Platypus Hoser Hands-Free Hydration System: A Reservoir to Keep You Hydrated On the Go

susy: Four stars because the sucking valve is falling off already. Light bag and easy to use. So far no water leaks.

United States on Nov 18, 2023

Roxy l.: Bought this for someone in use in a Normal travel pack, he raved how much he loved it and how useful it was. Easy to fill, durable.

United States on Oct 31, 2023

Paul H Brown: I bought this bladder for my husband because his taste like crap. I have had my own platypus bladder for over a decade and it’s still going strong. If you use it on a regular basis, you do need to clean the mouthpiece thoroughly but mine has never popped. I don’t know if everyone knows this, but it also connects perfectly with a sawyer water filtration system. So you can fill up a sawyer gravity bladder and connect it to your platypus bladder and walk away and do other projects at camp while it fills! brilliant!

United States on Oct 26, 2023

Louise: I'm really happy with this. No need for the fancy big foldy ones, etc. this classic model does the trick.

Canada on Jul 12, 2023

Guy: Worried about hose taste when using. Taste free. Excellent product

Canada on Jul 07, 2023

G. Kaya: We have experienced subpar performance from our water bladders towards the end of the past three years, which prompted us to avoid purchasing this products going forward. Despite being less visually appealing, we found our older water bladder lasted much longer and still without a leak

Canada on Jun 11, 2023

V Norton: The Hoser was the only system that made sense to me when I first got a bladder in 2002. The hose can just be moved to another bag when the first empties. Weight is another advantage as there's no large heavy lid in the side of the bag. It is similar to systems using disposable bottles in weight. I seem to buy a new one of these every 10 years, so it was time for the third.

The bags never grow crud, but after 6-8 thousand miles, they can wear out. I recommend against folding the bag for a longer life. The hose and bite valve need to be dried out if it's not being used, so there is some care required. (Pop off the bite valve and hang up the hose to drain.) The hose is usually a couple inches too long, but it can be cut down on the barbed connection side. Careful not to cut down too much, it can't be added to as easily.

I managed to get a leak with the first one once, but it was user error and they've been redesigned to reduce the chance of that particular error. (Longer threading -> less chance of cross threading.)

United States on Apr 29, 2023

Ebbyman: I got the 3 liter version because I always have the option to carry less if I choose, but I like having a full 3 liters available for use. However, you will need a decent sized backpack to hold the container.

The clean taste thing seems reasonably true after a period of time, but the first few times I could taste/sense the bag even after washing the best I can.

Due to the size of the bag and the small opening, it is pretty much impossible to scrub out the interiors of the components. I have been hanging it upside down after using it and rinsing with soapy water and I have not seen any molds in the straw or the bladder. I am keeping hope that this will continue.

Overall, I am happy I upgraded to the bladder from using bottles when hiking. It is very very nice to take a swig while walking then having to wait for a stop and taking off my gear to get to the bottle. I am surprised it took me this long to get to using water bladders. I used to think it was a bit gimmicky for weekend warrior hikes, but I stand corrected.

United States on Sep 12, 2022

Spatch1971: I didn’t need a bladder for ongoing hydration while backpacking as I keep a Nalgene bottle in a holster lashed to my right hip belt for this purpose. Rather I was looking for a reasonably large reservoir (I got the 3L) for in camp use because a one litre Nalgene bottle wasn’t going to cut it for cooking, cleaning and drinking purposes.

I rate at three stars for basic functionality, because it allowed for enough water to get me through an evening and following morning of food prep (freeze dried), beverages and cleaning. It is also incredibly light weight and rolls up small for a minimal footprint in the pack. It was getting the thing filled that was the tricky part. Simply dunking under water doesn’t work, at least in no manner I tried. I needed to find a moving stream of water to fill up which in my case on a recent backcountry trip wasn’t terribly convenient. Had this bladder had a wider mouth it’d be perfect and I’d rate at five stars. As it stands the narrow mouth is a serious design drawback for both filling and cleaning.

Despite the cons, the few pros of this bladder ensures its continued inclusion in my gear inventory for now. But it will be quickly...

Canada on Sep 04, 2020

Shafin Rehman: Chose the 3L over the 2L for being just a dollar extra. Great for hiking or cycling for a long period of time. Never had an issue, though it can be a bit tricky to clean if dirt or very small debris gets wedged near the bottom edges.

Edit (Aug 9/20): The bladder burst open near the bottom on its 2nd fill-up. While I have used this type of bladder before, I didn't expect mine to fail so quickly. I'm past the return by date so I will be contacting Amazon to see if anything can be done, as it happened on the morning of a long hiking day. Hoping to update soon...

Update (Aug 31/20): Amazon exchanged the failed bladder with another one, and it's been working great again. Have been on long biking and hiking days and glad to have it with me. I still don't completely trust it to fill it up to 3 liters yet, but one day I'll get there. Going up to 4 stars.

Canada on Jul 28, 2020