Fuel bladders and the on-going use of ethanol fuel
 

Folks, at least one brand of fuel bladder does not handle ethanol fuel very well at all. I think it is a locally- made product here in Australia, but I could be wrong and it may be also be available in other countries. In fact on the retailer’s website, it clearly states that using that fuel type in the bladder at all, will void the warranty. The brand…Adv-worx. I applaud their honesty.keepcalm I am awaiting replies from both Desert Fox and Liquid Containment who we know sell bladders, to determine whether their bladders accept ethanol use, particularly over a long period. Maybe a sheep’s bladder might be the go!!

Check out Giant Loops new Armadillo bag: https://www.giantloopmoto.com/produc...wer-reservoir/
Although he can't say explicitly due to restrictive laws, I suspect ethanol is not an issue.

Ethanol- blended fuel in fuel bladders
 

Grant, thanks for the info. about the GL armadillo fuel bladder. I had not spotted that one previously. I did find another GL fuel bladder when searching for the armadillo just now. It’s called the LLC fuel bladder. The blurb warns buyers that it will not tolerate fuels with high ethanol content in them. By this I think they mean any fuel above e10 but it is somewhat open to individual interpretation. I sent a message to GL just now asking about ethanol use in the armadillo. I’ll keep you and everyone posted on this outcome.

Suitable fuel bladders
 

Update.. Neither desert fox nor Liquidcontainment have replied to my messages left on their phones about the use of ethanol- based fuels. I remain hopeful but we shall see. A retailer here (Oz) told me that ethanol can be used in Liquidcontainment bladders but I prefer to hear it from the company spokesperson. I am contacting other companies but have not heard back as yet. If I’m in doubt- no sale.

Update again
 

The armadillo bladder suggested by Grant will accept ethanol- blended fuel according to the spokesperson. Revzilla rep emailed me and said the red rotapax will also accept that fuel type. I asked the same rep if the Giant loop bladder ( not LLC version) will work. I await a reply. Reda gas can owner said that he wasn’t sure what I meant by ethanol and that regular fuel is acceptable. He may not use it as extensively over there just like us. I sent a second email explaining myself. I may not have made myself clear in the first one. No word yet from the others I’ ve contacted

A leetle more!
 

Forgot to add.. Armadillo bladder suits E10 and E15 but not E85 ( racing fuel). Presumably, E5 is acceptable also.

Fuel bladders
 

For some reason, Liquidcontainment, Scepter or Desert Fox have not replied to my enquiry (whether their containers handle ethanol over a long period- not STORE for long periods but be up for use over years). Armadillo by Giant Loop it is then. That’s all folks!!!

thanks for the updateS!

Update to the updates
 

Folks, Liquidcontainment rep. just sent me a message saying that their containers handle ethanol. Another one to add to the list.

Suitable containers
 

Reda gas cans were contacted regarding ethanol use. No reply as yet.

Armadillo fuel bladders
 

The importers here in Australia do not import the armadillo fuel bladders anymore. Too expensive in their opinion. The cost of buying one from the US is $100- $150 (USD) in shipping alone. That info. provided by a GL themselves very recently.

Incorrect Info
 

Someone gave me incorrect information, indicating that Armadillo bladders were not going to be imported anymore. An order is arriving Jan/Feb 2022 in Australia apparently. Another product is no longer being imported.

Inner sleeve of bladders
 

According to a retailer of adventure gear here in Australia, statements indicating that certain bladders are not able to cope with ethanol use ( with one saying specifically that if ethanol is used, warranty is voided) should be taken with a grain of salt. At least one USA- made bladder indicates that the bag should not be used for ethanol storage. So, what’s the reasoning? Simply put these statements are to protect the companies from legal action by the users if ethanol is used in the bladder and things go pear-shaped. Two different brands of bladder I checked ( to determine the inner bladder substance) both have the inner bladders made of tpu. A suitable product for short-term use of fuel so my research indicates. One of the bladders has a warning statement about ethanol use, one does not. Conclusion.. it appears that both may be used for short-term carriage of ethanol. The question arises… is some tpu better in terms of ethanol use than other types of tpu? Personally in the case of the two products I saw, I doubt it.