Platypus Flexible Hydration System
By Darren Scruggs

The Platypus Hydration system consists of a flexible, collapsible, water bottle that fits into real tight, irregular spaces. The first time I packed a Platypus water bottle into a tight pack, I thought for sure that the bladder would rupture and get the contents in my pack’s compartment all wet. During the hike, I was pleasantly surprised and have been using the Platypus ever since.

The Platypus product line includes three types of bottles: Standard, Big Zips, and Hosers. All of the Platypus bottles are constructed of a clear, tri-laminate material.

Standard Bottles. The standard bottle is a basic bladder with a threaded opening that supports a variety of Platypus caps. One complaint that I have with this line is that the standard bottles are difficult to dry after cleaning. I will usually hang a rinsed bottle on a makeshift clothesline for a couple of days to dry. There are three sizes of bottles in the standard line: The Platy Sport (.5 liter), Platypus 1 (1 liter), and the Platypus 2+ (2.4 liter).

Big Zips. The Big Zip bottles have the same threaded opening that supports a variety of Platypus caps. They also have wide opening zip closure on the opposite end to make cleaning, drying and filling a snap. Using the zip closure for filling permits adding ice cubes for chilling the water. The Big Zips come in five sizes: 1, 1.8, 2, 3, and 4 liters. Big zips come with a drinking tube that allows hands-free use of the system, a big plus when on the trail.

Hosers. The Hosers come with drinking tubes like the Big Zips, but do not have the wide zip closures on the opposite end of the threaded opening. They come in four sizes: 1, 1.8, 2, and 3 liters.

One of the big advantages of Platypus water bottle is that it is very lightweight and completely collapsible. Once the bladder is empty, it rolls up into a compact size, which can be easily stowed. The Platypus is constructed of a durable plastic that appears to be puncture resistant. However, It definitely would not resist punctures as well as more rigid drinking bottles. I have used several different sizes over a variety of hikes and have had one bottle end up with a puncture.

The Platypus water bottle is lined with a beverage-grade polyethylene, which is supposed to eliminate the plastic taste from the water. Hot, thirsty hikers know that dipping into the water supply on the trail only to discover plastic-tasting water may diminish the outdoor experience. I have discovered that although the Platypus bottles do not give the water a plastic taste, the drinking tube that accompanies the Big Zips and Hosers, does give the water a plastic taste. Normally, I have to take a few big, warm, gulps of water, to clear the drinking tube before the colder, before tasting the “plastic free” water.

The Platypus line includes a variety of carriers ranging from back packs, waste packs, holsters, etc. Additional Platypus accessories include a squirt cap, closure cap, push-pull cap, drinking tube (with lapel clip), bite valve, shower kit, and a patch kit.

Darren Scruggs is a Contibuting Editor for GearReview.com, the leading independent source for online gear reviews at www.gearreview.com.

For more information, contact:
Cascade Designs
4000 First Ave. S.
Seattle, WA 98134
(800)531-9531