Reddit reviews Platypus Big Zip Water Reservoir for Hydration Backpacks, 3-Liter, LP with Standard Valve
We found 8 Reddit comments about Platypus Big Zip Water Reservoir for Hydration Backpacks, 3-Liter, LP with Standard Valve. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Premium taste-free, leak-proof reservoir with low profile design offers hydration on the go for hikers, backpackers, travelers and mountain bikersSecure SlideLock slides both ways to open reservoir easily and close it securelyLow-profile design with center baffle helps reservoir ride flat in a packFeatures Standard Valve with 1/4-inch drink tube3.0-Liter measures 9 x 17.2 inches and weighs 6.5 ounces; manufacturer’s limited lifetime warranty; made in the USA
> most popular brands, including CamelBak
Camelback sucks anyways. Get a Platypus
Source: Drank out of a Camelbak for five years in the Army, and I use a Platypus now.
I wrote this up for a friend a while ago with similar questions:
Cheap small backpack for day hikes. I have a big 75L pack but it's not really worth having unless you're doing multi-day trips, and you don't want to use it for day hikes. I have the older version of this one that I use most of the time: https://www.rei.com/product/892074/rei-flash-18-pack
Water bladder:
You can just use a water bottle if you want but I found I didn't drink enough when I was using one. Bladder is better imo. I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/Platypus-Big-Zip-Reservoir-3-Liter/dp/B00F5IADN6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466102350&sr=8-1&keywords=platypus+water+bladder
I would do the following hikes in order:
Palomar Mountain - go to the state park side (left at the top of the mountain) and hike around all the trails there. Not a ton of elevation gain but it's pretty and the drive up is nice as well.
Iron Mountain - more elevation gain but pretty easy, also very popular. This will be crowded if you go on the weekend.
Mt Woodson - decent amount of elevation gain if you go from the lake poway side which is the only side I've done. This is the hike with the potato chip rock thing and it is crazy crowded. Do not go on the weekend.
El Cajon Mountain NOTE - THIS IS A LARGE JUMP IN DIFFICULTY FROM WOODSON - this will be a good test to make sure you're ready for the rest of the stuff. Bring lots of water (more than 3L). The summit is not the coolest part, when you get towards the top there is a split with the summit to the left and a cooler cliff if you go straight. Should probably check out both since you're up there, though.
Mt Baldy - Awesome hike, this is the first one that will feel alpine and will get you above the treeline. This is in LA but I've driven up and down same day more than once, worth the drive IMO. I recommend going up the baldy bowl ski hut trail and then down the devils backbone trail. There is a long boring part where you're walking on a dirt road at the end.
San Jacinto - Another awesome mountain hike. Best view in all of the world according to John Muir. It was cloudy when I was at the summit so I don't know. Hike up was very nice though. There will be snow all the way til May but should be clear atm. My favorite hike I've done in SoCal.
San Gorgonio - Haven't done this one yet but it's the highest point in SoCal. Doing this one this weekend. Supposed to be pretty tough to day hike - better to overnight it.
Mt Whitney - Highest point in the US. I really like the area up here as well and there are plenty places to hike around there. The permitting system is a bit of a pain for this but if you can get one it's an awesome trip.
You should research all of these and anywhere else you go by googling. Best resources I've found are:
http://www.modernhiker.com/
https://socalhiker.net/
For your other questions:
Where do I park/what sort of permits/payments are necessary to access the areas? These kind of go hand-in-hand and the answer is that you need to research on the internet. This is one of the more annoying parts of hiking/learning to hike. The websites I linked up above are helpful for this. There's also a socal hiking reddit at /r/socalhiking
What is the local hiking etiquette? People are generally friendly on trail and will say hi when passing, but that's generally about it. Nothing is expected so feel free to say hi, give them a nod, or just walk on by. Generally it's best to let others pass you if they're right behind you (they're there because they caught up with you due to walking faster, after all). Headphones are fine, but speakers are frowned upon. No one cares about your water bottle of course. Public transport will not get you to most hiking spots, so that's basically not an option.
