[at-l] Packing a Platy

[Ken Bennett]

>
> So, what gives?  Can you really carry water as
> securely as Nalgene in a soft poly bag weighing
> 1/2 or 1/4 as much?  How do you pack it?



Of course not. I can throw a Nalgene lexan bottle onto the rocks pretty much
all day long, while a Platy or a Nalgene Cantene will start to leak pretty
quickly. The question becomes, how often do I throw my water bottle at the
rocks until it leaks? That is, how secure is secure enough? I have carried
many Platypus bottles, either Hosers (with a drinking tube) or just plain
2-liter bags, and I've never had one spring a leak inside my pack -- except
for one cold-weather hike when I didn't screw down the lid properly. (Note
-- bad idea. Wet down bag. Not good.)

Now I carry 1-liter wide-mouth Aqua Fina bottles. They weigh about an ounce,
are close to indestructible, and don't leak -- though I carry them in
outside pockets, not inside my pack. I do carry a 6-liter Platypus Big Zip
bag to collect water from springs or streams, so I can carry/treat enough
water for the evening.

The Aqua Fina bottles run about a buck and a quarter, come pre-filled with
tasty water, and last for years.

Disclaimer: I have seen claims that re-using soda or water bottles may have
some health risks. Caveat Hiker.

--Ken