HydraPak Force (2L Or 3L Hydration Reservoir) - Ultra-Durable Water Bladder for Hydration Pack – Insulated Tube & Dust Cover, Self-Sealing Bite Valve, Leak Proof, Fully Reversible Dishwasher Safe

The tube froze over in the teens (F) overnight during one of my winter backpacking trips, and did not unfreeze until we finished 8 miles later. Nalgene bottles that I had were much more reliable. I’m looking at the specs and details of the case it came in all it says is Rugged and Reliable for Tough Conditions, but no real numbers to indicate the limit of the product. I could have missed something, but I am lucky to have not fully relied on this for my trip.

During an elk hunting trip in CO, I used the bladder in my Badlands 2200 pack. Im a Camelbak guy and got this to put in my pack since Badlands was sold out of their bladders. I purchased a 2 liter hoping it would fit in my pack but it didnt. The length was too long. Instead I hung it utilizing the plastic clips in my pack and it held fine, didnt shift at all. The bladder was easy to fill, although removing and closing it sometimes can be a pain sometimes, Im not a fan of the slider, and prefer a screw on cap. My water stayed cool, although I was hunting in 40 degree weather. No damage to the bladder, even in a pack filled with day pack hunting supplies. Onto the bad, about week into hunt, the bite valve would stick and wouldnt turn and eventually started leaking, later that day, the bite valve came off. Luckily, it was on my way back to camp and there wasnt much water left so I just drank it rather than waste it since I couldnt stop it from pouring out. Needless to say, I ended up just storing a couple bottles of Smart water in my pack (smart water bottles dont puncture). It was just an inconvenience to have to stop and take off my pack to remove the bottle instead of conveniently just sipping water as I hiked. Hopefully with the lifetime warranty ill be able to get it replaced. If not, ill go back to CamelBak bladders or Smartwater bottles. When youre backcountry hiking, water is essential, storing water is a must. Not having a reliable water storage is like having poor rain gear when the weather gets bad.