Re: Kamelbak Kommentz

Mikefule wrote:
>
> Firstly, why do marketing people still think it’s kool to use a K
> instead of a CK in wordz like Camelbak? How awfully 1970s.

I suspect it might be because it’s easier to trademark a
mis-spelt word than a correctly spelt one.

Of course, Camelbak may well have been around since the 1970s,
so a 1970s style name would have been appropriate then!

  • Richard
3

What I do to keep my camlebak from growing slime is to empty it when I am done with it then I pour in some hydrogen peroxide soulution and let some out through the hose and then leave it until I want to use it, then when I need to use it I empty out the H2O2 rinse it and refill it with water. It hasn’t ever grown slime and I leave it for months at a time in the winter this way and I have never had to use a brush or drying thing. Hydrogen peroxide is H2O2 which I have heard is used in water purification as an alternative to chlorine, and it’s non-toxic and it rinses out easer than bleach.

4

I just put mine in the freezer until I’m ready to use it again.

Joe

5

We have a winner! :wink:

6

Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t putting plastics in boiling water make them expand?

7

Probably in most cases (there may be exceptions) but I’d generally expect anything that doesn’t actually melt to return to its former size on cooling.