If you use a hydration system for hiking, you’ll want to keep the mouthpiece, hose, and reservoir, often called a bladder, clean and germ-free between hikes. The easiest way to do this is to wipe down the mouthpiece, empty the bladder and hose the best you can, and then put the entire hydration system into the freezer section of your refrigerator so nothing can grow inside it. This eliminates the need to clean and dry the inside of the hydration system between uses. When you’re ready to use it again, simply refill it and go. “
We also recommend that you only put water in your hydration system, not sugary or electrolyte drinks, as these are very difficult to clean out. If you need these during hikes, they’re best eaten as snacks rather than added to a hydration system.
If you still want to clean a hydration system, its manufacturers sell cleaning tablets, brushes, and hangers to dry it, but this is largely unnecessary if you only drink water and freeze the hydration system between uses.
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