Probably a really dumb "hydration bladder question..." [Please help!]

[dogcaller]

So I'm new at dirtbiking and my wife gets me my first ever "Camelback" type carrier. It's actually a Wenger model as you can see here.

It has a "DoubleShot" bite valve, but I can't really get much water out of it. When I bite down on it, it squirts a little bit into my mouth, but I can't get any flow, regardless of how hard I try. I looked for the obvious ON/OFF valve, but found none. It squirts out just a bit like a baby bottle.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

[motoinmoab]

They have a small slit for an opening, yours might not be opening fully. Squeeze it with your fingers while looking at it. No this isn't a joke to get you to squirt yourself in the eye, hold the valve above the bladder and nothing will flow out. But you'll see if the opening slit is all the way accross or not. You might also be biting down too hard, you just want to open it, not crush it. Bite valves are usually interchangable, the tube size should be obvious, so you can try a Camelback or Platapus bite valve also.

[krice]

You have to fill the bladder with water. ?

j/k

Take the bite valve off and see if water flows out the tube easily, maybe there is a clog.

[dogcaller]

UPDATE

OK, please recall that I already suspected this to be a dumb question. I was certainly correct. Rotate the bite valve 90 degrees either way and it flows just fine. ?

...and now I've exposed myself to all of you nice people as a dunce! ? :smirk:

Anyway, thanks much for the help! Now how do I get rid of that awful taste??

thanks again!!

[krice]

Yes, you are permanently tattooed as an idiot now and we will always refer back to this post to prove it! RTFM.

Always swish fresh water around and pour it out a couple times before filling. If it sits more that a few days it'll taste like plastic again, especially wish a new bladder. If you put in anything other than water, rinse it right away or you'll grow black mold. A tablespoon of bleach or baking soda is good for cleaning. Make sure to flow the bleach solution through the hose.

[yamirider5588]

When storing , I put a little bit of mouthwash in there . Keeps 'er from getting funky .?

[dogcaller]

Good idea!?

[krice]

You still need to rinse it every time. All plastics emit nasty chemicals which accounts for the bad taste. I know a plastics engineering professor that refuses to eat or drink from anything plastic! ?

[mike989]

I keep my empty bladder in the freezer, after washing.

How did we get along without the drink on the fly systems? I always carried a canteen or two on a army belt.

[Soul Man]

I store mine in the refrigerator (good use for that "crisper" drawer). I keep whatever water is in there and just top it off next time I use it, never any problems or bad water. If I use any Gatorade etc. I rinse it out real well.

I know Camelbak makes a cleaner, you may try that to get rid of the initial plastic taste.