The screw cap on my 3l Camelbak bladder it stuck and I can't get it open. So far I've tried (not all at once):

Removing the bite valve
Filling it with water via the tube
Heating the screw cap
Freezing it (yes I know it is stupid, but I'd run out of ideas)
Calling it names in the hope that it would see the error of its ways and relent

None of these have worked, any ideas? I have 2 other camelbaks and not had a problem with them, assuming I can get it open how do I stop it happening again??

Have you tried a pair of rubber gloves? Warm hands in warm rubber gloves can sometimes give that extra bit of grip necessary.

And no smutty rejoinders please!!!

pmsl

I was literally just considering a smutty rejoinder when I got to the last sentence. Kate, you're such a spoilsport.

Have you got a vice (really, I'm trying to be serious now)? Might be help if you can keep it held firmly (!) while you try and turn the lid with gloves or maybe even pliers?

Hi Metric Kate, yes I've tried brute force with tea towels, rubber goves etc.. all to no avail. :^(

I'm afraid I don't have a vice in the house at the moment.

Vice.....rubber gloves.....there must be a joke in there somewhere.....

Well, I shall say it before someone else does. I guess the last straw could be breaking the camel's bak. Sorry.
Using the vice that you don't have, or some pliers, to crack the screw cap and buying another - assuming you can buy the screw caps, or even the drinking tube bit. That might work out cheaper than the cost of the man hours you are putting into prising them apart.

I can't see how the huuuuge screw cap can be replaceable as it's probably the most expensive part of the kit.

FWIW, I find them really hard to undo as well; that's why Bob has one and I have a lookalike one. There are times when I cannot undo Bob's C'bak even when I've been the one who tightened it up.

For those of you who don't have one, it's about 9cm in diameter so a pair of pliers wouldn't really help.

See here http://www.backcountry.com/store/CAM0138/CamelBak-UnBottle-Reservoir.html?CP=Affiliate

Try spraying some WD40 round the edge of the cap to try and get it into the screw thread. Give it a while to work in and then have another go.

Assuming that works smear a little vaseline on it to stop it locking up again.

Rubber gloves and vaseline, this is my kind of thread!

Try a pair of plumbing pliers. They open out quite large on a sort of ratchet affair. Failing that try putting it in the door jamb and closing the door on it.
Or use one of those thingys that mechanics use to get oil filters off. There's also a version that has a rubber strap type thing that people use for pickled onion jars, jam jars etc. Only a few quid which is less than a new camelbak??

Sorry, no more ideas.

<smut mode on >
The next shopping basket could raise a few eyebrows. Rubber gloves, WD40 and vaseline....

<smut mode off />

http://www.urable.co.uk/modules/shop/view.asp?Prodcode=BAB10-100

This is one of those jar thingys.

Thanks, for that. I'm not sure it will work with a cambak though as you can't get a grip around the cap the same way you can with a jar.

I'm thinking that you could clamp the thing in a vice and then use a long piece of wood with two screws sticking out of it as an opening tool. Might take two of you, one to hold the tool in place and another to use the lever.

If you look at the link I provided you'll see that the screw bit nests completely inside and cannot be accessed externally to use e.g. a door frame.

I have a Boa Constrictor for jars but it cannot be used here as all the screw cap is inside....

I have difficulty too, with the camelbak screw cap being too tight.

once when i was very desperate to open my camelbak i got a couple of smallish pieces of wood and put them in the cap and had them going upwards at 90degrees-ish and griped them the pieces of wood close to the cap and twisted

maybe thats not explained too well so i'll post a quick photo in a few minites

Ah so!

What about a pair of 'mole grips' on the middle bar thingy??

Failing that you could always use your bank card............................................























Buy a new one! :-)

Shiny new kit!!

ok in the photo i'm holding two brightly coloured pens, you need to use something which you are not likely to break or damage, if you have goot some really stiff cutlery handles they might do the trick, but don't come blaming me when you bend/break them.

and you obvoiusly need to grip the bit which says camelbak in the other hand

see photo here

On a similar vein, how do you dry out your Camelbac properly. Mine always seems to have drops of moisture and I'd rather not have a breeding ground for bugs to drink from.

You can buy special Camelbak airer things which you insert to allow air to circulate and dry the inner.
Alternatively you can not bother but just use sterilising tablets before you fill it, if you've not used it for some time.

just stick your camelbak in the freezer when you are not using it, and you won't get the bugs breeding, empty the camelbak first though