Best Replacement Bite Valve

Richard

unread,

Jun 26, 2002, 5:49:42 PM6/26/02

to

I have a hydration pack with a Platypus brand bladder. I'd like to replace
the bite valve with one that's larger and easy to operator hands-free. Any
recommendations? Thx.

Chris Glidden

unread,

Jun 26, 2002, 6:02:09 PM6/26/02

to

"Richard" <richard....@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:WFqS8.75820$Lf2.6...@news2.calgary.shaw.ca...

CamelBak valves are great. The valve itself may not be compatible w/the
Platypus hose. You may have to buy an entire bladder.

cg

Keiron

unread,

Jun 26, 2002, 9:39:42 PM6/26/02

to

On Wed, 26 Jun 2002 21:49:42 GMT, "Richard" <richard....@shaw.ca>
wrote:

>I have a hydration pack with a Platypus brand bladder. I'd like to replace
>the bite valve with one that's larger and easy to operator hands-free. Any
>recommendations? Thx.

What's the ID (internal diameter) of your hose tubing?

The two obvious choices are either Camelbak's® Big Bite™ valve or
Hydrapak's® NEW EasyFlo™ Bite valve. Both work on the simple bite and
suck principle. Choice is really a matter of compatibility with
internal hose diameter. Both are good.

Note: Hydrapak's® EasyFlo™ valve is new, different from and not to be
confused with their previous standard fitment Gulp™ valve. I have
both. http://www.hydra-pak.com/features.html#1

Although after several months use I still haven't experienced the
reported leakage problems some did with Hydrapak's® Gulp™ valve, the
new EasyFlo™ valve is a decided improvement and similarly simple to
Camelbak's® Bite™ valve, presumably without infringing their patent. I
suspect the leakage problems reported of the Gulp™ valve by some users
were caused by defective (batch) manufacture. Even so, it is
undeniably an unnecessarily complicated spring and O-ring mechanism
which is IMHO decidedly inferior by design in its potential for
malfunction through wear and tear when compared to the simpler bite
and suck of its EasyFlo™ successor or Camelbak's® Big Bite™ valve.

I have two Hydrapaks®, a Tracker (Gulp™) & Overflow (EasyFlo™) with
which I have been, and still am, well pleased. I suspect the Platypus
bladder which uses the same or a similar folding bladder design is
possibly a rebadged Hydrapak® unit and uses the same tubing ID, so you
might find the EasyFlo™ valve suits your purpose. The Gulp™ valve has
worked OK for me too in my experience, but given the choice of the
two, I'd take the EasyFlo™ or alternatively Camelbak's® Big Bite™
valve if that fitted my tubing.

cheers

- Keiron

Richard

unread,

Jun 27, 2002, 7:41:36 AM6/27/02

to

"Keiron" <rtr_...@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:g6qkhuo7qcvkgjh48...@4ax.com...

> On Wed, 26 Jun 2002 21:49:42 GMT, "Richard" <richard....@shaw.ca>
> wrote:

> What's the ID (internal diameter) of your hose tubing?
>

The inside diameter of the tubing on my Platypus is 1/4" . Is that a
standard size? Does it match both the
Camelback and the Hydrapak?

Thx.

Richard

matt schwarz

unread,

Jun 29, 2002, 5:03:18 AM6/29/02

to

> The inside diameter of the tubing on my Platypus is 1/4" . Is that a
> standard size? Does it match both the
> Camelback and the Hydrapak?
>

before I lost my platypus I had a camelback right angle valve on it, the new
platypus ones are very nice as well though, soft on the outside for comfort,
stiff on the inside to stop leaks.

Keiron

unread,

Jun 29, 2002, 6:41:02 PM6/29/02

to

On Thu, 27 Jun 2002 11:41:36 GMT, "Richard" <richard....@shaw.ca>
wrote:

>The inside diameter of the tubing on my Platypus is 1/4" . Is that a
>standard size? Does it match both the Camelback and the Hydrapak?

Hydrapak® tubing ID is 5/16", slightly larger than 1/4". I know that
Camelbak® tubing ID is smaller than Hydrapak®. Good chance that it may
be 1/4".

cheers

_ Keiron