This week's Monday Kit Tip is for those of you who use hydration systems and is an overview of ways to keep them clean and happy – say goodbye to black / pink / green mould.
First tip is to use water rather than an energy drink – the stuff in energy drinks that fuels you, also fuels nasty little micro-organisms, we're not saying never use the stuff, but be aware that you're more likely to have maintenance issues if you do.
When you get back from a day out, make it a habit to empty any existing water out of your reservoir, rinse it if you've been using an energy drink then dry thoroughly. You can buy plastic frames that hold the reservoir open to allow it to dry or make one from a wire coat-hanger and save some money.
The hydration tube is a little more problematic – our tip is to take it off and remove the bite valve then allow to dry. Once the tube and reservoir are clean and dry, you're sorted. If that all sounds a bit much, you can always store the bladder in a freezer...
Deep Cleaning
So that's fine, but what if your bladder needs a proper clean out? Stage one is to use some sort of cleaning solution or tablet. Camelbak sells its own sterilising tabs, but the stuff aimed at babies' bottles is cheaper and just as effective. Follow the instructions and make sure you sterilise the tube and bite valve as well. Once done, rinse and leave to dry.
If you're a proper mucky pup and there are things growing in your reservoir – less likely than it used to be with many bladders incorporating an anti-microbial treatment – a set of purpose-made brushes is a good solution. They usually include a large-ish brush for the main compartment, plus a long, wired one which you can use to scour out the tube, use them in conjunction with a sterilising solution for best results.
Bear in mind that you may not be able to remove all staining from the tube in particular, but you should, at least, be able to make it sterile.
Bite Valves
Last but not least, don't forget the bite valve – take it off the end of the tube and strip it down as far as you can, then soak in some sort of sterilising solution. A bit of brush action might be needed as well... You can get some reet nasty stuff growing in there.
