When on holiday and not having access to a frezzer to store said bladder in what tablet etc is best for keeping the bladder bug, jerm etc free?

If it's only a couple of weeks, I'd just rinse it out after each ride

what a coincidence. only yesterday i bought what can only be optimistically described as a cleaning kit on the grounds that what i'd casually assuming was dirt on the outside of the tube was in fact a perky colonistaion of mould.

those wee tube cleaning brushes work a treat. except they're maybe about 10 inches too short. i tried to disconnect the tube from the bladder. is it designed to do this or is it just a challenge too far for my girlishly weak hands?

the tablets camlebak recommend seem un-necessarily toxic (unless of course you're got a fungal proliferation of the type i have). anybody use anything different – naking soda/denture tabs etc? and should i be trying to disconnect that tube?

Milton works for me (the same stuff folk use to clean baby bottles etc). Fill the bladder up, drop in a couple of capfuls and swish about vigorously then leave to sit for 15 minutes before draining the bladder via the hose… repeat if necessary… got rid of all the nasty black stuff in mine, I now do it once a week or so, no problemos to report 🙂

i use denture tablets when i feel the need to clean my camelbac, but theni only ever use water in it when i am riding

Swiss01, hold the hose under the hot tap for a minute and it comes off easily.

Another vote for miltons, or just drying it out between rides – unfortunately the best device to do this is another 'cheap' piece of kit from camelbak…..

leave to soak in a weak solution of Milton fluid (babies sterliser stuff from boots) – you can buy in liquid form or handy tablets

Many thanks. 😛

Steradent does the job. Warm water and three tablets 😀

Milton or bicarbonate of soda works for me.

Tesco "my baby" sterilising tablets – same stuff as milton, but cheaper.

Second the hot water and the milton. The hot water works really well at softening the tubes up, stick them in a cup of hot water before re-fitting for 30 secs and its a doddle!

If you have one of the ones with the thermal cover for the tube (black neoprene) then removing that for cleaning is easy enough, re-fitting is a nightmare. I usually run a bit of soap down the outside of the tube, slide the neoprene back on and then rinse it well. Its worked fine for me so far!

Also the camelbak cleaning kits are a bit pricey – you can get the brushes from boots etc for cleaning home brew kits… just make sure and get ones where the top / end is rounded over so you don't pierce the plastic.

The drying out thingy can be improvised with a wire coat hanger as well. Although I just stick them in the freezer wet and bang out the ice after a day. 😉

David.

Decon 90, lab grade cleaner & radioactive decontaminant. If that won't kill then it's not worth worrying about.

I dry mine by stuffing a tea-towel inside and hanging them up, seems to work well.

Decon 90, lab grade cleaner & radioactive decontaminant. If that won't kill then it's not worth worrying about.

If that wont kill it then you might as well give it a name – its going to be around for a while! 😉

milton !

hot water. top tip!

my camelbak now nice and shiny. cheers for that.

Store the bladder in the freezer