A better way to dry your damp Camelbak reservoir.

Camelbak Reservoir Dryer
MSRP $9
Camelbak Website: http://www.camelbak.com/rec/acc_clean.cfm

----- My Experiences with the dryer. -----

As anyone who has owned one knows, cleaning your Camelbak was a nightmare back in the day when every model came with the old-school narrow mouth water reservoir. Since the introduction of the new Omega water reservoir the ordeal of cleaning has been greatly reduced, but drying out your reservoir can still be a bit tricky. Several problems can occur if you don’t dry out your reservoir completely, and symptoms range from foul-tasting water to moldy growths in your reservoir. This problem is greatly increased if you use liquids other than water in your Camelbak. Fungus and mold like to attack the water tube in particular, since it’s quite difficult to clean the inside. On both old-style reservoirs and the newer Omega, the plastic sides want to collapse together when empty, and this locks the dampness inside. The dryer expands and fills the reservoir, leaving the sides spread apart and lots of room for air to circulate.

I fought this battle with my reservoir for quite a while, and the only solution I found was a bent metal clothes hanger stuffed inside my reservoir. I always worried the hanger would stain the inside of my reservoir, and possibly even puncture it. Two years ago I finally saw a Camelbak Reservoir Dryer hanging on the display rack at my local bike shop. Since I had a Camelbak Classic (old style reservoir) at the time, I practically ran to the checkout to purchase my new toy. After using my Camelbak and cleaning it as usual, I inserted the dryer and hung it up as directed. It did dry noticeably faster than without the dryer, but it still took about a day and a half. The only spots that wouldn’t dry were the lower corners of the reservoir, since the water tended to collect there.

Jump forward to the present, and the current Omega Reservoir. The dryer works much better in this model, since it has even more room to circulate air. To insert the dryer, simply squeeze the unit together and the expandable sides collapse. After inserting the dryer into the reservoir, you simply hang the whole unit anywhere you want. My 70oz Omega dries in about 10-18 hours depending on conditions, and my little 50oz takes about 8 hours. As I said before, the water still collects in the corners of the Omega reservoir, but overall drying is much improved. Get all the water you can out of the Omega by wiping the inside with a cloth or paper towel. Don't use a soft and fluffy hand towel since those will leave lint particles and fibers inside your bladder. After you hand-wipe it out, the dryer will hold the reservoir open and allow the air to flow freely throughout the interior.

My dryer has held up well, with no discoloring or cracking on the flex joints. If you don't use your Camelbak very often, you may not need this accessory as much as I do. If you're like me, and use multiple reservoirs several times a week, this little guy can save you valuable time. If you have multiple sizes of reservoirs, you may need a couple dryer units.

For 100oz and 70oz reservoirs no trimming of the dryer is necessary.
You must trim the bottom two-thirds off for 35oz, 45oz, and 50oz reservoirs.
For 72oz and 102oz wide-body reservoirs you'll need to cut the dryer up the middle. This will allow it to spring open and dry more effectively.

For me at least, the Camelback Reservoir Dryer has been money well spent. It's only $9, and it will help your Camelbak stay clean and safe to drink from. If you're looking for an easy way to clean your reservoir, Camelbak also sells a handy cleaning brush kit for an additional $9.

Related links:


Camelbak Rim Runner
Camelbak HydroBak
Camelbak Classic


Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment!
Openroad