Does anyone know what I can use to fix a tiny hole in my hydration bladder? It looks like its leaking from the seam. Thanks!
Unlikely you’ll come right. But more importantly - if you do come right, but your fix ruptures during a hike, you are risking having wet gear and no water storage - so I’d suggest getting a new one.
I stopped using hydration bladders about 9 years ago. My biggest problems were always:
- There’s a lack of redundancy when they fail - which can happen from a small fall when you land on your pack, or when you push something into you pack and don’t realise its pushing on it. By contrast, with two water bottles, if one fails for whatever reason - you have a spare. And I had to carry a water bottle with my hydration bladder anyway so I could refill it - so perhaps not the biggest issue.
- You never know how much water you have left
- They are a mission to refill from a slow-flowing river
- No matter how carefully I washed them they always ended up something nasty growing after a while (even if I used jik to wash them and ensured they were completely dry before storage)
- When you refill them during the day, you basically have to unload your pack and repack it when you’re done. This usually ends up in carrying more water than you need to, but still running out of water at inconvenient times. It’s no good saving 500g on lightweight gear if you have to carry 3 litres of water despite knowing your next river crossing is only 2 hours away.
- The water in the pipe gets either really hot or freezes when the weather is anything but perfect. I’ve had both on the same hike before. I used a cover on the pipe, which helped, but didn’t stop it.
- I can buy around 15 BPA free water bottles for the price of a hydration bladder that doesn’t taste like plastic.
- If you mix Game or something similar in once, everything you put in it for the next 6 months tastes like it.
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If it’s a TPU I think you can just use a dash of super glue on the inside.
More expensive would be something like Tear Aid type A
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Thank you!
Ja I have a bit of an issue with accessing my water bottles from my bag. The pockets are angled in such a stupid way that I have to take off my bag or ask someone for help getting to my bottle. I am in the process of getting another bag 
but I have to work with what I have at the moment. Also, I sweat a lot. Like in a lot. Very unflattering, I know 
But the bladder helps me to hydrate little sips at a time which prevents dehydration. I always take an extra water bottle with (Rehydrate and Game goes in there and never into the bladder – bladder is just for water) and one of those floppy plastic ones that folds down really small for back up. Will rethink my gear for the Fish River next year, but for now it’s MacGyvering what’s at hand 
Thank you! I think it’s absolutely worth paying that money to have tape at hand that can fix holes in mattresses and water gear on a trip. Nothing as deflating like a deflating hiking mattress on a five day trip I will try it out!
What brand is it?
If it’s Osprey try a replacement through Adventure Inc.
Hi!
I’ve used duct tape on a hike before that worked well as a temporary measure. I then used a patch that kite surfers use for their kite bladders and that worked for months. 
Not an answer to your question but an easy lightweight cheap solution to resolve a problem
Line the bladder with a condom (or a pants leg/ shirt sleeve) makes anything waterproof. This works with the fold over sealing bladders but obviously you can’t use the hose…
Carl, it’s a First Ascent bladder
Thanks Susan! I will look into that 
Sounds like a real MacGuyver move
FA are pretty good with after service, try a return/repair through them.
The FA brand is basically under Performance Brands, running Sportsmans and Outdoor Warehouse, as well as Cape Storm.
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