Homemade Hydro Bladder for those long wars

In prep for this weekends endurance war in Adelaide, I thought it would be a good thing to make my own hydro bladder. Total cost is nothing if you have everything or at the most $3 buck.

My camera isn't working so this write up will contain pictures I'm going to make in the text

Materials :

One soft drink bottle (I'm using a 2ltr, but use what ever you want)
One screw cap for said bottle
A Dremel (not needed but it makes life easier, if you don't have a Dremel, a large screw driver will do)
About 1 Meter of 10mm clear irrigation tubing. (Bunnings sells for about $3.00 for 10M)


Step one :

Remove the plastic seal from inside the bottle cap and place aside for later. Take your Dremel (or tool) and make a hole in the middle of the bottle cap slightly smaller then the tubing. It needs to be very tight or the tube might fall out or water might spill.


Step two :

Make a small air hole some where else on top of cap.


Step three :

Squeeze the tube through the large hole


Step four :

Make a small hole in the seal you put aside earlier and slide back into place inside the Cap.


Step five :

Now measure the tube so it goes up and over your shoulder from a backpack or similar. It must go below chest height then back up to around your mouth. If you just lave it down or level water will pour out. Gravity works, trust me.



Step six :

Done, enjoy your fluid.

Hope its good enough without my camera, sorry again.

There should be an "Off topic homemades" section.
Nice write up, I'm not going to the war but this would be handy.
Epic little pics BTW.

Yeah wasnt sure were it should go, its not homemade nerf as such but not really off topic.

This will come in handy for our endurance war. Good job!

- Brad

That is a good idea, but i just rushed out and bought one of those backpack style ones with a 2ltr capacity for sunday. Had hoped for something slightly different but the camping store i went and drove too (cause it was there when i last drove past that way) is no longer there now. So it was to Kmart and get something that will work for now.

I was so confused what this was. I was like Hydro Bladder? Water gun? Haha.

Actually would be a good idea because you can wash it out easy if you have cordial in it :D.

It would be a good idea if you have a valve of some sort, as it will stop any leaks coming from some of the water in the tube and prevent you from sucking up a tubeful of air before you get to the water.
Not sure what I'd use as a valve though.

If anyone's been in some parts of Asia, takeaway cold drinks don't get sold in cups.
They get poured into a plastic bag, then a straw is added and tied up by a rubber band.

I'd consider doing it like that, but the bag would be inside the bottle, as a rigid case for tumbling around and not worrying about the bladder bursting.
It will limit leaks further and you won't have the water sloshing around inside as air is not introduced into the bladder (when used inconjuction with a valve).

A valve. Add one of those valves that are on blow up beachballs. Attach it to the end of the hose then when you want a drink you bite down slightly on the valve like when you blow up a beachball. When the valve is open you cna drink when you stop biting the valve is closed.

that valve is idea is good, i didnt have anything like that around. Also the water doesnt spill put as long as it goes down far enough before it goes up.

Spilling isn't as much of an issue as the amount of sucking you will have to do to get liquid. The valve will keep the liquid right neat the tip.

You will be able to get a pool toy or something with a valve like that for about a buck or so at a reject shop.