Hey everyone, the bicycle village by me is having a huge sale, and they had camelbak blowfish’s (100 oz.) for only 50$! I picked one up of course, after reading how much water people have needed on slickrock at moab munifests of past years. Seems they had camelbaks, plus waterbottles. Well, I realized today, that I could take the pouch out from my old camelback rocket (72 oz) and put it in the zippered outer pocket of my new one. this makes for a pretty convenient way to have and access 172 oz of water… I was just wondering if anybody had tried the idea, and if you haven’t, maybe it’s a suggestion to get some extra juice for the long trail, let me know what you think!
Ross,
Sarah Miller of the UK has told me that she has done that same trick. But she will put Gatoraide or something similar in the one bladder and put water in the other bladder. Then she has two bite values one on the left and one on the right for the two different drinks. Or you could just have water in both and have a more endless supply of water.
The only problem I see is the weight. That’s 5 liters of water! That would throw off your balance and make it harder to both ascend and descend the impossibly steep hills. Last year I carried 2 liters and was fine. Of course, I didn’t do the whole loop, but I’m guessing that 100 oz should be sufficient.
But if you die of thirst because of following my advice, I claim no responsibility.
Re: moab hydration idea?
It sounds like a good idea…the only risk of putting the second bladder in the main compartment is you lose space you might have wanted for tools or other sharp items. Might be worth it though if the weather is warm and sunny. Moab temps can vary significantly this time of year. If it is warm, the 100 oz from your new one probably won’t be enough to do the whole Slickrock Trail. I have a second bladder also, so I’m going to think about your idea. I had been planning on having a full bladder, plus one sport bottle and one bottle of Gatorade in my pack. I want to make sure I have some electrolyte replacement along as well.
Sarah is a smartie…I think this is the call. Two bladders, and depending on the temperature, decide how full to make them. The full Trail is more than 3 times as long as the one Paco describes last year. Can’t compare how much water is sufficient.
And sure it’s heavy…at first. That problem corrects itself.
Re: moab hydration idea?
Great deal. I looked all winter for a cheap blowfish, ended up buying a knock-off brand 100 oz’er that I really like.
I bought mine because I was trying to go to Moab, but am not going to be able to make it. Hopefully next year. My old Camelbak only held 1 1/2 liters. --chirokid–
I used two bladders in my hydration pack last year. The main bladder is 96 oz. The secondary bladder is a partially filled 100 oz. bladder. It makes for a tight squeeze to fit both bladders in the pack. And it’s heavy, but it’s better to have too much water than not enough. The weight is only temporary because as you drink the pack gets lighter.
A lot of people were running out of water at the end of the Porcupine Rim ride last year. A single 70 oz. bladder ain’t gonna cut it. I still had a little extra water at the end.
You have to be smart about what you pack. The two bladders take up a lot of space. Water, food, tools, camera. Hopefully we won’t have to pack rain gear.
With a lot of newbies this year we really need to emphasize the need to bring enough water on the long rides. We’re not there during the hot time of the year but you still go through a lot of water on the long rides. The long rides would be impossible to do on a unicycle during the hot season. You wouldn’t be able to carry enough water.
Do any of you carry water on your uni frame? If so, how much and what method do you use? I would think that being able to take some of the load off your shoulders and having the uni carrying it would save a lot of stress on your back.
When I road in the Honolulu Century Ride last year, I really felt the pressure on my shoulder from my camelbak. After a while it got quite painful.
Daniel xc xc
You can’t really put a water bottle on the frame for muni. Every time you hit a big bump or dump your muni the water bottle will fall off.
I’m looking at some options to mount a water bottle or two on my Coker. Nathan Hoover has some interesting water bottle mounts on his Coker.
Nathan’s Coker gallery on webshots
For most of my Coker rides the water bottles would give me enough water for the ride. I won’t have to carry it on my back or waist. I could go for a ride without carrying a hydration pack. Nice.
For Coker riding the waterbottle on the unicycle would work. For muni it won’t.
If your shoulders are getting sore from carrying a Camelbak, look for a different pack. Not all of the Camelbak’s have good shoulder straps.
Hip packs are also nice. I generally prefer hip packs to backpacks. The hip packs are more stable while riding, they don’t restrict your movement as much as a backpack, and your back doesn’t get sticky wet from the pack. Hydrapak makes two nice hip packs: Hip Sip 50 Hip Sip 70
The problem with hip packs is capacity. A backpack style pack can carry more water and more gear.
One way to carry enough water without carrying enough water is to drink a lot beforehand. It’s possible to guzzle up to 3 liters before you leave. This uses your stomach as a carrying pouch and gives your body immediate access to the water. This is a desert backpacking trick. However, on hot, dry sunny days you may still have to carry extra water.
See the camel…BE the camel! 
Pre-ride hydration is always a good idea. Never start out thirsty!
Bill
I used a 70 oz. bladder on my 11 mile auburn ride on Saturday. I ran out and was VERY thirsty the last three miles. It was only moderately warm.
For MOAB, I don’t think doubling this is even remotely overkill.
I really like my Hip Sip 70, and if more capacity is needed you can combine it with a simple 70 oz camelback style pack, and attach the bottom of the Camelback to the top of the hip pack to keep it from bouncing. I tried this and it works, but by pre-hydrating I have seldom needed it. I also just stick a 20oz bottle of Gatorade in the Hip Sip pack on hot rides.
I wish I had the problem of how to hydrate at Moab.
Next year, maybe.
Scott
Thanks everyone for showing me I’m wrong. I’ve got to figure out a way to attach both my hydration bladders to one pack now. I was going to be severely underprepared!
I plan to carry no water at all. I will catch up to people on the trail and put rocks in their packs in place of full bladders as I go. I’m very clever with my hands and so they won’t notice this. My first target will be Tom Blackwood because I know I can catch him and he’s pretty easy to trick. Then John Childs after he has gotten tired from carrying his weight in water for half the trail. Catching John is a bit dicier, though. I may lose some friends this way but at least I won’t be thirsty.
How much water people require on a long hit ride varies a lot. If you think you really NEED more than 100oz, then you better carry it, but 128oz is a gallon and that is 8 pounds of water which is quite heavy. Remember that your food has water in it too - apples, cucumbers, carrots etc are all great trail food in addition to (mostly dry) bars.
Personally, for an all-day hot ride, I do fine with 100oz. I also always remember to drink copiously in the morning before the ride plus a final “tank-up” of say 16 or even more oz right before the ride.
It comes down to knowing yourself and your water needs, which is knowledge built up on all your training rides.
Looking forward to some great riding in Moab!
—Nathan
This has turned into a very informative thread. I rarely remember to pre-hydrate.
Thanks to all for the tips. --chirokid–
Everyone should think of the pre-hydrate, and the post-hydrate. One of the things I usually forget is to bring extra to have in the car when I get back! At Moab, it’s real nice to have something in the car waiting for you.
Yes! It’s especially nice if that something for post-hydration is COLD and made from malted barley. I’ve found that to be the best recipe for recovery and general well-being after a long hard hot ride.
Yeeessss!!! Better than gatorade.