anyone ever made their own insulation sleeve for a camelbak, platypus hose or similair to stop it freezing up in winter?. they cost 15-20 quid for a purpose made neoprene sleeve, so not keen on buying one. i'm going to take a look in a plumbing shop for something similair. any thoughts on what else would do the job?.
will post a solution here if i discover one.
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This doesn't answer your question but here goes.I've abandoned using a Platypus hose in very cold conditions.Even when protected with Platy insulation and with the bite valve in a cover,it freezes.I've followed the tip to blow the water back into the bladder, but often forget(or I'm out of puff!).I've read that this works for some but may not when it's extremely cold?I know that the freezing point could be depressed a bit by adding a solute such as sugar but I prefer water on its own.
I now carry a Sigg and a thermos of a hot drink when in cold areas like Norway in winter.
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 Not sure if you can get foam insulation sleeving for microbore pipework, but that sounds the sort of thing to look for.
Alternatively, expanded polythene sheeting might be wrapped arounf the tube. Would make it less flexible, though.
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 I've suffered the same as William, even when following all the little tips the hose does eventually freeze up and have gone back to a bottle for this winter.
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sorry to hear that you too have suffered. once a solution is found, we'll be able to look back at all this suffering and laugh about it. But for now, the search for a solution goes on.
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 Not strictly an answer to the question, but smaller bladders with cut-down hoses fitted inside jackets, or hung inside salopette bibs, hardly ever freeze up. The valve doesn't flail around and poke into your eye when you take off your pack, either.
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 I've got an insulated hose cover thing (bought one ages ago in scotland). Combined with tucking the hose under my rucksack strap it seems to do the trick in scottish winter conditions.
Keep trying to remember to blow back down the tube but I'm just too forgetful!
Have you thought about getting some neoprene and then stitching it into a tube - or wrapping the hose up "mummy style"?
Si
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Actually, all this insulation malarkey reminds me of an idea I was playing with some time ago for a high-altitude oxygen system with built-in heat-exchanger and water recovery system...
<goes off to dust off plans again...>
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I was on Blencathra on Sunday morning my Platypus tube had frozen long before the summit which I was a little put out by. I was looking for a similar solution having just seen the price of the insulation tube.
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there must be someone out there that sells lengths of neoprene tubing that will take a cambelbak/platypus tube about 1cm wide.
i don't usually resent spending money on oudoor gear that i need. but 15-20 is just taking the piss on this occasion.
same with the platypus hose brush - 15 quid or thereabouts. mad.
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Shop around.About a year ago I bought a set of 2 Hydrapak cleaning brushes for £7-99 from Chain Reaction Cycles.Using the long thin brush to clean out the gunge that may accumulate in the hose is far easier than faffing about with makeshift alternatives.
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But they don't stop the tube freezing!
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True,but peter,who started the thread,also complains about the cost of the Platy hose brushes,so I'm pointing him to a cheaper alternative!
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 Neoprene if fairly easy to work with. You may be able to get a long thin offcut from a dive or surf shop cheap or free, then sew into a tube and stick the edges together with black witch neoprene adhesive.
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cheers DJ. good idea.
i found an 8 quid option online -
http://www.facewest.co.uk/pp/hydration/accessories.htm
seems like a universal sleeve which fits any hydration system tube.
will give em a call tomorrow.
1.95 delivery though, so still not that cheap unless your ordering other stuff at the same time.
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Don't forget a cover for the bite valve!
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