Any other questions let me know! The west coast in general has some spectacular hiking and you won't regret spending some time getting into it.
I just bought a nice platypus bladder system and hose and then bought a cheaper hydration backpack on eBay without the bladder.
This way you're getting one just as nice as a CamelBak for way cheaper because it's the bladder and hose that are important
This is the bladder I bought and it's been amazing. Then you can just pick whatever bag you want. A 3L camebak bag is really $$$
ah! gotcha, there is this, but the zipper part is rather heavy compared to this style because it's meant to be carried around in your pack full of water,
https://www.amazon.com/Platypus-Big-Zip-Reservoir-3-Liter/dp/B00F5IADN6/
That said, I use a 3L platy hoser with an in line sawyer filter and I have no problem filling it through the small opening, I can even get about 2L in it when I have to dunk the whole thing into the water source. So while I agree it is a bit more of a pain, I don't think it's as bad.
I have the katadyn Vario and i've used the MSR Sweetwater EX. They are both good. My favorite now is the cheap ($20) Sawyer squeeze filter. I use it with a Platypus bag as a gravity filter. The Vario and MSR weigh too much and there is much more maintenance. The sawyer squeeze is very popular. You don't need the Platypus bag, you can use the sawyer squeeze by itself.
sawyer squeeze
platypus big zip
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00F5IADN6/ref=pd_aw_sim_468_2/131-7221536-7658202?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8A73CH48TJ9ZQCZV1B26&dpPl=1&dpID=61KkWXYmY6L
I HIGHLY recommend this one from platypus, the zip top closure is very convenient for getting it filled at water stations, and will ensure you don't spill while trying to close it up
No worries. What you would already have in the box would be plenty awesome enough, I'd think. Fallout's always appropriate if it's post-apocalyptic stuff.
I added eye protection (important thing I should've put in the first time around) and a hard case to the 1077 post, since you might be making it a separate option. That and hard cases are neat and only $5 more, so why not?
I think the last thing to tackle would be the backpack.
Choosing a backpack can be tricky, because you want to hit a perfect balance between long-term durability, functionality, bulk/weight, and appearance. By appearance, I mean that you don't want it to look too tactical, lest someone ID you as a prepared survivor and try to get your stuff (or that your sister might end up not using it, if it looks too much like it belongs next to a soldier fresh off the plane).
Luckily, there's [one that looks perfect for the occasion] (http://www.amazon.com/Fieldline-Alpha-OPS-Daypack/dp/B00CLJGCXC). It's durable enough for outdoor use, looks relatively inconspicuous (only someone who knows what MOLLE is would think that this is a tactical backpack of some sort), has a good shoulder/support strap setup, can be fitted with a [(totally optional) hydration bladder] (http://www.amazon.com/Platypus-Big-Zip-Reservoir-3-Liter/dp/B00F5IADN6), and has attachment points for something called 'MOLLE' accessories.
MOLLE is basically a way to attach things like magazine pouches and such to cloth-based items in a modular way. However, you don't have to use the MOLLE for only MOLLE things.
For example, if you get some carabiners from your local Walmart/etc, you can use them on the grommets on the solar charger and hang the solar panels off of the backpack using the MOLLE loops.
I fully acknowledge that this ever-growing list of items I'm giving you far exceeds what might reasonably excite a zombie fan, and it probably overran your original budget several times over, but I hope it helped. For what it's worth, all of it will be fully functional and would prove useful if you went camping or otherwise needed them in an actual emergency, and the fan material should prove to be 100% awesomesauce to a zombie fan.
Whatever ends up in the crate (or whichever type of crate it ends up being), I'm sure that she'll be super stoked to see it.
Day One I'll have about 35 lbs (15.45 kg) of weight. This is my first time so there are probably several items in there I'll never take with me again, but I'd like to try 'em out once; I also have a shit sleeping bag that desperately needs upgraded. If you want specs, just ask and I'll happily share my spreadsheet!
Edit: The List
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