How do you keep yourself hydrated?

Personally, water bladders and I have never really come to terms - neither on bikes nor on hikes. Maybe they take time to get used to and learn how to appreciate? Or maybe, just maybe, marketeers have done a great job into making everyone think it's the new sliced bread?

To me they are usually more hassle than they are worth - just one more expense and one more item to clutter my luggage and preoccupy my time and mind.

I think the only times I've really enjoyed them are on enduro rides or fast paced hikes where I constantly need to rehydrate and I don't want to stop. But, for a long trip, the ammount of time this is relevant is miniscule relative to the total time traveled. To me, a bladder is inferior to a bottle at least 90% of the time - at least if we are talking about a notable difference. The drawbacks of carrying around a bladder that sees so little use for me seriously outweighs the drawbacks of having only a bottle to resort to those few times a bladder would be noteworthy better. To me it falls into one of those categories of senseless counter productive "nice to have" items that bikers clutter their lives with. What I am talking about are all those nifty cool gadgets that ends up becoming more trouble than they are worth... Things that adds weight, girth and clutter. Things that become just one more item to worry about, to keep you unecesarily preoccupied, for you to keep track of and keep both protected and in working order, one more item to have to sift through to get to another, one more item to have to fight to get into place alongside all the other items, one more item to ruin your day when it gets lost or broken (because so much time, effort, money and thought was invested into it).

Also, I really don't like carrying a water bladder in my jacket (added weight, gets clammy, water becomes warm, etc). Having the bag fixed to the bike (i.e. in the tank bag) also becomes inconvenient once I am off the bike (same if I take my jacket off and the bladder is stored there). And for some reason, sharing a bottle with a close friend seems very different than sharing a bladder.

Water bladders were one of those items that often ended up so far down to the bottom of my luggage that I couldn't be bothered to fish it out for those part of the trip where a bladder would be preferable over a bottle. Whereas I previously often brought it along "just in case", I now have enough experience to call that "just in case" for what it is - senseless "monster insurance". I now never bring it unless I am absolutely certain it will see significant average use, which is hardly ever, and never on a long trip.

I think the main reason I seldom bring a bladder anymore is that I usually buy bottled water and can't be bothered to transfer it into the bladder, and even less so to clean it as often as I should. I also enjoy drinking out of a bottle more than a bag and straw, and I also think a bottle makes for a more delicate, refreshing and tasty drink. Sometimes I also prefer a cold coke - which is a bad idea to put into s bladder. Also, I feel that bottles' portability and the numerous storage options offer more versatility throughout the day. I mean, dragging around that bladder everywhere and the item that it is stored in? Sure you can double up by also carrying a bottle or three - but that somewhat defeats some of the purpose of the bladder? With bottles, I can have as many as I need (and extra), and distribute them around for better utility and better utilization of luggage space and weight distribution.

I have a bottle holder fixed to my bike and I don't mind being forced to stop to take a quick swig every now and then. Also, I hacked a bottle cap to accommodate a drinking tube, in the event I need to drink in flight and I don't wear a helmet that I can flip up the chin. This bottle cap and tube is also an item that seldom sees much use - again as I don't mind having to stop to take a drink - even if it means taking off my helmet (As part of my perpetual long distance travel technique, I've made it a mantra of mine to stop a couple of minutes once every hour anyways - I do so regardless of wether I actually feel the need to stop or not).

Some argue that having an empty bladder in one's luggage gives one the option to fill it up in the event that one needs to carry extra water where there is no bottled water to be had. In no part of the world have I ever encountered bottle scarcity as a problem - it seems that plastic bottles are one of the most abundant things all over the world - even in nature.

In places where tap water is good, and bottled water is expensive, I refill. I sometimes carry a small water filter for emergency, but have never really had to use it - this as bottled water is so readily available everywhere (only used the filter on bike rides for novelty). Having a water filter for hikes and camping in the wild is nice though - then you don't have to carry as much.

To me, the only real benefit of a bladder is to be able to take a drink while riding. Also, the empty container packs small. But over all, these benefits are marginal.

My advice to 90% out there wondering if they should get one - don't waste your money on buying one. If you already wasted your money on one, allow yourself to be careless about the bladder and don't let it own you. Should you breake it or loose i, don't cry about it - it didn't offer much practical added value to begin with. Should the bladder ever come to annoy you even a bit, get rid of it first chance - free yourself from its burdon, together with any guilt trip or pride.

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