Maybe a daft question but is there anything you can do to stop the bladder freezing? Was thinking wrapping something round it might slow the process down a bit or will I be fighting a losing battle?

wear it closer to your body?
Is it the bladder or the water in the pipe to your mouth thats freezing?

You could fill it with either salt or alcohol

I dont know which I would use. 😉

Maybe start with warm(ish) water and wrap the bladder in bubble wrap, fleece or similar.

If it's the tube there's a neoprene sleave that goes over it that should help.

APF

Fill with hot water.
Keeps your back warm as well. 8)

the back dosent freeze its the water in ur pipe that does, i end up biting it like some kinda slush pupppy lol not good, unless your wrap it up with something, not sure, if that dosent work just put heated water inside last longer lol

Managed to defrost mine recently by putting the bite valve inside my top. Seems to be valve goes first but trying to drink normally seems to catch it early enough.

HAVE YOU TRIED A CAMELBACK THERMAL CONTROL KIT:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=5967

blow some air back into the tube each time after you've drunk.

the water left in the mouth piece freezes but you can usually melt it with your lips and then suck the air and then water through

>HAVE YOU TRIED A CAMELBACK THERMAL CONTROL KIT

How does that stop the bladder freezing ? 😉

Put the tube INSIDE your jacket, Simples!
Works every time, will even defrost a frozen one.

sockpuppet – Member
blow some air back into the tube each time after you've drunk.

Seconded, it's simple and cheap as well

£18.99 for some pipe…i think not

Putting something like electrolite or carbohydrate mix in the water will depress the freezing temperature – same concept as grit on the roads 😀 (you may need quite a strong solution though but you can eat a handful of snow between sips)

Last night's ride: 3x cuppas (sweet black tea) in the bladder and it was great!

use a water bottle filled with boiling water,still drinking on wednesday night long after all the camelbacks were sucking ice

Covered here – http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/strathpuffer-advice-diy-advice-for-a-how-do-i-stop-my-camelbak-freezing-bodge#post-1008491

Xan wrote,

"Maybe a daft question but is there anything you can do to stop the bladder freezing"

The bladder? Where are you riding, Pluto? The hose will freeze if you let it but you'd need to be very, very cold to freeze the bladder.

I've used a camelbak while snowboarding for years and I've never had the bladder freeze – only the pipe.

I've tried the insulated pipe and it does help but only to some extent as it still freezes up eventually – best solution is what other folk already said, just make sure you blow the water back down the pipe after use. Works a treat.

Another trick I've seen is wearing your jacket over the camelback – obviously only going to work for very slimline packs but might be an option if it is really baltic!

fraseruk +1

I have never had my camelbaks bladder freeze whilst boarding only the tube, and it's encountered some signifcantly colder weather than the uk. I managed to pick up a cheap 1 litre specific camelbak in the summer closeouts (snowblow I think). I swap the insulated tube onto my 3 litre bladders.

I do this

warm contents (50% boiling water/ 50% tap)
use electrolyte
tuck the pipe inside my jacket

works for me

Hot Ribena.

Mmmmmmm.

antifreeze.

edit: actually probably best not thinking about it.

+1 for the hot Ribena. Sign me up.

Make sure you clean the bladder out (Milton?) or there's be tummy trouble ahead!

Gonna get shot down here but did you know hot water freezes quicker than cold? Google it. Canny explain it myself.

Appologies k meant the tube. Thanks for the tips all I'll give some a try before puffer next week.